Free Press Houston

Westheimer Block Party

2007—2009

Free Press Houston launched the Westheimer Block Party in 2005 in an effort to revive some semblance of Houston’s famed Westheimer Street Festival. With neither the resources nor permission to close Westheimer itself, FPH compressed the idea around the intersection of Westheimer and Taft, activating stages inside and outside Numbers, AvantGarden (formerly Helios), Mango’s and La Strada, along with neighboring parking lots and whatever other usable space could be commandeered.

The free festival grew from a scrappy neighborhood gathering into a sprawling showcase for Houston music and art, eventually presenting hundreds of bands, artists, installations and performances and drawing as many as 12,000 people. National acts including St. Vincent, HEALTH, Dead Prez and Trail of Dead appeared alongside a deep cross-section of Houston’s independent music community.

More importantly, the Westheimer Block Party was where Free Press Houston cut its teeth as a festival producer: learning stage management, artist booking, crowd control, logistics, extreme problem-solving and, on occasion, how to “pay tribute to HPD in cash.” Those lessons became the production foundation for Free Press Summer Fest, which FPH launched in 2009. The Block Party was chaotic, free, intensely Houston and, for a few years, brought a piece of the old Westheimer Street Festival back to Montrose.

Crowd dancing in the street among tents and a stage at the Westheimer Block Party.

Material relating to the Westheimer Block Party as documented in Free Press Houston.

Also recorded as
Westheimer Street Festival
October 13, 2007

Westheimer Block Party, fall 2007

300–500 block of Westheimer

Free, noon to nine, with stages at Numbers, La Strada, Mango's and Helios (Avant Garden).

Date and hours from Free Press Houston's own performer list. The live page's rendered year is corrupted; the archive path establishes 2007.

Lineup — 35 names
  • Spain Colored Orange
  • Golden Axe
  • Karina Nistal
  • Sideshow Tramps (Medicine Show)
  • Tha Fucking Transmissions
  • Generic Tribe
  • Space City Gamelan
  • Million Year Dance
  • Ernie Banks
  • Dead Roses
  • Scattered Pages
  • skyblue72
  • Concrete Rose Cabaret
  • Dirtyberd
  • Peekaboo Theory
  • Studemont Project
  • Poopy Lungstuffing
  • Nosaprise
  • Friends of Rock and Roll
  • The Takes
  • Novice
  • Captain Asian and the Electrics
  • John Muzak
  • Standing Souls
  • Electricks
  • Rise over Ruin
  • Studio Magick Black
  • Free Radicals
  • D.R.U.M.
  • Econo
  • Elaine Greer
  • Lunara
  • Micah Omega and the Mutations
  • Guy Schwartz
  • Rebel Crew
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2007 — Westheimer Block Party poster, 10.13.07 — 300–500 block of Westheimer, noon 'til 9pm, Numbers / La Strada / Mangos / Helios (Avant Garden), absolutely free.
Westheimer Block Party poster, 10.13.07 — 300–500 block of Westheimer, noon 'til 9pm, Numbers / La Strada / Mangos / Helios (Avant Garden), absolutely free. · FPH archival file, 2007
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2007 — Information graphic circulated for the October 13, 2007 Block Party.
Information graphic circulated for the October 13, 2007 Block Party. · FPH archival file, 2007
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2007 — Stage guide for the October 13, 2007 Block Party, printing set times for Avante Garden, Numbers, Mangos and La Strada.
Stage guide for the October 13, 2007 Block Party, printing set times for Avante Garden, Numbers, Mangos and La Strada. · FPH archival file, 2007
April 12, 2008

Westheimer Block Party, spring 2008

300–500 block of Westheimer

Free, noon to midnight, 50 bands across six stages, with …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead and HEALTH among the national acts. Numbers, Avant Garden, La Strada and Mango's are named among the venues.

Date stated by Free Press Houston's own announcement and printed on the surviving poster.

Westheimer Block Party, spring 2008 — Revised Block Party graphic for the April 12, 2008 edition. The sheet itself prints “Design by Shelby Hohl for Club Tech”.
Revised Block Party graphic for the April 12, 2008 edition. The sheet itself prints “Design by Shelby Hohl for Club Tech”. · Design by Shelby Hohl for Club Tech, as printed on the artifact · FPH archival file, 2008
October 11, 2008

Westheimer Block Party, fall 2008

300–500 block of Westheimer

Free admission. Free Press Houston's own note afterwards puts the bill at more than 104 bands. A map and stage guide and a chronological artist guide were published for the day.

Date carried by Free Press Houston's own August 2008 notice and by outside reporting.

Westheimer Block Party, fall 2008 — Poster for the October 11, 2008 Westheimer Block Party.
Poster for the October 11, 2008 Westheimer Block Party. · FPH archival file, 2008
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2008 — Stage guide printed for the October 11, 2008 edition.
Stage guide printed for the October 11, 2008 edition. · FPH archival file, 2008
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2008 — Site map printed for the October 11, 2008 edition.
Site map printed for the October 11, 2008 edition. · FPH archival file, 2008
March 28, 2009

Westheimer Block Party, spring 2009

300–500 block of Westheimer

Free through the day, with a wristbanded evening programme in the venues. Free Press Houston reported an HPD attendance estimate of 11,000 and gave the previous fall as 8,000.

Date from Free Press Houston's own pre-event notice. The live page's rendered year is corrupted; the archive path establishes 2009.

Lineup — 6 names
  • Valient Thorr
  • St. Vincent
  • Devin the Dude
  • HEALTH
  • Indian Jewelry
  • The Show Is the Rainbow
Westheimer Block Party, spring 2009 — Flyer front for the March 28, 2009 Block Party.
Flyer front for the March 28, 2009 Block Party. · FPH archival file, 2009
Westheimer Block Party, spring 2009 — Flyer information side for the March 28, 2009 Block Party.
Flyer information side for the March 28, 2009 Block Party. · FPH archival file, 2009
November 14, 2009 — November 15, 2009

Westheimer Block Party, fall 2009

300–500 block of Westheimer

Two days, 250+ bands, with Dead Prez and Japanther named as national headliners on the printed poster. A separate ticketed evening show on Saturday, November 14 printed Dead Prez, Japanther, The Eastern Sea (Album Release), Black Congress and DJ Melodic at Numbers, 8:15PM, $12. Reported at the time as the last edition in its then-current form.

Dates from the surviving Free Press Houston lineup page. The live page's CMS date field is unreliable and is disregarded.

Lineup — 134 names
  • Dead Prez
  • Japanther
  • TSU Jazz Ensembles
  • The Gold Sounds
  • Chase Hamblin
  • Golden Cities
  • Hollywood Black
  • Fly Nice
  • Guerilla Foco Clan
  • Bright Men of Learning
  • Something Fierce
  • Female Demand
  • Smoky Mountain
  • Alkari
  • Juzcoz
  • Journey Agents
  • Together. We are instruments
  • O'Doyle Rules
  • Football etc.
  • Elaine Greer
  • Room 101
  • I Am Mesmer
  • Mechanical Boy
  • Forests
  • Defend the Ghetto
  • The Bamaz
  • Chocolate Crucifix
  • Co-Pilot
  • Corners
  • Idegenous
  • Springfield Riots
  • MuhammadAli
  • Ghost Mountain
  • Fight Pretty
  • Fucking Thief
  • Balaclavas
  • Ringo Deathstarr
  • Buxton
  • The Niyat
  • The Swervys
  • Flow Factory
  • Fired for Walking
  • The Manichean
  • Algebra
  • The Energy
  • Rusted Shut
  • 10th Grade Cutie
  • Linus Pauling Quartet
  • CeePlus Bad Knives
  • T.H.E.M.
  • Hero
  • A.T.W.
  • The State vs. Judd Nelson
  • Future Blondes
  • Free Radical
  • Margot
  • Legendary Kotix
  • Uzoy
  • Fat Tony
  • Joe B. and Rebel Crew
  • Caddywhompus
  • Dustin Wes
  • Rad
  • The Cocker Spaniels
  • Tony Bananas
  • Delicious Milk
  • Love Field
  • The Watermarks
  • Dead Roses
  • Cavernous
  • Young Mammals
  • DISSENT
  • Battle Rifle
  • Black Congress
  • Roky Moon & BOLT
  • Woozy Helmet
  • V Zilla
  • The Goods
  • Ghost Town Electric
  • Pistoleras
  • Check Other
  • Satin Hooks
  • SCO
  • Tyagaraja
  • D Rose
  • The Eastern Sea
  • Shina Rae
  • Giant Princess
  • ListenListen
  • PLF
  • American Sharks
  • Wild Moccassins
  • Ben Wesley
  • Whorehound
  • Robert Ellis
  • Hell City Kings
  • Perseph One
  • Marry Me
  • Grandfather Child
  • Lisa's Sons
  • Plump
  • Free Radicals
  • Marzi
  • Jennifer Grassman
  • Peekaboo Theory
  • Come See My Dead Person
  • Chin Xao Ti Won
  • 12:00 Consume These Engines
  • Horse
  • Phillip Foshee
  • Mermaids of Judaism
  • Roky Moon and Bolt
  • Ghormeh Sabzi
  • Flowers to Hide
  • Holy Fiction
  • Alpaca
  • sIngs
  • Holy Hand Grenades
  • Guns of Detroit
  • Eddie Terrell
  • Giant Battle Monster
  • Blaggard
  • Searching For Signal
  • Exterminating Angels
  • Organ Failure
  • Poopy Lungstuffing
  • Gamma Ringo
  • Behind Buildings
  • The Handshake
  • Bows and Arrows
  • Delta Block
  • Components of the Modern Age
  • Jody Seabody and the Whirls
  • The Cadences
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2009 — General poster for the November 14–15, 2009 Westheimer Block Party, printing Dead Prez and Japanther and 250+ local and regional bands.
General poster for the November 14–15, 2009 Westheimer Block Party, printing Dead Prez and Japanther and 250+ local and regional bands. · Circulated by the Westheimer Block Party event account to Free Press Houston, October 27, 2009
Westheimer Block Party, fall 2009 — 11x17 evening-show poster for Saturday, November 14, 2009, printing Dead Prez, Japanther, The Eastern Sea (Album Release), Black Congress and DJ Melodic — Numbers / 8:15PM / $12.
11x17 evening-show poster for Saturday, November 14, 2009, printing Dead Prez, Japanther, The Eastern Sea (Album Release), Black Congress and DJ Melodic — Numbers / 8:15PM / $12. · Circulated by the Westheimer Block Party event account to Free Press Houston, October 27, 2009
Video archive
Westheimer Block Party Free Press Houston Oct 11 2008
2008-10-11 · DangerIncUSA · Source
Westheimer Block Party Free Press Houston March 28th, 2009 Free Day Festival & Clutch Nightness
2009-03-28 · DangerIncUSA · Source
FPH presents Westheimer Block Party Spring 09
2009-03-28 · Osker Koronado · Source
Published record
2013-03-05Great and/or Shitty Moments in Houston Music History, 2003-2013Unattributed2009-11-23Of Turkeys and HolocaustsUnattributed2009-10-12Westheimer Block Party LineupFree Press Houston2009-03-30Thanks Houston.Free Press Houston2009-03-30This is how I feel today.april5k2009-01-29Westheimer Block Party Spring 09 LineupUnattributed2008-12-31Houston Sports in 2008Mills-mc Coin2008-10-13Westheimer Block Party 2008 - RecapRamon Medina2008-10-12Thanks Houston!Free Press Houston2008-10-10Click your way through the Block Party ArtistsRamon Medina2008-09-29Music with Jameson & Lone Star:Fired For Walking, Bright Men Of Learning, Novox @ Rudz 09/26/2008Ramon Medina2008-08-05FYI: Next Block Party October 11thFree Press Houston2008-04-13Recap of the Spring 2008 Westheimer Block PartyRamon Medina2008-03-23DJ Hipp-E added to already incredi-crunk lineup at Westheimer Block PartyFree Press Houston2008-03-15Westheimer Block Party April 12thFree Press Houston2008-02-27Westheimer Block Party April 12Unattributed2007-10-17Photos from Westheimer Block Party- by Anthony ChapmanUnattributedUndatedSpring 2008 Westheimer Survives Yet Another Block PartyRamon MedinaUndatedBring On The Fall 2008 Westheimer Block Party.Ramon Medina
Further photography / ephemera

Small, low-resolution files recovered from the surviving Free Press Houston pages. Held as evidence; shown at the size they survive at.

Poster for the Westheimer Block Party of April 12, 2008, printing the La Strada night bill headed by Hipp-E.
2008 · Free Press Houston
Crowd photograph carried with Free Press Houston's August 2008 notice of the next Westheimer Block Party.
2008 · Anthony Rathbun
Photograph published with Free Press Houston's note of thanks after the October 2007 Westheimer Block Party.
2007 · Free Press Houston
Photograph published with Free Press Houston's October 2007 Block Party photo post.
2007 · Free Press Houston
Photograph published with Free Press Houston's October 2007 post on the Houston Chronicle's Block Party coverage.
2007 · Free Press Houston
Opening frame of the Westheimer Block Party Spring 2009 montage filmed by Osker Koronado.
2009 · Osker Koronado

Source — freepresshouston.com, surviving pages · Free Press Houston's own material, recovered from the surviving legacy pages. Where a page prints a photographer credit, that credit is recorded against the individual image. The live pages rewrite post years; dates here come from the archive paths and page content.

Sources
All collections