So what do you do when orca whales are trying to bounce your boat? Obviously, you crank some heavy metal music to scare them away. And do it underwater! This was logic employed by the captain of a catamaran attempting to cross the Strait of Gibraltar, where orca attacks have become more frequent over the past few years.
Did this approach send the orcas swimming? It did not. On the contrary, the whales flexed their flippers and charged on the vessel, disabling its rudder and depriving it of steering capabilities. Maybe the captain should have played Led Zeppelin’s “Moby Dick” instead?
Ticket Alert
For decades, pundits have been stealing a line from an early Rolling Stones hit, saying that “this could be the last time” every time the band has announced a concert tour. Well, here we go again, but this time around, that might be an accurate statement. The Stones will tour in the late spring, kicking things off with a show at NRG stadium on Sunday, April 28. This is an intriguing development, in that, historically, the Stones tend to employ longer and more adventurous set lists early in their tours.
Presales for the Houston show will begin next Wednesday, November 29, at noon, with the general sale starting on Friday. A code is required for the presale, and you can register to receive one here. No official word yet on ticket prices, but, based on recent tours from other heritage acts, tell your wallet to brace itself. And here’s the punchline. Who is sponsoring the tour? AARP. That’s right, the American Association of Retired Persons. OK, Gen Z types, have at it. At least it’s not Depends!
Word around the campfire is that Warehouse Live, long a mainstay of the EaDo scene, will close its doors in early December. In related news, Rise Rooftop on Travis in Midtown will shut down next month. But hey, the news isn’t all bad for music fans. It seems that Warehouse will move into the Rise space, reopening in time for New Year’s Eve. Here’s hoping that Warehouse will make an effort to improve the sonics at the Rise space, which is notoriously reflective and, therefore, overly shrill and reverberant.
Concerts This Week
With this being the year of Barbie, there is no time like the present for a reappearance by Aqua, playing tonight at the House of Blues. The Danish-Norwegian band had a huge hit in 1997 with the song “Barbie Girl,” which earned them sales of eight million copies worldwide and a lawsuit from Mattel. It seems that time (and the prospect of making a lot of money) heals all wounds, with Mattel reversing course and licensing the song for the Barbie film. “Come on, Barbie, let’s go party!”
Two local favorites will perform on Friday night, an evening on which some may need to get out of the house and escape an excess of family togetherness. Del Castillo – featuring brothers Rick and Mark on guitars – will be at the Heights Theater, with fellow guitar badass Monte Montgomery opening. Over at the Continental Club, The Mighty Orq will hold court, with the (literally) foot-stomping John Egan opening. In either case, what’s not to like?
Erykah Badu has enjoyed a multi-dimensional career, reigning as the queen of neo-soul while appearing in the films Cider House Rules, Blues Brothers 2000 and House of D. Badu has also staked her claim as an entrepreneur with the Badu World Market (kind of like Goop, featuring a line of incense which takes the same approach as Gwyneth Paltrow’s infamous candles) and Apple Trees, a source for cannabis-related accessories. Badu is back on the road this year with the “Unfollow Me” tour, stopping at the Smart Financial Centre on Saturday.
The triumvirate of Marcia Ball, Carolyn Wonderland and Shelly King returns to Houston and the Heights Theater on Tuesday. The ladies each got there by different paths, but they have all achieved the rank of Austin royalty. The trio has plenty of commonality, but there’s still enough variety in their approaches to make things interesting. As Koko Taylor would say, it’s gonna be a Wang Dang Doodle.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
