Ah, the passage of time. “Like sand through the hourglass, so are the Days of Our Lives.” It is with some wistfulness that I consider the just-announced shuttering of the Columbia House Music Club. These were the folks who would send you a stack of records (later CDs) for a penny, based on your agreeing to purchase an additional number of units within a certain time frame.
Columbia House began doing business in 1955 as an arm of Columbia Records, with the aim of introducing long-playing albums to rural customers who might not have easy access to well-stocked record stores. This mail-order model proved to be incredibly successful, encompassing a variety of formats: records, reel-to-reel tapes, eight tracks, cassettes and CDs.
What made Columbia House work? Primarily its devious strategy which, once a consumer was registered, obligated that consumer to decline a “selected recording” offered each month or be responsible for paying the cost of the record, tape or CD, plus (natch) shipping and handling. So, if you forgot to mail back the post card saying, “No, I do not want Neil Diamond’s latest,” you were on the hook.
What killed Columbia House? In two words: the internet. First Napster, then Spotify and other streaming services. Most younger music lovers drifted away from physical media, leaving Columbia House as a quaint relic of times gone by.
Earlier, I used the word “wistful,” but don’t get the idea that I am unaware of the charges levied (justifiably so) against Columbia House. Predatory business tactics? Yep. Preying on ignorant customers? That too. Not paying artist royalties for the “12 cd’s for a penny!” product? I’m afraid so. No, my conditional sadness springs from the fact that Columbia House put a lot of music in my hands for very little cash outlay. But you had to know how to work the system. I’ll just leave it at that.
Ticket Alert
Country music legend Wynona Judd will visit the 713 Music Hall on Friday, October 16, as part of a tour supporting the forthcoming album The Hard Truth, her first in ten years. Judd has been keeping a relatively low profile recently, but don’t be fooled. As Elvis Presley said in the early ‘70s, “Well, I may not be Led Zeppelin, but I can still pack ‘em in.”
Those in the know are already snatching up tickets for Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s shows (one early, one late) on Friday, December 4, at the Mucky Duck. The duo has released two albums so far, and Alvin and Gilmore say there will be more to come.
Guitarist Sue Foley has been branching out as of late, performing on an acoustic flamenco guitar in addition to “Pinky,” her pink paisley Telecaster. Not only that, Foley recently released Guitar Women: Conversations & Life Lessons with Six-String Heroines, a book featuring interviews with luminaries like Bonnie Raitt, Nancy Wilson and Joan Armatrading. Catch Foley live on Saturday, January 23, at the Charles Bender Performing Arts Center in Humble.
And speaking of guitarists, Walter Trout will perform for two nights at Main Street Crossing on Wednesday, April 7, and Thursday, April 8. Trout has been in the middle of the blues scene since the ‘70s, when he backed John Lee Hooker, Percy Mayfield, Big Mama Thornton and Joe Tex. After a stint with John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, Trout formed his own band, which is still in operation today. Lest anyone think that Trout is a stuffy blues purist, let the record show that he recorded a song (“I’ve Had Enough”) with Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider last year.
Concerts This Week
Houston musical mainstays the Texas Turbines are back to treading the boards after bassist Billy Cohn was recently sidelined from performing. Hence the billing for tonight’s gig at Under the Volcano, “The Triumphant Return of Dr. Billy.” The band has been dishing out a potent blend of country, soul and rock for over ten years, and word is that the Turbines are currently working on material for a new album.
If you want a picture of the classic rock concert business these days, take a look at the schedule for this week at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. With ticket prices climbing ever higher, there has been – if not a return to a “more value for your entertainment dollar” ethos – a definite shift toward the pursuit of a surer thing. This being the case, there are two solid double bills on tap, with fellow midwestern rockers Chicago and Styx on Thursday and Californians Santana and the Doobie Brothers on Friday. Both shows seem to be selling reasonably well, but tickets are still available, and the promoter and bands probably have their fingers crossed for some walk-up / last-minute business.
On the other hand, if you want to talk about selling a truckload of tickets, let’s discuss Grupo Duelo. The band, which will perform for three nights this week (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) at Toyota Center, has been at it for over two decades, since its formation in Roma, TX, a town along the Rio Grande. The norteño powerhouse has sold out the first two nights of its Houston residency, and the third show is not too far behind.
Alt-rockers (with some reggae and hip-hop thrown in) 311 will be on stage at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Sunday as part of the band’s “So Glad You Made It” tour. In another case of “more bang for the buck,” 311 will share the bill with Dirty Heads, Atmosphere and Rome, meaning that you will need to arrive by 5:30 p.m. to catch all of the action. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: The name, 311, is police code for “indecent exposure” and was adopted after a friend of the band was arrested for skinny-dipping in a public pool.
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