This weekend promises to be so cold you might, briefly, at least, believe that winter is possible in Houston. You might also find yourself thinking that your time is better spent curled up under your blanket streaming any number of documentaries on Fyre Fest, but if you’re willing to brave the weather there is much enjoyment to be found in the city. We’re here to spread the good word, and the good word is that the touring concerts are starting to pick up this week, which means you’re about to dedicate a whole lot of time to your concert calendar. Pace yourself and stay warm.
Pick of the Week: Justin Timberlake
1/22 – Toyota Center
Even if Man of the Woods wasn’t your cup of tea, the truth is that Justin Timberlake is such a star and showman that he’ll win you over in concert no matter how hard you try to fight it. If the dude knows anything, it’s putting on a blockbuster performance. This will be his second jaunt through Houston during his most recent era, so if you’re sad you didn’t make it out the last time, catch him now before he gets to work on his next project.
The Best of the Rest:
Boyz II Men
1/18 – Jones Hall
Boyz II Men are still out there working their magic with their talented voices, and this time around they’re doing it with strings too. If the location didn’t tip you off, this performance will see the trio working in concert with the Houston Symphony to perform all the hits you know in an elevated fashion. It’s a pretty hot ticket, which is a testament to just how good songs like “Motownphilly” and “End of the Road” remain decades after their original release.
12th Planet
1/18 – Stereo Live
It’s a big weekend over at Stereo Live, including a sold-out show from Slander, but I feel like 12th Planet might just be slightly more fun. He’s been putting out bangers for a decade now, and his latest release “Taco Bout It” shows that he hasn’t mellowed out over that time. If you need as much bass in your face as you can get, get to Stereo Live before the chill really sets in this week.
Ethereal Fest
1/19 – 12457 Bissonnet St.
If you’re looking for something a bit different this weekend, consider drowning yourself in waves of shoegaze and dreampop as Ethereal Fest returns for year two. Ethereal Fest brings some of the best shoegaze and dreampop acts from around the state and here at home for an evening of fuzz and melody unlike any you’ll catch the other 51 weekends of the year. Performers include Astragal, GLARE, Angel Aura, Processions, Dottie, Fun With Ether, DAZE, Saint Rosa and Pipe Dream.
Wild Moccasins
1/20 – Satellite Bar
I’ve been revisiting the albums of 2018 for the past couple of weeks in a fruitless effort to figure out the best records of the year, and let me tell you, Wild Moccasins’ latest, Look Together, really holds up. Most bands, big or small, would kill for a song as good as “Boyish Wave” to kick off their record, and the rest of the record stacks up just as well. Bundle up and catch one of the best bands in the city do what they do on stage.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2019.
