Michael McDonald

Here's the Lowdown: The Boz Scaggs Interview, Part 1

From his earliest records and concerts to his most recent discs and tours with buddies Michael McDonald and Donald Fagen as the Dukes of September, Boz Scaggs has always shown a reverence for music history. That's especially true for the old blues and R&B tunes he'd hear wafting over the airwaves fr ... More >>

Who's Ripping Off the '80s This Year?: The 5 Biggest Offenders

In case you hadn't noticed, the '80s are back. They have been for a few years, but it seems like with each passing year we get more and more new bands wearing their influences on their sleeve. That's putting it mildly. The influence is, in fact, so pervasive as to make these bands practically offens ... More >>

30 Seconds With Brandon Miles of Crunk Witch

Straight out of Maine comes a bizarre electronic duo called Crunk Witch that simply has no fucks to give. Their work is off the charts in terms of genre and any kind of normalcy. They are simply brilliant. I managed to grab a moment of vocalist Brandon Miles' time in order to see what I could learn ... More >>

Last Night: Dukes of September Rhythm Revue at The Woodlands

Dukes of September Rhythm Revue Featuring Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs & Donald Fagen Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion July 17, 2012 This show could have been a punchline waiting to happen. Somebody must have thought "Dukes of September" was a more regal name for this tour than the "Superstars of So ... More >>

The Beach Boys Coming to Nutty Jerry's In Winnie October 6

If you missed the reunited and augmented Beach Boys a few weeks back in the Woodlands, you will have a second chance to see the band on October 6 out at Nutty Jerry's in Winnie. Yes, it's a long drive, but this tour is worth seeing. As Rocks Off confirmed from Nutty Jerry's PR, this will in fact b ... More >>

2012 Summer Guide: It's a Scorcher

A summer concert season to melt your face off.

Upcoming: Roky Erickson, Gucci Mane, Marc Anthony, Toby Keith, Daniel Johnston, Etc.

40 oz. to Freedom (Sublime Tribute): Fri., July 27, 8 p.m., $7/$10. Scout Bar Clear Lake, 18307 Egret Bay Blvd., Houston. Aesthetic Perfection: Sat., June 16, 9 p.m., $15. Numbers, 300 Westheimer, Houston. Alpha Rev: Sat., May 19, 8 p.m., $12/$15. Jet Lounge, 1515 Pease St., Houston. America: Thu ... More >>

Jack Donaghy: Executive Superhero and Web Exclusive's General Lack of Appeal

NBC recently debuted an animated Web tie-in series for 30 Rock called either The Jack Donaghy Files or Jack Donaghy: Executive Superhero. The titles appear to be interchangeable, which really highlights the level of commitment and confidence the network has in the production. The three-minute segm ... More >>

Via The Great Eatlon, The Handshake Arrives

Each Wednesday (or Thursday, if the guy that was supposed to be interviewed disappears like a gypsy), Rocks Off arbitrarily appoints one lucky local performer or group "Artist of the Week," bestowing upon them all the fame and grandeur such a lofty title implies. Know a band or artist that isn't awf ... More >>

Last Night: Joe Walsh at the Verizon Wireless Theatre

Photo By Bob Ruggiero​Like an eccentric, loopy uncle freed from the shackles of his now-stifling longtime marriage (in this case, the recent Eagles), it was a jaunty and loose Joe Walsh who charmed the Houston crowd with his off-kilter stories, jokes, and musical travelogue of more than four d ... More >>

Saturday Night: Boz Scaggs & Michael McDonald At Verizon

Boz Scaggs & Michael McDonald Verizon Wireless Theater October 1, 2011 Now, Classic Rock Bob doesn't want to come off as some sort of out-of-touch curmudgeon ("What do you mean you don't sell cassettes anymore? Hey! You kids get off my lawn!"), but one of the reasons to love classic rock is very si ... More >>

Boz Scaggs & Michael McDonald: Smoothest Of The Smooth

For fans of '70s classic rock, it was the equivalent of three comic book heroes coming together in one Super Smooth Team when Boz Scaggs, ex-Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, and Steely Dan's Donald Fagen announced last year that they would do a short tour as "The Dukes of September." The generous sh ... More >>

Doobie Brothers Say Farewell... For The First Time

​The Doobie Brothers 1982 Farewell Tour, Live at the Greek Theatre Eagle Rock Entertainment, $14.98 As most classic-rock fans know, in hindsight, this title is a bit misleading. That's because the band enjoyed a reunion tour five years later before reforming for good in 1987, playing Houston ... More >>

Upcoming: Andre Williams, Boz Scaggs, Erasure, Supersuckers, Etc.

​Anarchitex, The Energy, Black Congress, Delta Block: Fri., July 1. Fitzgerald's. Andre Williams, Roy Head, Archie Bell: Sat., Sept. 3. Continental Club. Bassnectar: Fri., Oct. 28. Verizon Wireless Theater. Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald: Sat., Oct. 1. Verizon Wireless Theater. "Canned Acou ... More >>

Last Night: The Doobie Brothers At House Of Blues

Photos by Bob Ruggiero​They are one of the classic American rock bands of the '70s and '80s, boast nearly a double CD's worth of hits from three distinct eras, always play with incredible musicianship, and still feature original singer/guitarists Tom Johnston and Patrick Simmons. So why was A ... More >>

The Doobie Brothers

Silk Degrees of Separation

Boz Scaggs turns to jazz, knows his Lightnin' Hopkins.

Boz Scaggs: Your Mom Loved Him... And Still Does

​These days, it's good to be the Wizard of Boz. In recent times, Boz Scaggs has been recording and touring as he pleases, including a highly successful road jaunt with Donald Fagen of Steely Dan and ex-Doobie Brother Michael McDonald as "The Dukes of September." Outside of music, he's got a Sa ... More >>

Upcoming: Dwight Yoakam, En Vogue, Kylie, OMD, Etc.

​Anders Osbourne: Fri., March 11. Last Concert Cafe. Anthony David: Sun., March 6. Numbers. Axwell: Fri., Feb. 4. Stereo Live. Bobby Long: Sun., April 10. Fitzgerald's. Civil Twlight, Mother/Father: Fri., Feb. 25. Warehouse Live. cEvin Key: Sat., April 16. Numbers. Chrisette Michele: Th ... More >>

Christopher Cross

Texas Rangers: World Series Tips From A Town That's Been There

Let a veteran city help you out, Metroplex​Tonight begins what -- to fans of the Peter Sellers movie The Mouse That Roared -- will always be known as the "so-called World Series."It (the Series, not the movie) features the Texas Rangers and the San Francisco Giants. If you wanted a Red State/Blue ... More >>

Mark Lanier's 2010 Desperate Christmas Party Performer: Sting

Nah, you're not invited​Mega-lawyer Mark Lanier each year throws an outrageous Christmas party, because there's nothing better to do with money than throw an opulent, look-at-me event that doesn't even serve liquor for all the dads who've had to drag their kids out to ride the rides.The event also ... More >>

Last Night: The Eagles At Toyota Center

Photos by Marco Torres​The Eagles Toyota Center June 27, 2010 For the past five years Aftermath has been told that we should hate the Eagles, but not why. Like a child, we would ask, and all we would hear from the pop-culture constabulary was "because they suck." It's like standing in a line ... More >>

Saturday Night: Chicago & The Doobie Brothers At Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Photos by Bob Ruggiero​Chicago/The Doobie Brothers Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion June 26, 2010 At many classic rock shows, there's no phrase more guaranteed to start a run on bathroom and beer lines than "And now here's something from our new record." But you know what? Classic Rock Bob wan ... More >>

Idol Beat: That's All, Folks

Um...really? This was it? This was the best you could do, America?​And so, the ninth season of American Idol comes to a lumbering and terrible end. The show is frequently boring and often aggressive in its desire to force viewers to sit through bad guest performances, but even by the show's ow ... More >>

American Idol: That's All, Folks

Um...really? This was it? This was the best you could do, America?​And so, the ninth season of American Idol comes to a lumbering and terrible end. The show is frequently boring and often aggressive in its desire to force viewers to sit through bad guest performances, but even by the show's ow ... More >>

SXSW Aftermath: A Night Of Ecstatic Peace, White Mice And Courtney Love Singing The Blues

Photos by Craig HlavatyBlack Helicopter​Rocks Off Jr.'s fourth night of SXSW frolicking starting off groggily as we woke from a well-needed nap after what has seemed like a month now pounding the pavements of Austin, seeking out new music from club to club like soldiers kicking in doors in Iraq lo ... More >>

Curse Your Branches: The Top College-Rockish Records of 2009, Part 1

​Yeah, pal, that's "college rock," scare quotes very much included. Look, it's a meaningless term. As are "indie," "alternative," "hipster," etc., etc. Let's not overthink this: Here we have ten splendid records with an amorphous rock 'n' roll designation, albeit in a perhaps slightly more experim ... More >>

We’re Getting the Band Back Together! Or Should We?

Musical Food Groups

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

Let's Yacht Rock, Chum

The Raw Power of Really Smooth Music

Climb aboard the Yacht Rock revolution at this week's Michael McDonald/Steely Dan show

Extraordinary Machination

Sure, Fiona Apple is crazy...like a fox!

Game Four: A Bitter Sweep Ending

The Astros’ attempt to win without scoring somehow fails

Vagina Music Roundup

A scintillating survey

Playbill

A Thin Line...

Introducing the most hated men in rock (besides Sting)

Swing Sets

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hooks up with the Houston Symphony

The Doobie Brothers; Michael McDonald with the Houston Symphony

Thursday, July 4; Saturday, July 6

Love in the Time of Chundering

Hoping to be a modern-day Pillow Talk, Bossa Nova merely blows its cookies