A recent news report that caught my eye dealt with a 911 call to a Washington State sheriff’s office from a woman who said she was being threatened by a pack of “aggressive” raccoons. She estimated that there were between 50 and 100 varmints in the swarm and reported that they would scratch incessantly on the side of her house or the doors of her car, evidently in search of food. After further questioning, law enforcement officers learned that the woman had been feeding a few raccoons on her property over a period of several years. All was well until a few weeks ago, when their numbers began to swell.
So is this how it ends? I’ve never trusted raccoons, so I can believe that, over time, they have developed enough intelligence to work together, robbing humans of their food and eventually leaving us to starve. Or maybe enslaving us, like in Planet of the Apes. Do I have an axe to grind here? Well, yes. The raccoons that prowl my neighborhood rip open trash bags if a resident has the temerity to put his refuse by the curb on the night before trash day. Oh, and a while back, a raccoon was able to get through the screen on my side porch in the middle of the night and scare the crap out of me. I’m with Hank Hill, who, upon encountering one of Satan’s critters in his garage, said, “Hey you, you furry bastard!”
Ticket Alert
Fat Tuesday will fall on March 4 in 2025, and then – in theory – the faithful will observe Lent March 5 through April 17. During this period, many Christians will eschew something that they enjoy, so as to make a personal sacrifice. This is important for planning purposes, as New Orleans legend Trombone Shorty (who kills it every year at Jazz Fest) will bring his “Shorty Gras” tour to the House of Blues on Saturday, March 22, and tickets are on sale right now. So if your Lenten abstinence plans includes alcohol (or anything else concert-related), there is still time to reconsider and recalibrate.
Checking the action at Main Street Crossing, singer-songwriter (and Woodlands native) Hayes Carll will perform a three-night run Wednesday, January 22, through Friday, January 24. Also of note, blues guitarist Ana Popovic will play at the Crossing on Wednesday, April 2. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.
Concerts This Week
If there were any doubt that Jeff Lynne and ELO were really going to put that big multicolored spaceship in the garage, consider that the band’s current tour has been dubbed “Over and Out.” So this may be the last opportunity to hear solid-gold, mid-’70s classic rock gems like “Don’t Bring Me Down” (Brrrrruce!) and “Evil Woman.” The last time ELO played in Houston, some found the performance to be “a near-religious experience.” And if you don’t believe me, just ask Houston Press scribe Jesse Sendejas. The ELO spaceship touches down tonight at Toyota Center.
You want metal? You got metal. Heavy metal, nu metal, death metal, prog metal. All these styles will be on display when Korn headlines a bill that includes Gojira and Spiritbox on Sunday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. It promises to be a majorly head-banging evening, so be sure to book an appointment with your chiropractor prior to the show, and maybe get one of the foam collars.
In other metal news, don’t forget that perennial big freak King Diamond will be at the Bayou Music Center this evening, along with his signature mic stand made from a human femur and a tibia bone. OG metal band Judas Priest will perform on Tuesday at the Smart Financial Centre in support of its new album, Invincible Shield. For more on the show, check out Bob Ruggiero’s chat with Priest lead singer Rob Halford, aka “The Metal God.”
X, one of the most influential of LA bands over the past several decades, has decided to piss on the fire and call in the dogs. But not before releasing a final album (Smoke & Fiction) and embarking on an extensive tour. The band’s original lineup – Exene Cervenka, John Doe, Bill Zoom and DJ Bonebreak – will perform on Monday at the White Oak Music Hall. The show is downstairs, and it is standing room only, but what do you expect from a punk show, even one where the average age of the band members is, charitably speaking, somewhere in the late 60s?
Nathaniel Rateliff was a hero in Denver, but, on a national level, things hadn’t taken off, and he considered abandoning his music career. But just in the nick of time, Rateliff’s 2015 album, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, became a surprise hit in Americana circles. Since then, it has been smooth sailing, with more successful records and even a cannabis collaboration (the “Nightstache Collection”) with Willie Nelson. Catch Rateliff (and, yes, the Night Sweats) on Tuesday at the 713 Music Hall.
Among the most eagerly anticipated concerts this fall are two shows from Post Malone at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Tuesday, October 22, and Wednesday, October 23. It’s been quite a year for the Texas singer, who released his first country album, F-1 Trillion, in August after collaborating with Taylor Swift and Beyoncé earlier in the year. The new record features contributions from country megastars like Dolly Parton, Luke Combs, Blake Shelton and Chris Stapleton. If setlists from earlier shows on the current tour are any indication, Malone will devote about 50 percent of his set to songs from F-1 Trillion, so while he’s not going all-in on country, he is at least half-in.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
