Two of 2016’s biggest tours were announced in the wee hours of Monday morning within minutes of each other. The acts could not be more different from each other aesthetically, but both are on their way to Houston, which of course is all that really counts.
First up, bulletproof Australian hard-rockers AC/DC return to Toyota Center on February 26 behind Rock or Bust, their 16th studio LP since 1975’s High Voltage. Released in late 2014, the album was well-received despite the turmoil surrounding the band, which included the dementia-induced departure of rhythm guitarist and co-founder Malcolm Young, with nephew Stevie Young now filling in on tour, as well as the dismissal of now-former drummer Phil Rudd following his arrest in New Zealand, where he remains under house arrest.
Then there’s Adele, the all-everything British songbird whose single “Hello” has conquered all media in short order. Its parent album, 25, has already sold upwards of 5 million copies in an age when audiences have largely forsaken buying music in favor of streaming. Satisfying demand for her first full-North American in five years is no small feat: After the tour starts July 5 in St. Paul, Minn., Adele’s November 8 and 9 shows at Toyota Center are the last U.S. dates of the tour before two final shows in Mexico City. Most cities, including Dallas and Austin, also get two dates except L.A. and New York (six apiece), Toronto (four) and Chicago (three). Years ago, in a different universe almost, she performed at Warehouse Live in March 2009.
These shows add to an already crowded early-2016 calendar for the Houston arena that also includes Madonna (January 12), Tool (January 14), Janet Jackson (January 23), Barry Manilow (February 17) and comedian Katt Williams (February 20).
Adele tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. this Thursday and AC/DC the same time on Friday. Fans should note that, besides Live Nation and Toyota Center’s site, Adele’s tickets will also be available through her own Web site, while AC/DC’s will be through Live Nation and Toyota Center.
This article appears in Dec 10-16, 2015.
