.jpg){kind=link}
In the midst of public outrage over the actions of ICE agents in Minneapolis during the past several weeks, Bruce Springsteen showed up at a benefit concert for the families of those citizens killed by ICE with a new song, “The Streets of Minneapolis.”
Now, Springsteen has unexpectedly announced a brief tour which will begin in Minneapolis on Tuesday, March 31, and conclude in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 27. A Houston stop is not on the schedule, though. The closest the Boss will get to H-Town is Austin, with a concert there set for Sunday, April 26. Artwork used to publicize the tour contains the words “no kings” in boldface, all caps.
In this spirit, here is a list of my top 10 protest songs, in no particular order, in case you would like to channel your anger and frustration. Or if you’re just in the mood to stick it to the Man. Either way.
“Ball of Confusion” – The Temptations
“Ohio” – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
“The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” – Gil Scott-Heron
“For What It’s Worth” – Buffalo Springfield
“War” – Edwin Starr
“Fight the Power” – Isley Brothers
“Nazi Punks Fuck Off” – The Dead Kennedys
“War Pigs” – Black Sabbath
“You Haven’t Done Nothing” – Stevie Wonder
“Fortunate Son” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
Ticket Alert
It is always a pleasure to add an upcoming Los Lobos concert to the calendar. The east-LA (don’t forget the east) roots rockers will play the Heights Theater on Sunday, May 3. This scheduling is causing a bit of stress for some, since Little Feat will be at the 713 Music Hall on the same night. Decisions, decisions. The good news, though, is that there is really no wrong choice.
Flatland Cavalry was formed in Lubbock, where several of its members were students at Texas Tech. Over the past ten years, the band has developed a national following, weaving together strains of folk, country, and Americana in its music. Tickets are on sale now for Flatland Cavalry’s concert on Saturday, July 18, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
Also coming to the Pavilion this summer is the metalcore / horror rock (yes, that is a thing) band Motionless in White. Tickets are on sale now for MIW’s show on Saturday, July 25, part of the band’s “Sweat and Blood” tour (I guess these guys are too cool for tears), which also features Lorna Shore, Fit for a King and Static Dress.
The Doobie Brothers (now with Michael McDonald back in the fold) will join Santana for a tour that will hit the sheds this summer. While it is doubtful that much new musical ground will be covered, kicking back and listening to “China Grove” and “Oye Como Va” is not a bad way to spend an evening. Presales for the concert on Friday, August 21, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion are in progress, and the general sale will take place on Friday.
Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. were prominent during the heavy metal renaissance in Los Angeles during the ‘80s, making their mark with songs like “I Wanna Be Somebody” and “Animal (F**k Like a Beast).” Hey, no one said these guys were Rodgers and Hammerstein. The band will perform at the House of Blues on Sunday, September 20, with sole original member Lawless fronting a band of ringers. The tour has been tagged as “W.A.S.P. to Headless,” so it is reasonable to assume that the show will concentrate on the band’s early albums, those being W.A.S.P., The Last Command, Inside the Electric Circus and The Headless Children. Tickets are on sale now, so feel free to click like a beast.
Concerts This Week
In the music business, there are two kinds of artists. Those who follow and attempt to latch on to trends and those who opt for the road not taken, creating something unique in the process. Dropkick Murphys – with an amalgamation of Irish, Celtic and punk influences – fall into the latter category. For the Murphys, the good news and the bad news is that just about everybody has heard their song “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” many, many times either on a beer commercial or in the Martin Scorsese film The Departed (aka The Depahted).
However, it should be noted that there is much more to the band than that one tune, as Dropkick Murphys have released over a dozen albums, including last year’s For the People, which included a tribute to the band’s spiritual brother, Shane MacGowan of the Pogues. The band performs tonight at the House of Blues, and the timing is perfect, as the collective partying focus shifts from Fat Tuesday to St. Patrick’s Day.
“Cosmic Country” is the label that Daniel Donato has affixed to his brand of music, and the name makes sense. Donato cut his teeth playing a bunch of guitar in Nashville, playing for tips on the street at 14 years old and eventually becoming a member of the house band at the legendary honky-tonk Robert’s Western World, which sits within a block or so of the Ryman auditorium. While Donato has some wild country chops, his music also looks to the cosmos, with inspiration from Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead in the mix. Read more about Donato in Gladys Fuentes’ Houston Press interview and catch his act tonight at the Heights Theater.
When I did a Google search for “John Evans” to see what the Houston musician has been up to as of late, the unavoidable (so far as I know) AI summary popped up, with the disclaimer that the John Evans who will perform on Friday at the Continental Club should not be confused with John Evan, who played keyboards with Jethro Tull way back when. Thoughtful of AI to point this out, I suppose, but the contemporary John Evans won’t be mistaken for anyone else. He stands well over six feet tall with an unruly shock of hair, generally sports horn-rimmed glasses, and knows how to rock a stylish polyester ensemble when he wants to. Hey, not everyone can pull off that kind of look!
It seems that guitarist Warren Haynes just can’t slow down. He maintains a steady touring schedule with Gov’t Mule, performs concerts with his own band, and is now in the midst of an acoustic solo tour, which stops at the Heights Theater on Tuesday. The show may hold some surprises, since Haynes has indicated that the set list will change from night to night.