The calendar may not say “summer” yet, but the thermometer certainly does. So, summer solstice and planetary alignments aside, let’s agree to throw in the sweat-soaked towel and declare the summer concert season officially open.
The Houston-based trio Khruangbin has been making some serious national noise as of late, but they will be back home, performing for their peeps tonight at the 713 Music Hall. If you are late to this trippy neo-psychedelic party but don’t want to sound like it, here is the cheat sheet. It’s pronounced “Kroongbin,” and the Thai word roughly translates as “airplane.”
Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark came out of Liverpool in the late ‘70s, melding synth pop instrumentation with a punk rock sensibility. Their 40th anniversary tour (hey, what’s a year or two one way or another in the time of COVID?) will make a stop at the Bayou Music Center tonight, with a show chock full of greatest hits, along with some deep cuts for the hard core fans.
The good vibes will be flowing this Friday when the Dave Matthews Band touches down at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Matthews and crew bypassed Houston last summer, but any slights will surely be forgotten when the hacky sacks start flying through the air. No two shows have the same set list, so even if you have seen DMB in years past, take an El Paso at your own peril.
“I hate the fucking Eagles, man!” So said Jeff Bridges’ The Dude in The Big Lebowski. And you know what? It got him thrown out of a cab by its Eagles-loving driver. The point being that there are plenty of folks on both sides of that mellow line. And Houston must love the Eagles, since their show this Saturday at Toyota Center will mark the band’s third stop here in four years.
The Hotel California album with be played in its entirety, followed by a selection of hits from the rest of the Eagles catalog. For those who fear too many peaceful easy feelings, Joe Walsh can always be counted on to kick up the rock and roll quotient with “Rocky Mountain Way.”
Larry “Your Friend and Mine” Winters was a mainstay of the KPFT weekend lineup with his show “Spare Change.” He passed away last September (or, as some have put it, “moved on to a higher frequency”), but his memory lives on, and it will be properly honored this Sunday at the Continental Club. The lineup will feature some of Winters’ favorite performers, including Matt Harlan, Glenna Bell, Jimmy Pizzitola, Charles Bryant, Mark Zeus, Jamie Lin Wilson, Michael Fracasso, Mary Gauthier, Grant Peeples, and Mason Lankford with Adam McFarland. Proceeds from the show will benefit KPFT and Bundles of Hope.
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This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2022.
