Houston's Top Weekend Concerts: A Guitar Original, And Austin Latin Geniuses

This weekend is an especially good one for the Houston-area music scene. In addition to the hundreds of gigs taking place from Galveston to The Woodlands and everywhere in between, two great acts will be performing in venues about a mile apart from one another: Junior Brown on Friday evening, and Grupo Fantasma on Saturday.

First, Junior Brown is nothing short of a guitar genius, a unique and original musician and performer whose playing and songwriting are known far and wide. He has collaborated with Ralph Stanley, loves his "Guit-Steel," and never fails to entertain.

On Friday, he plays two sets at McGonigel's Mucky Duck, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and you can get your tickets here. I recommend that you not miss him and his band.

Then, on Saturday at 6 p.m., the Grammy Award-winning Grupo Fantasma helps reopen Levy Park with their Latin Funk sounds. They've played everywhere, including at the Montreal Jazz Festival, Bonnaroo, the Kennedy Center, and WOMEX, and once you've experienced them live you'll never want the music to stop.

This is a free event — more information here — and I can promise it will be crowded, so get there early and wear sunscreen, because the sun will be out and the sounds hot.

— Image of Grupo Fantasma courtesy the band