Houston Concert Watch 4/12: Keshi, Joanna Connor and More

Taylor Swift will play three nights at NRG Stadium next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 21, 22 and 23. All shows are sold out (remember that minor kerfuffle a few months ago?), but the thriving secondary ticket markets are giving an opportunity to those who missed out during the general sales or are maybe just getting around to making plans. Tell your credit card to brace itself, though, with nosebleed-level seats in the $600-$700 range and floor seats north of $1,000. Way down front? Try $4,000. Oh well, at least the beer will be cheap!

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You’ve got to hand it to Rubén Blades – he’s no slacker. Besides establishing himself as an icon in salsa and Latin jazz, Blades has also appeared as an actor in numerous films (Crossover Dreams, The Milagro Beanfield War) and television programs (“Fear the Walking Dead”), earned a law degree from Harvard, and ran for president of Panama. Tickets are on sale now for his performance on Friday, August 18, at the Smart Financial Centre.

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Like many an aspiring blues guitarist, Joanna Connor headed for Chicago to learn the craft from the masters of the form. Over the past 30-odd years, she has shared the stage with James Cotton, Junior Wells and A.C. Reed, and during the 1980s, she was part of the house band at the legendary Checkerboard Lounge, owned at the time by Buddy Guy. These days, she records for Joe Bonamassa’s record label Keeping the Blues Alive, with the boss himself producing her latest album. She is, in short, the real deal. Catch Connor’s act tonight at the Continental Club.
Bob Schneider is a Texas legend, the winner of 55 Austin Music Awards for his participation in the bands Joe Rockhead, Ugly Americans, the Scabs and the Texas Bluegrass Massacre, not to mention his solo work. The term “eclectic” gets thrown around frequently, but in Schneider’s case, the term is completely accurate. Schneider will play two shows at the Mucky Duck (with an online streaming option) on Thursday.
What’s better than listening to some authentic Texas blues with a cold one and a chicken fried steak in front of you? That’s the scenario in the offing when Mark May plays the Dosey Doe Big Barn on Saturday. May has been playing guitar around Houston for years, with a side trip to serve as a member of former Allman Brother Dickey Betts’ band. If you’re jonesing for some serious plank spanking, this show will do the trick.
Yogi Berra once said, “You can observe a lot just by watching.” That’s exactly what Keshi did, learning music and production skills from YouTube videos. From there, he began distributing his tunes through the Soundcloud platform, leading to online fame and eventually a contract with Island Records. The Houston / Sugarland native is back home on Monday, performing at the 713 Music Hall.