Vtephen with Michael Turnini

Vtephen plays Trip Six HTX on Friday, October 9, as part of Schmely's birthday party. It's a Houston show for a Galveston native who's been making music since the 1990s.

If you haven't crossed paths with him before, here's the long version of how he got here. Back in 1998, he formed the punk band PCFX with Sarah, his then-future wife. They played the Dallas/Fort Worth area, Houston, and Bryan/College Station. When PCFX folded after the loss of their thirteenth drummer, he started playing on his own. Now he works with guitar and ukulele, a suitcase as a bass drum, and a foot tambourine, with a kazoo appearing if the mood strikes. He describes his sound as yallternative, outlaw country, folk rock, and punk.

It's a one-man setup, so the whole thing rests on him. The suitcase bass drum and foot tambourine keep the beat while he handles guitar and ukulele, and that kazoo comes out when it feels right. The mix of outlaw country, folk rock, and punk is exactly what he calls yallternative—a bit of Texas tradition meeting a punk edge, all coming from one person on stage.

Doors open at 7 PM, and the music starts at 8 PM. Entry is $15, cash only. The show is at Trip Six HTX in Houston, part of Schmely's birthday party.