The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2026 has been announced, and, as you might expect, not everyone – even those set to be inducted – is thrilled. Iron Maiden made it in after 20 years of eligibility, but some members of the band are less than enthused about this development. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson has, in the past, said that the Rock Hall was “an utter, complete load of bollocks.”
And what about Oasis? The Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, have reliably provided attention-grabbing quotes over the years (see the Houston Press review of last year’s highly entertaining volume Oasis Talking Shite), so you can’t help but wonder what the reaction to their Rock Hall induction might be. What do guys who have given us bons mots like “Flip flops and the word ‘latte’ make me uncomfortable” (Noel) and “Doing duets is for girls” (Liam) have to say about this new honor? Liam allowed that he is “thrilled to bits,” even though he previously opined that the Rock Hall was “full of wankers,” following up that comment by stating, “I don’t want to be part of anything that mentally disturbed. Besides, I’ve done more for rock n’ roll than half of them clowns on that board.” We are still waiting on the sharp-tongued Noel to weigh in.
Ticket Alert
Rapper Rick Ross has never been one to shy away from ambitious projects. Consequently, he is going on the road this summer to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut album Port of Miami, accompanied by the Renaissance Orchestra and the Sainted Trap Choir. Rap and classical music? Why the hell not? After all, we are a ways past “two turntables and a microphone.” And, to crank it all up a notch, Ross will be performing in Houston at the Hobby Center (a classy joint) on Friday, June 26.
Kurt Vile – is the name a play on that of Kurt Weill, the German composer who co-wrote The Threepenny Opera? That couldn’t be his birth name, could it? Well, as it turns out, the answer is “yes.” And when you’ve got a handle like that, you capitalize on it, as Vile has done, christening his backing band “The Violators.” Tickets are on sale now for their appearance at the Heights Theater on Tuesday, July 14.
A No. 1 single that clocked in at 8:42? No one would have bet on it, but that’s what happened in 1971 when Don McLean’s “American Pie” rose to the top of the chart and stayed there for four weeks. While that song is McLean’s best known, let’s not forget “Vincent” and “Dreidel.” Tickets are on sale now for his concert at the House of Blues on Sunday, August 30.
Puerto Rican artist Young Miko brings her “Late Checkout” (and who doesn’t like that?) tour to Toyota Center on Saturday, October 24, and tickets are on sale now. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Young Miko was an accomplished athlete during her school days, playing on the Puerto Rican women’s national football team. She also excelled in basketball, but because there was no women’s team at her school, she had to join the guys’ team. Tough chick!
This just in: Usher and Chris Brown will join forces this fall for a co-headlining tour which will operate under the banner “The R&B Tour.” The Houston show will be at NRG Stadium on Friday, October 9. Fans can sign up for the artist presale until 10 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21 here. The presale itself begins on Thursday, April 23, at noon. The general sale gets underway on Monday, April 27, at noon. Happy clicking!
Concerts This Week
Before he was a well-known badass guitar player (Surfing with the Alien), Joe Satriani was a guitar teacher on Long Island. It was there that he took on a 14-year-old pupil named Steve Vai, who later went on to play with Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, Whitesnake and David Lee Roth before establishing his solo career. Many years later, Satriani and Vai have finally formed a band together – SatchVai – and you can check out the fruits of their labors on Thursday at the 713 Music Hall.
A couple of ‘90s hitmakers perform this week at the House of Blues. Big Head Todd and the Monsters will take the stage on Thursday, followed by a double bill featuring Eve 6 and Fastball on Sunday.
The Tedeschi Trucks Band opens the season at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday, touring in support of the new album Future Soul, which pictures Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks as Marvel superheroes on the cover. The band is very much a latter-day version of Joe Cocker’s wild and wooly Mad Dogs and Englishmen ensemble from the early ‘70s, with at least a dozen musicians onstage, each getting a turn in the spotlight. Is there a better slide guitar player out there than Derek Trucks? Maybe, but I have yet to hear them.
We all know that it is 2026, but Rod Stewart remains happily mired in the ‘70s, when he produced hits like “Maggie May,” “You Wear It Well,” “Stay with Me” and “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” But please don’t misunderstand – this is not a bad thing. Though he is now 81, Stewart still has the voice, the charisma and the spiky haircut of days gone by. Catch him on Sunday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: In the early days of the “rooster cut,” Stewart and Faces bandmate Ronnie Wood would achieve their distinctive look by dousing their hair with lemon juice, hanging their heads off the end of a hotel room bed, and lying there until it was dry.
Colin Hay made his mark as the lead singer of Men at Work, followed that up with a busy solo career, and stayed in the public eye during recent years as a member of Ringo’s All-Starr Band. Pack up some Vegemite sandwiches and head for the Heights Theater to catch Hay’s show on Sunday.
