Thanksgiving is here, folks. Which means you should all be stuffing your faces with plenty of mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and, of course, turkey. Following your food comas — and perhaps a lengthy argument with some of your family — be sure to make time for some of the great shows visiting Houston this week. That's what I'm grateful for, anyway.
Pick of the Week:
Bad Bunny
Toyota Center - 12.01
Seemingly overnight, Puerto Rico's Bad Bunny became one of the hottest artists in the world. After rising to prominence in 2016 via Soundcloud, he landed a feature on Cardi B's 2018 hit "I Like It," which spent 51 weeks on Billboard's Hot 100, and the reggaeton rapper hasn't stopped releasing hits since. On tour in support of Oasis - a collaborative effort with fellow reggaeton icon J Balvin - Bad Bunny will visit Houston's Toyota Center on Sunday.
The Best of the Rest:
Mike Ryan
House of Blues - 11.27
Mike Ryan was born to be a musician. His father played bass in a bluegrass group, and his grandfather spent more than 20 years in the Texas National Guard Band. The youngest Ryan cut his teeth performing in college at the University of North Texas, eventually releasing his first EP in 2010. A debut album came two years later, which led to a record deal with Sea Gayle Music. Led by the single "Dear Country Music," Ryan is currently touring in support of an upcoming album. The Texas native brings his soulful vocals and contemporary melodies to House of Blues tonight.
Reckless Kelly
Heights Theater - 11.30
Austinites by way of Oregon, Reckless Kelly have written quite a few beloved hits over the past two and a half decades. Ten years back, the group released its breakthrough album Bulletproof, and the quintet's most recent recorded a live version of the disc. While the band never quite broke into the mainstream, they've been darlings of the Texas music scene for years. They bring their western swing to the Heights Theater on Saturday.
PJ Morton
House of Blues - 12.01
For the better part of the last decade, PJ Morton has played keyboard for Maroon 5. But he wasn't content to be just a member of someone else's band. In 2013, Morton released his major-label debut, New Orleans, which included features from the likes of Busta Rhymes, Lil Wayne, Stevie Wonder and Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine. Hear his Grammy-nominated solo work this Sunday at the House of Blues.
Megan Thee Stallion
White Oak Music Hall - 12.03
2019 has been The Year of Thee Stallion. After "Hot Girl Summer" made her a household name, Megan Thee Stallion cemented her standing in the Houston rap scene with a performance at Travis Scott's Astroworld, alongside fellow heavy hitters Gucci Mane, Migos, Pharrell Williams, Young Thug and Kanye West. The self-proclaimed "Big Ole Freak" returns to the Bayou City for a performance at White Oak Music Hall on Tuesday.