Bon Jovi

Saturday Night: Brantley Gilbert at Reliant Stadium

Brantley Gilbert Reliant Stadium March 2, 2013 The specter of Honey Boo Boo hovered over Brantley Gilbert Saturday at RodeoHouston. If one single human being apart from the not-so-pint-sized TLC reality star who embodies the word "redneckognize," it's the man responsible for the song "Kick It In th ... More >>

So, Who Should Play the Super Bowl Halftime Show Next Year?

This past weekend, I was honored to cover the Super Bowl XLVII festivities and game in New Orleans for the Houston Press and local TV outlet KIAH (Channel 39). Great fun, if not for locals in NOLA, who were ravaged by drunken football fanatics puking onto their 49ers and Ravens jerseys in the street ... More >>

The 5 Worst Disasters In Benefit Concert History

Benefit concerts are great. The practice of bands playing to raise money for a cause can be as local as helping a fellow unsigned musician pay for their son's hospital bills to as international as world hunger. Though we may pinch our noses at the perceived sanctimoniousness of people like Bono and ... More >>

The Best Concerts In Houston This Weekend

Scooter Brown Band Firehouse Saloon, January 4 Few bands on the Texas country circuit -- a scene largely made up of affable college dropouts -- can say that they have a true-blue U.S. Marine up front, but the Scooter Brown Band can. Lead singer-songwriter/Iraq war combat veteran Scott Brown chose ... More >>

The 5 Best Shows In Houston This Week: Rosie Flores, Otep, Mission of Burma, Etc.

Rosie Flores, the Austin-based "Rockabilly Filly" and onetime L.A. cowpunk scenester who played the Continental Club with Mike Stinson in late July, circles back around to celebrate her birthday Tuesday at KPFT's monthy free-show series "Troubador Tuesdays" at Natachee's Supper & Punch. Back then, ... More >>

Saturday Night: Toby Keith at The Woodlands

Toby Keith Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion September 8, 2012 Toby Keith is America writ small: beholden to corporate interests, often hypocritical, prone to pursuing his baser urges while exhorting others to hold themselves to a higher standard. He is, in many ways, our exemplary artist for these m ... More >>

Who's Got the Power?: The Musicians On Forbes's Most Powerful Celebrities List

Fame and fortune might not be the ultimate goal for every person to ever write a song or learn an instrument, but it is for a lot of people out there. It would be lovely to believe that music is done 100% of the time for the "right" reasons, but most of us are cynical enough to know otherwise. Some ... More >>

Stryper

After American Idol And Bad Record Deal, Sundance Head Starts Over

Rocks Off hadn't thought much about Sundance Head since his 13th-place American Idol finish in 2007 and the momentary ballyhoo that followed. Head, the son of legendary Houston blue-eyed soul man Roy Head, remains the only artist who didn't finish in the Top 5 on Idol to sign a major-label deal. Bu ... More >>

Shanti: Music's Top 10 Yoga Enthusiasts

This weekend, the Texas Yoga Conference hits town at the University of Houston Recreation and Wellness Center. It's like a big party where everyone practices yoga and learns or improves yoga techniques. At the end of the weekend, there will be musical performances by the Desert Dwellers, Tyagaraja, ... More >>

10 Rock Stars the GOP Should Nominate for President

As the 2012 presidential race begins to heat up in earnest, Rocks Off can't help but feel that the front-runners for the Republican nomination are lacking a certain je ne sais quoi. Call it star power. Call it sex appeal. Whatever it is, these guys ain't got it. If the GOP is serious about wresti ... More >>

Rolled Up Like a Douche: "Blinded by the Light" Explained

A few years ago, my band took a trip up the east coast to play some shows in and around New York City. One of the stops was in Asbury Park at a club called The Saint. Not more than probably a mile down the road was the Stone Pony, the legendary venue where some great bands got their start including ... More >>

Magic Bus: Ford Discontinuing Econoline, the Van of Choice for Bands

Stryper and their custom Econoline... we call it the "God-mobile"​We learned today about this unfortunate development: This week Ford Motor Co. said it is ramping up development and production of its Transit commercial van to make it into a truly global vehicle. The plan includes building the ... More >>

No Surprises: Rock Hall Set To Induct Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys

Photo By Marco TorresGuns N' Roses are Rock Hall bound, but which version of GNR will show up? ​This morning (well, it leaked last night) the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland announced their 2012 class of inductees. Included on the list are Guns N' Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Bo ... More >>

G N' R, The Cure & Chili Peppers Could Be Hall Of Famers Next Year

Oh, this will be a fun induction ceremony...​This morning, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland announced the list of nominees for its Class of 2012: The Small Faces & The Faces, Freddie King, The Cure, Guns 'N Roses, Heart, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Spinners, War, Joan Jett and the Bl ... More >>

Joel Gregoire: One-Man Metal Extravaganza

​If there is anything that Rocks Off loves about the modern music era it's that the ability of individual people to put out their own elaborate albums has never been easier. Meet Joel Gregoire, an instrumental metal maestro by trade and former member of Stride. He's releasing his new album Der ... More >>

Rock of Ages

Island Of Misfit Albums: A Star Wars Christmas

​One thing that always bothered Rocks Off growing up as a born-again Christian child who was into the apparently godless world of Star Wars was whether or not they celebrated Christmas. The birth of Jesus Christ and stuff. Santa Claus, crap that matters. We can only assume under Empire rule th ... More >>

Sam's Place

Lightnin' Hopkins finally gets his own historical marker.

The Eight Stupidest iPhone Music Apps

​Apple's foray into the social-network field failed big-time last month with the release of Ping, the iTunes-linked program that promised to connect you to your favorite artists, as long as your favorite artist is Justin Bieber. When it comes to iTunes, we at Rocks Off are a discerning sort. ... More >>

Cinco De Mayo Tips and a Playlist For Gringos

​ All right, our non-native Mexican brothers. If you're going out tonight to have some Coronas, hit on drunk Latinas and take silly pictures while wearing a sombrero, at least try not to look like a total jerk. Rocks Off is going to help you, but we need to start by schooling you on the basics. ... More >>

Pop Rocks: You Really Should Be Watching Supernatural

​The CW is, by all generally accepted standards of measure, a horrible network. Just about every show is aimed at that unfortunate segment of the pre-adolescent population whose parents can't afford basic cable, so instead of several hundred channels of garbage programming, these poor kids are fo ... More >>

Edge Of Twilight: The Secret History Of Forgotten UK Proggers Gentle Giant

​ Who Dat? Ah yes, the '70s, fertile ground for prog-rockers of mostly English descent like Yes, King Crimson, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. But a cult has grown around the (many would say) even more complex and experimental Gentle Giant - a quintet that, among them, could pla ... More >>

The Incredible Truth: The Best Southern Rap Albums (and Mixtapes) of 2009, Part 1

​Yeah, it stirred the Yankees to the World Series championship, but was there a more boring album this year than Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3? Perhaps it was a geographic thing; with a few exceptions like Raekwon and Kid Cudi, most of 2009's exciting, innovative rap records came from Southern artists. ... More >>

RodeoHouston Announces Dierks Bentley, Rascal Flatts and Gary Allan Dates Next March

​The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced three more performers for its 2010 concert series Monday morning, joining the previously announced Jonas Brothers (March 7), Tim McGraw (March 8), Brad Paisley (March 11) and Brooks & Dunn (March 20) dates. The performers announced Monday morning ... More >>

5 Real-Life Rock-Star Stereotypes More, Well, Flaming Than Adam Lambert

​We hate to be those people, but it's true: stereotypes exist for a reason. Our theory is that stereotypes propagate themselves from the insecurities of people who believe they're "supposed" to be some kind of archetype, whether it's the toughest gangsta, the punkest punk rocker or the hick with t ... More >>

Glee, Episode Six: Shark vs. Bear

​After a filler ep last week that played out the string on the musical subplot, Glee was back on point last night in a big way. Co-creator Ryan Murphy was once again the credited writer this week's "Vitamin D," a fun episode that moved the season forward and had all kinds of conflict. Plus the ... More >>

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Tragic, hilarious and maybe the sweetest rock doc ever made.

Behind the Metal

Revealed: Everything you wanted to know — or didn't — about Canuck headbangers Anvil.<

Aftermath: Fleetwood Mac at Toyota Center

Photos by Jay Lee Every night the band goes onstage, Fleetwood Mac faces a concert onus only a handful of other groups need worry about: Are its songs too iconic? Is the rush of watching Stevie Nicks twirl out "Landslide" or "Rhiannon" live any match for the lifetime (or decades, anyway) of memories ... More >>

Aftermath: Nickelback at Toyota Center

Photos by Craig HlavatyAftermath is of the mind that the best way to tackle something that is reviled or feared is to confront it head on. Like global terrorism, street gangs, or gingivitis, you must take it on at its source, even if doing so makes you feel insecure, vulnerable or wholly fooli ... More >>

An American Idol From Jasper

We've had our Aggie American Idol. Now we have one from Jasper.Michael Sarver, according to those who watch American Idol, has gotten himself into the finals, or the semi-finals, or whatever it is that's a step beyond the comic-relief idiot tryouts.As the Beaumont Enterprise reports, Sarver is ready ... More >>

Harry Potter and the Sisters of Mercy, or Goth Like Me

Musical Food Groups

If singers were cheese, what kind of cheese would they be?

Rogue Waves

A new report cuts through the static on the radio industry

A Blighted Slough of Smells, Steel and Chemicals

Touring bands sound off on Houston

When Mixtapes Attack!

What if the sound track to your life sucks?

The Orange Show

Spain Colored Orange takes home four Press Music Awards

Vagina Music Roundup

A scintillating survey

He's a Maniac

The Nightfly puts his white-boy dance moves to the supreme test at Lizzard's Pub

Warped Minds

A day at punk rock's biggest summer tour takes more than just stamina

That's Rich

We're not making up these beauty and fitness treatments

Queer Eye for the Country Guy

Have today's C&W stars been consulting with the Fab Five?

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Shine your boots and bust out your cowboy hat -- it's that rodeo time of year

Rodeo's Gonna Git You, Sucka

When the Fat Show calls, you better answer

Think Small

Houston rockers Dirty Rotten Imbeciles keep the faith with intimate venues

Amplified

Back in Black

Another Night, Another Song

In search of love and glamour on the Pasadena karaoke circuit

Rotation

Live Shots