William Shatner (aka Capt. James T. Kirk of “Star Trek” fame) has been known to step out of his comfort zone to sing or, more accurately, speak rock and roll classics like “Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “Rocket Man,” which was later parodied by Stewie on “Family Guy.”
For his 13th solo album, the 95-year-old Shatner has decided to take a crack at some crunching rock and roll. The soon to be released disc, What the F is Heavy Metal?, features his renditions of classics like “Enter Sandman,” “Crazy Train” and “Ace of Spades.”
To his credit, Shatner braved slings, arrows and tomatoes this past weekend, appearing at Chicago’s Riot Fest with his backing band the Fuckers. Bill is at least talking the talk, telling Billboard, “I’m so enlivened. I’m so filled with passion. I’ve come to understand what heavy metal is – it’s an energy that permeates your body and lifts you up. Heavy metal is the rhythm of life. It’s overwhelming, especially if you’ve got earphones in. … I’m so excited about what I’m performing. It’s a real-life fervor happening for me.”
And that is a pretty ballsy name for a band. But it works. Consider the possibilities: “Wow, did you hear those Fuckers?” or “Man, those Fuckers can really play!” or “I dug those Fuckers, but who was that old fucker who was singing?”
Ticket Alert
Neo-folkies the Milk Carton Kids (Joey Ryan, the tall one, and Kenneth Pattengale, the one with a cloth napkin wrapped around the neck of his guitar) will perform on Sunday, December 6, at the Heights Theater. Later in the month, native Houstonian Kat Edmonson will bring her eclectic jazzy stylings to the Heights on Monday, December 21. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.
These days, the Lemonheads consists of lead singer Evan Dando and whoever he rounds up to back him. Historically, the band’s lineup had been in a state of flux, probably owing to Dando’s unpredictable nature. Last year, he smashed up some gear on stage during a show, and (according to reports) more recently he was accused of sending what might be termed “objectionable photos” (see, I’m exhibiting – so to speak – some discretion here) to a female fan. In any case, the show probably won’t be boring when the Lemonheads play the White Oak Music Hall on Monday, February 22.
Sometimes a band will give itself a peculiar name early in its career because it’s weird / funny / obscure. Then, if the band becomes successful, the name can’t really be changed without undoing the work that went into creating recognition and branding. Such is the case with Death Cab for Cutie, an act named after a song by the ‘60s British outfit the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. And where the hell did those guys get their name? In any case, that’s what will be on the marquee when Death Cab performs on Monday, March 22, at the 713 Music Hall.
I don’t know that the pairing of the Psychedelic Furs and Living Colour makes much sense, but what the hell? It reminds me of the bills that promoter Bill Graham would assemble for shows at his Fillmore (East and West) auditoriums: The Who and Woody Herman’s Jazz Orchestra; Led Zeppelin and Rahsaan Roland Kirk; The Grateful Dead and Miles Davis. The Furs and Living Color will perform on Saturday, March 27, at the House of Blues.
Concerts This Week
Vocalist / harmonicist Kim Wilson is the only member left from the Fabulous Thunderbirds’ original lineup, but no matter. The band can still be counted on to churn out some quality music. Catch the T-Birds in flight this evening at Main Street Crossing in Tomball, where they will present “A Tribute to Chicago Blues.”
And speaking of the blues, Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ will join forces on Saturday at the Arena Theater. The two acoustic blues giants first combined forces about ten years ago, on the album TajMo. A follow-up, Room on the Porch, was released last year, and their periodic partnership continues to this day. Read Gladys Fuentes’s Houston Press interview with both artists earlier this week.
During the ‘90s, the Houston band Zen Archer was a big deal, filling up clubs and garnering airplay on local radio stations with its proggy kind of sound. The guys have reassembled and reunited from time to since then, with such an occasion coming up on Saturday at the Continental Club.
Last week, Tame Impala played two nights at Toyota Center (for a recap, see Marco Torres’ Houston Press review). This week, Houston will be visited by another “band” that functions much like Tame Impala or Steely Dan before them. In the case of Built to Spill, Doug Martsch has created a musical universe with himself as its center and only constant, periodically shifting backing musicians in and out of the lineup. Catch the band on Saturday at the White Oak Music Hall.
Five Finger Death Punch’s 20th anniversary tour rolls into the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Sunday. The Las Vegas metal merchants have not slowed down in their old age though, releasing their 10th album, Legacy, just this past week. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: The band took its name from a twist on (or an inaccurate recall of) a fictional martial arts move – the Five-Point-Palm Exploding-Heart-Technique – which is featured in Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill 2.
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