Ugh, another concert cancellation. Last week it was Mandy Moore, this week it is Carlos Santana, who was scheduled to play Saturday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Technically, the show is “postponed,” but I’m not holding my breath for a rescheduled date.

Last week, Santana collapsed onstage at a venue near Detroit, suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration, so his doctors have advised him to take it easy for a couple of weeks. Several of Santana’s contemporaries have recently been forced to cancel or postpone shows for health reasons, among them Ringo’s All-Starr Band, the Doobie Brothers, and Eric Clapton. Best wishes for a speedy recovery going out to – paraphrasing Mott the Hoople – “all the old dudes.”
It would be inaccurate to say that guitarist Albert Lee has toiled in obscurity, but for all of the great music he has made, his profile is not all that high. It should be, considering he has played in bands backing Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris, the Everly Brothers, John Prine, Rosanne Cash, Carlene Carter, Rodney Crowell, and….well, the list goes on. Fans of Lee’s twangy country chops will have an opportunity to experience his artistry tonight at the Dosey Doe. Guitar players in the audience will no doubt be trying to steal a lick or two from the master of the Telecaster.
The problem with being a prodigy is that fans will perpetually view you as a kid, even when you are, in fact, a grown-ass man. Such is the case with guitarist Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who signed his first recording contract at 16 and is now in the midst of a tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of his breakout album Trouble Is…, which contained the signature tune “Blue on Black.” The now middle-aged shredder will be at the House of Blues on Friday with his trusty Stratocaster and a big pile of amps. It will be, as Houston guitar slinger Big Al Bettis would say, a “knobs right” kind of evening.
Coheed and Cambria will be at the 713 Music Hall on Friday. If you are not familiar with the band, imagine the bastard offspring of Rush and Metallica, with just a bit of Led Zeppelin in the family tree. All of C and C’s albums (save one) are concept affairs based on The Amory Wars, a multi-part sci-fi epic which has been presented in a series of comic books and novels. You gotta hand it to lead singer / guitarist / conceptualist Claudio Sanchez.  Any guy who plays a Gibson double-neck like Jimmy Page in The Song Remains the Same is pretty cool.
Dave Mason had hits with “We Just Disagree” and “Only You Know and I Know” as a solo artist, but this guy has made some major contributions to rock and roll as a sideman, playing with Jimi Hendrix (“All Along the Watchtower”), the Rolling Stones (“Street Fighting Man”), George Harrison ("Beware of Darkness"), and Paul McCartney (“Listen to What the Man Said”). On Saturday, Mason will be at the Heights Theater, with the Mighty Orq opening. Expect plenty of classic rock faves, including tunes (“Dear Mr. Fantasy” and “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys”) from his much-beloved band Traffic.
As previewed in the Houston Press by Gladys Fuentes, the Continental Club will celebrate 22 years of rocking Houston this Saturday, with a no-cover event that is being billed as a “customer appreciation party.” This was all supposed to happen a couple of years ago - and we all know why it didn’t - so it’s technically a 20th / 21st / 22nd anniversary bash. The wait will be worth it, though, with performances from Johnny Falstaff, the Allen Oldies Band, Bayou City Funk, and Kalo, among many others. Like who? OK, fair enough.  Howzabout acts like Shame on Me, Luba Dvorak, Fatal Jets, Christopher Seymore, the Lonesome Haunts, and Houston’s A.S.S.?  That said, let the party begin!