When I was a youngster, my friends and I did plenty of stupid (in retrospect, anyway) stuff to get the best seats for concerts. Camping out all night in front of Warehouse Records on Westheimer so that we would be ready to snag our Led Zeppelin tickets when the store opened. Or sitting in line in the rain throughout a Saturday afternoon in the Jeppesen Stadium parking lot, so as to secure the optimal piece of turf on the football field to see Pink Floyd.
So we missed out on sleep, got wet, got cold, or got sunburned in pursuit of the best possible concert experiences. Kids, eh? Well, according to reports published in multiple outlets, a trend has sprung up among young music fans that boggles the mind. Or at least boggles reasonable minds.
What I’m talking about here is an interview that Olivia Rodrigo did with KISS-FM in Los Angeles, a discussion in which she disclosed that many of her fans insist on being right up against the barrier in front of the stage (aka “riding the rail”), no matter what. So what does that mean, “no matter what”?
Well, in this case it means that, once fans secure their spot right down front, directly in front of the stage, they will not leave it until the show is over. Not for any reason. Including visiting the restroom. I shit you not. Now, I’ll grant you that the Porta-Potty experience at an outdoor concert is not what might be termed pleasant, but…really?
“I have been to certain concerts and certain festivals where people wear diapers so that they can be in the front row of the show,” Rodrigo said. “And that’s been an experience as a performer that I have smelled. Like the [Times Square] Ball Drop on New Year’s Eve. Everyone is wearing diapers. They sit there all day. I think about it kind of often.”
Olivia, I’m truly sorry that you think about it kind of often. But I am also sorry that the rest of us are now thinking about it too. A quick question for Biblical scholars: does this mean that the end of times is near?
Ticket Alert
Glenn Danzig wears many hats. In addition to fronting the band that bears his surname, Danzig is also a comix creator and publisher, an occasional actor and a student of esoteric martial arts. And did we mention that he founded the legendary punk / metal band the Misfits? Tickets are on sale now for Danzig’s concert at the Bayou Music Center on Saturday, September 12.
Like fathers, like sons, I suppose. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons formed Kiss in the early ‘70s, combining elements from glam rock, cartoons and horror movies into an incredibly successful (though critically reviled) amalgamation. Now, Kiss offspring Evan Stanley and Nick Simmons have formed a band, Stanley Simmons, but this time the influences are folk rock, psychedelia and Americana. The boys have released their debut album, Dancing While the World is Ending, and will soon embark on a national tour. The Houston stop will be on Wednesday, September 16, at the House of Blues.
When a band includes former members of Dash Rip Rock and takes its name from a play by Sam Shepard and Patti Smith, you’ve got to figure that things are going to get twisted sooner or later. Louisiana’s Cowboy Mouth has never disappointed in that regard, crafting an individualistic, hard rocking sound that was most recently displayed on Cover Yo’ Azz, a collection of songs originally recorded by luminaries like The Who, Frank Sinatra, Queen and Cher. Catch the band on Saturday, October 10, at the Heights Theater.
During the ‘70s, southern rock was everywhere, its practitioners combining rock and roll, blues, country and boogie-woogie in a mix that was the perfect soundtrack for a festive night out. While the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd (no, I don’t recognize the current group of musicians touring under that name), the Outlaws and the Marshall Tucker Band (see Lynyrd Skynyrd, above) have faded into the mists of time, there are still some contemporary outfits that have assumed the southern rock mantle. A prime example is Blackberry Smoke, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a recording act with a tour that will visit Houston on Saturday, October 10, at the 713 Music Hall. Tickets are on sale now, so grab ‘em while you can.
Concerts This Week
To paraphrase Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, can you handle the truth? Moreover, can you handle the truth when it is dished out by a trio of female songwriters? This is the challenge presented by “Three Women and the Truth,” a concert on Thursday night at the Heights Theater. The three women in question are Mary Gauthier, Jaimee Harris and Carrie Rodriguez, all of whom have established themselves as powerful singer-songwriters. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: The phrase “three chords and the truth” was coined by songwriter Harlan Howard (“Heartaches by the Number”) to describe the essence of a great country song.
You can’t accuse Austin’s Steve Ray Ladson of wallowing in cliches. No, Ladson cuts a singular figure as BlackGrass BrotherCana, with his voice and his banjo coalescing country blues, gospel, rock and soul into a sound unlike any other. You can see what all the fuss is about on Friday at the Continental Club.
When an artist’s fame is born of television exposure, it is sometimes difficult to achieve credibility as a musician. Just ask Shaun Cassidy, John Travolta and Don Johnson. However, some had no trouble with the transition, among them Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus and Drake. Hilary Duff falls into the latter category, having leveraged her success on the television show “Lizzie McGuire” into a career as a multi-platinum recording artist. Now, it’s been over 10 years since Hillary Duff released an album, but she reentered the world of music earlier this year with a new album, Luck…or Something. The record has been well received, so Duff is out on the road to promote it, performing on Saturday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
