This Week's Best Concerts

What a couple of weeks it has been. From superstar Lyle Lovett performing to 70-odd fans at Anderson Fair for a KPFT-FM benefit to the Rolling Stones kicking off their 2024 tour at NRG Stadium, music lovers in Houston have had much to celebrate. And the hits keep on coming, as the summer concert season goes full swing.

But before we get to that, the topic of dumbass tourists must be addressed. It was recently announced that the Japanese town of Kawaguchiko, known for providing a wonderful view of Mt. Fuji, will be erecting a large wall to block the famous geological landmark. The reason? It seems that tourists have become an increasing pain in the ass, overcrowding sidewalks, treading on the lawns of private homes, and ignoring local traffic laws in pursuit of a great selfie.

Unfortunately, the problem is a global one. For several years, Peruvian authorities have tried a number of methods (including expulsion from the country) to discourage tourists from climbing to the top of Machu Picchu, the 15th-century Incan citadel, and getting naked for photo ops. Last week, a tourist at Yellowstone National Park was injured (and later charged with several crimes) after annoying a herd of bison. With vacations in the near future for many of us, today’s public service announcement is: when you travel, you are a guest. Be respectful. Be polite. Observe the local customs. Or a big-ass bison may just come along and give you a major beatdown. Seriously.

Ticket Alert

Squeeze (“Pulling Mussels (From the Shell),” “Tempted”) and Boy George (“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me,” various arrests) have just announced a co-headlining tour that will stop in Houston on Thursday, August 29, at the 713 Music Hall. The announcement makes it clear that both bands are on equal footing and will alternate nights closing the show. The schedule indicates that the lineup will be Boy George, then Squeeze at the Houston gig. Multiple presale opportunities are currently available, with the general sale set for Friday.

What could be better than an evening dedicated to the music of Jimi Hendrix, with a parade of guitarists paying tribute to the master? The Experience Hendrix tour returns to Houston on Thursday, October 10, at the Bayou Music Center. Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Zakk Wylde and Eric Johnson are already confirmed, with more guitarists to be added to the bill soon. Tickets are on sale right now, with plenty of good seats available.

The presale starts today for Icelandic (by way of Austin) blues rockers Kaleo, who will perform on Monday, September 30, at the Bayou Music Center, with the general sale set for Friday. Fellow neo-blues band Larkin Poe will open, and that’s a big bonus.

Concerts This Week

Mononymic Irish singer Hozier will perform on Thursday at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The songs on Hozier’s recent EP Unheard are said to be inspired by Dante’s (another mononymic!) Inferno, but this guy is not a noodge. No scolding about deadly sins here, with lyrics like “I take my whiskey neat / My coffee black / And my bed at three.”

It’s a big week at the Heights Theater, starting on Thursday with OG jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra (“Morning Dance”), celebrating its 50th anniversary on the current tour. Houstonian and HSPVA graduate Charlie Perez and his quartet will open.

Singer / songwriter Bruce Cockburn rolls into the Heights Theater on Friday. The Canadian is also known as a fine guitarist and a dedicated activist who has worked with Amnesty International and Doctors Without Borders. When a guy writes lyrics like “If I had a rocket launcher, some son of a bitch would die,” you know he’s serious. Then on Sunday, it’s perennial jam band favorite Leftover Salmon, who are known for throwing some bluegrass and Cajun influences into the mix.

Guitarists Joe Satriani and Steve Vai go way, way back. How far back? Well, Satriani was Vai’s guitar teacher when he was a teenager on Long Island. They have maintained a personal and professional association over the years, participating in several of the G3 guitar shred-fest tours together. These guys like to play loud and fast, so don’t forget your air guitar when you head out for the show on Sunday at the 713 Music Hall .

Another option for Sunday is Interpol, performing at the Bayou Music Center. The band came out of the late-‘90s New York indie / post-punk scene that also produced The Strokes, but over the years, Interpol has significantly broadened its musical scope. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Interpol songs have been featured in the television programs “Friends” and “Six Feet Under,” not to mention the Paris Hilton film House of Wax.