Call it what you will — paraskavedekatriaphobia, friggatriskaidekaphobia, or just plain old triskaidekaphobia — a fear of Friday the 13th affects over 6 percent of the U.S. population, according to the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute in Asheville, N.C. The organization also reports that at least $800 million is lost every Friday the 13th due to absenteeism and general flakiness on the part of the populace. While most Houston Press readers certainly don’t buy into this sort of superstitious behavior, I will point out that the Patrice Pike show on Friday the 13th will be streamed live, just in case you don’t feel like leaving the house.
K-Pop phenom NCT 127 brings its Neo City: The Link tour to Toyota Center on Wednesday. For the uninitiated, NCT stands for “neo culture technology” and 127 represents the longitude coordinate of Seoul, South Korea, a city acknowledged as the cradle of K-Pop. Last month, several members of the band were injured when some playground equipment collapsed during a video shoot. While the accident wasn’t in the league of Michael Jackson’s hair catching fire while he was filming a Pepsi commercial, the incident did send shock waves through the K-Pop / boy band fan base. Spokesmen for the group have assured fans that the members of NCT 127 are recovered and ready for the road.
Patrice Pike is Texas born and bred. She grew up in Dallas, attended the University of North Texas, and earned a place among Austin’s musical elite, first gaining notice while fronting the jam band Sister 7. Her voice is an expressive instrument, capable of subtlety and strength. Pike is a rocker, but blues and jazz influences permeate her music. As mentioned, she will perform on Friday (the 13th!) at the Mucky Duck.
Head for the Continental Club on Saturday for a roof-raising show from the Keeshea Pratt Band. This Houston aggregation has represented H-Town at blues festivals around the country, winning the International Blues Challenge held in Memphis in 2018. Pratt promises an “old school, Saturday night, funk and soul party,” and there is no reason to doubt that. She also advises that the event is “for grown folks,” so it just might get wild. We hope!
Guitarist Samantha Fish had been interested in pursuing a musical collaboration for some time when she and her manager attended a Jesse Dayton show in New Orleans. The penny dropped, as they say across the pond, and Fish realized that Dayton fit the bill perfectly. The new duo will release an album this spring and has already dropped an EP featuring a cover of “Brand New Cadillac.” Houston audiences can get a sneak preview of the new Fish / Dayton material on Sunday at the Heights Theater. Prepare for great songs and some serious guitar fireworks.