support your local scene | keep the music live

The title of “Music Writer” in Houston appears to be the quintessential oxymoron. There was a time, in the not too distant past, when Houston music writers actually covered topics of interest regarding music on the national, international and local levels. I find it frustrating when people miss out on a great show because the Houston media failed to write about it.
Case in point: A great guitarist, Mike Severson, was in town recently and performed at the Continental Club with a great Houston band, The Rozzano Zamorano Trio. Mike Severson is originally from Houston but he currently resides in New York City. He attended and graduated from The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) and has accomplished much in the music industry. Mike has toured with an extensive list of great artists and has appeared many times on late night television shows, such as, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Late Night Show with Craig Kilborn, to name a few. Needless to say, there was little coverage of Mike Severson in the Houston Media prior to his performance at The Continental Club on 4/6/08 with The Rozzano Zamorano Trio. To be fair, I did see two mentions, one had Mike Severson listed as a vocalist and the other had the wrong show date… A little media support of local talent might stop the exodus of great musicians from Houston to music Mecca’s like Los Angeles and New York…

Chris Harkness