Last week, Billy Joel ended his monthly Madison Square Garden residency after 150 shows. By way of commemoration, The New York Times ran a piece on all of the merch that fans were able to pick up at the final gig. According to the Old Gray Lady, everything from T-shirts to koozies to key chains to $300 lettermen jackets were there for the taking.
Tickets for the last concert started at $550, so it’s not like Joel needed the money. That, and the fact that he has sold over 150 million records. No, Joel doesn’t need the revenue from merch, but many artists do. With most bands’ CD sales in the toilet (actually, those CD sales wish they were in the toilet) and streaming revenues next to nonexistent, sales of merch – along with concert tickets – represents a substantial portion of most touring musicians’ income these days. So next time you attend a show, think about stopping by the merch table and spending some money. Hey, what’s wrong with having another cool T-shirt?
Ticket Alert
Halloween will be here before we know it, and what better time of year for gross-out shock rockers King Diamond to hit the road? The band will be in Houston on Wednesday, October 16, at the Bayou Music Center as part of its “Saint Lucifer’s Hospital 1920” tour, with Overkill and Night Demon opening. Presales start today, with the general sale set for Friday. In an announcement released yesterday, King Diamond (the lead singer, not the band that bears his name) said, “There will be some horrific surprises taking place on stage, but we are not to be held responsible… Enter if you dare!” As Count Floyd used to say, “Scary, kids, scary!”
Good seats are still available for Jelly Roll, the patron saint of face-tatted country fans, who plays on Sunday, November 17. Fellow country artist Kacey Musgraves will perform at Toyota Center on Thursday, November 21, and tickets can still be purchased for that show as well. Don’t get the impression that the shows aren’t selling. They are. But if you move quickly, you can still snag seats.
Rockers? We haven’t forgotten you. Carlos Santana is at Toyota Center on Saturday, August 17, with Counting Crows opening. Seats are still available in the lower level for less than $100. “Oye Como Va” indeed.
Concerts This Week
There has always been a musical connection between Texas and California. Both states are known for their contributions to country music (Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard). And the music of both states has been heavily influenced by Mexico, the nation they share a border with (Doug Sahm, Los Lobos). Not to mention the fact that the psychedelic revolution in San Francisco wouldn’t have happened without Texans like Roky Erickson and the 13th Floor Elevators, stoner chanteuse Janis Joplin and promoter Chet Helms, who founded the Avalon Ballroom.
The tradition continues with the musical partnership between Dave Alvin (L.A.’s Blasters) and Jimmie Dale Gilmore (Lubbock’s Flatlanders), who are touring in support of their latest joint release, Texicali. Catch this rocking duo on Thursday at the Heights Theater, with J. Isaiah Evans and the Boss Tweed opening. Also at the Heights Theater this week is blues guitarist Samantha Fish, who plays on Friday. For more on Ms. Fish, check out this Houston Press interview.
Revisit those thrilling days of yesteryear on Thursday at the 713 Music Hall with Blues Traveler. Vocalist / harmonicist John Popper and Blues Traveler were, along with Phish and the Dave Matthews Band among the leaders of the jam band movement that gave college students the opportunity to take LSD and dance around at concerts after the Grateful Dead folded its tent in 1995. And if that’s not ‘90s enough for you, Big Head Todd and the Monsters are opening.
What’s the deal with Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine? He always seems borderline P.O.’ed, even when he’s in a good mood. (For the record, I’m assuming that this “good mood” thing actually occurs once in a while.) The most frequently occurring phrase in Mustaine’s autobiography is “Are you fucking kidding me?” I suppose it’s no surprise, then, that Megadeth’s current tour is called “Destroy All Enemies” and that the song “Angry Again” will be on the set list when the band performs on Saturday at the 713 Music Hall.
Alt-rockers Third Eye Blind will perform at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Saturday, headlining a bill that includes Yellowcard, which is probably the only pop-punk (or is it punk-pop?) bands that includes a violinist in its lineup. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: In its early days, Third Eye Blind established the tradition of hanging a candy-filled piñata above the mosh pit at its shows. For some reason (sticking it to the man?), when the band played a music industry showcase in hopes of being signed by legendary record label president Clive Davis, the piñata was filled with crickets. Which is exactly what they heard when they tried to call Davis after the gig.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
