Three things you can expect at any Patti -LaBelle concert: One, shes going to kick off her high heels sometime during the first half of the show. (If youre in the first row, watch out those heels tend to fly.) Two, shes going to roll around on the floor during some song in the second half of the show. (Odds are she does it during Somewhere Over the Rainbow, as if that song needed any extra drama.) And three, shes going to sing the hell out of everything the band is brave enough to play. Two years ago, she played to a half-empty Arena Theatre (bad advertising, she said). The intimate, in-the-round setting was perfect for her, but it was clear she was disappointed by the turnout. Still, she sang as if it were a sold-out show in Carnegie Hall. Last year, she came to Jones Hall a bigger crowd and plush-concert-hall setting should have made her happy, but she spent most of the time in between songs complaining about then-president George W. Bush. (We got it, Patti, you dont like him. At all. We got it.) This time around, shes back at the Arena and George W. is nowhere to be found, so were hoping theres less commentary and more incredible singing. 8 p.m. 7326 Southwest Freeway. For information, call 713-772-5900 or visit www.arenahouston.com. $50 to $75.
Fri., Jan. 8, 2010
This article appears in Jan 7-13, 2010.