Before we get to news of tours that have just been announced and shows scheduled for the week ahead, let’s take a moment to remember one of the most influential guitarists of the past several decades. Del Casher passed away recently at the age of 88. While his career included appearances with Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and even Frank Zappa, Casher’s most enduring legacy is something he invented: the wah-wah pedal.
A guitar player whose first major gig was backing Lawrence Welk is not exactly the guy you might expect to have revolutionized rock and roll. Casher was the kind of guy who liked to tinker, and he came up with a pedal that allowed a musician to make radical adjustments to an instrument’s tonal profile by rocking a treadle back and forth. All the way forward was screamingly high-pitched, while all the way back was fuzzy and funky.
Casher’s device didn’t catch on quickly, though. Initially, the Thomas Organ Company, which manufactured the first wahs, thought that the pedal was better suited to an amplified trumpet than an electric guitar. Even James Brown told Casher that his pedal was “pointless” and predicted “it would never catch on.” Perceptions changed when Casher demonstrated the device to Frank Zappa, who passed one along to Jimi Hendrix at some point. The rest is history. So let’s fire up “Voodoo Child” and raise a toast to Del Casher, whose contribution to musical technology opened new vistas to guitarists the world over.
Ticket Alert
The big news this week is that the uber-influential ‘80s band New Order will tour next spring, stopping at Toyota Center on Wednesday, March 10. This is an exciting time for the electronic music pioneers, who will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this month. And as a mega-bonus, Future Islands, fronted by the inimitable Sam Herring, will open. The band was introduced to the country via an appearance on David Letterman’s show, and some consider it one of the best musical performances ever presented on television. Members of the studio audience were knocked out, as was Letterman, who hollered out “Oh, buddy!” as the last notes of the song sounded.
It will be old home week (well, old home couple of days) when pianist Jason Moran play the Hobby Center on Thursday, April 22, and Friday, April 23. Moran grew up in Houston’s Pleasantville neighborhood and attended the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts before heading for New York and fame and fortune. The Hobby Center concerts will be a treat for jazz buffs, with Moran promising an all-Duke Ellington program.
When Marc Anthony decided to call his upcoming set of live dates the “Last Dance” tour, he probably knew that some would interpret the name as an indication that Anthony was planning to bid goodbye to the grind of touring. And the thought of Anthony cutting back on his activities is a reasonable one, considering that he has distinguished himself as one of the most successful Latino artists of all time, racking up sales in excess of 12 million units. However, there has been no official announcement that this tour will be the last go-round for the king of salsa, who is set to perform on Sunday, May 2, at Toyota Center.
During a conversation at a family gathering a couple of weeks ago, I was asked, “Is Donnie Osmond still alive?” I must confess that I had to think about the question for a minute before answering, “Well, I think so. He was tearing it up in Las Vegas not too long ago.” Turns out that I was correct. Truth to tell, I was never much of an Osmond Brothers fan growing up, as I was already (at 10 years old) drifting into a “hipper than thou” phase and viewed the Osmonds as a bunch of goody-two-shoes types who were, at best, a far lesser and much whiter version of the Jackson 5. But if “Crazy Horses” (which, to be fair, bordered on “OK”) and “One Bad Apple” were part of your jam during the ‘70s, you will be glad to know that the very much alive Mr. Osmond will perform at the Smart Financial Centre on Monday, June 14.
Concerts This Week
For the past several months, the Big Top All Stars (local luminaries Hunter Perrin, Allen Hill, Mark Riddell and Isais Gill) have been playing monthly gigs which focus on the music of a particular artist. Past honorees include Bob Dylan, Neil Young and the Grateful Dead. Tonight, the core All Stars lineup will be joined by Tomas Escalante and Jim Henkel for a tribute to Doug Sahm at Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge. The evening promises not only a heapin’ helpin’ of Sahm’s distinctive blend of rock, country and Tex-Mex music, but a special cocktail offering, the “Texas Tornado,” comprised of a Lone Star and a shot of tequila. A groover’s paradise, indeed!
Sure, it’s easy to think of the Stray Cats as something of a novelty act, particularly when you recall their videos that were all over MTV. But you know what? These guys can play. Not only that, they stayed true to their rockabilly roots, even when record company suits tried to get the band to “modernize” its sound. Talk about missing the point. So get out the pomade, sweep that pompadour way up high, and strut with the Stray Cats on Thursday at the Smart Financial Centre.
Need a serious blues fix? Well, Houston has a bunch of tremendous blues artists, so it’s not like a blues fan has to exert any great effort to tend to this sort of jones. However, you might want to check out a couple of out-of-town acts performing at the Heights Theater on Thursday. From the west coast, it’s Tommy Castro and the Painkillers, joined by Boston’s GA-20. In both cases, we’re talking real-deal, bad-to-the bone blues.
Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez brings her R and B-influenced sound to the 713 Music Hall on Thursday in support of her latest album, A Little Vengeance. In addition to her numerous musical endeavors, Reyez produced the film Gatekeeper, which raised awareness of sexism and the exploitation of artists in the music industry. She also appeared in Black is King, Beyonce’s musical film based on her album, Lion King: The Gift.
We mentioned above that there is no shortage of talented blues musicians in Houston. Case in point: guitarist-vocalist Steve Gilbert, who will perform at the Big Top on Friday. Gilbert has been around the Houston music scene since the ‘70s, delivering gutbucket blues and intriguing cover songs beyond “Dust My Broom” and “Sweet Home Chicago.”
And speaking of drinking at concerts (see Wednesday’s Doug Sahm tribute), online information regarding Friday’s show from hard-charging southern rockers Treaty Oak Revival at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion contains an intriguing note. The website says, “This is an all-pour event. All drinks will be poured into crushable cups.” Hmm. Sounds like Pavilion management might be spooked by stereotypes, afraid that a bunch of drunken rednecks will begin pelting the stage with cans full of beer. Or maybe the Treaty Oak Revival guys have made the call, basing their decision on previous experiences. Either way, now you know. But come on, what self-respecting redneck would waste even part of a beer?
