Back when, Pete Townshend was the member of The Who that spewed controversial sound bites for the press. Now that mantle seems to have been taken up by Roger Daltrey, who, in an interview with Billboard, went on a rant about how the internet has “ruined live shows” for him by making set lists from previous concerts available online and giving audience members a pretty good idea of what is in store for them. “I’m fucking sick of it,” Daltrey added.
My Houston Press colleague Jesse Sendejas Jr. weighed in on this topic a couple of weeks ago, detailing a discussion with his brother over the merits of previewing shows by consulting Setlist.fm or online fan sites. Jesse argued for the benefits that a sneak peek provides, while his brother took a more Daltrey-an view of the practice.
I like to have an idea of what’s coming up, but I never tell my concert companions about my research findings, in case they want to be surprised. But, as a man of a certain age who enjoys having a beer at the show, let me just say that the ability to plan a bathroom break is welcome indeed. But Daltrey is having none of that. When this situation was pointed out to him, he replied, ““Why not just start to listen to the bloody show in the toilet, then?” Well, at standing room only shows, you would have a place to sit.
Ticket Alert
What could be finer than a chicken fried steak and an evening of rocking blues from Mike Zito? The mega-chops guitarist and head of Nederland-based Gulf Coast Records will perform on Saturday, November 16, at the Dosey Doe for a dinner-and-a-show gig. Tickets are on sale now for what promises to be a plank-spanking extravaganza.
What’s the saying? “If you know, you know”? It’s like that with John Hiatt. While he has certainly achieved success as a performer (e.g. the albums Bring the Family and Slow Turning), Hiatt has truly made his mark as a songwriting machine, penning hits that have been recorded by Three Dog Night (“Sure as I’m Sitting Here”), Freddy Fender (“Across the Borderline”) and Rosanne Cash (“The Way We Make a Broken Heart”). John Hiatt is a musical treasure. Tickets are on sale now for his show on Friday, November 22, at the House of Blues.
This just in: Judas Priest will return to Houston (well, technically Sugar Land) with a show on Tuesday, October 22, at the Smart Financial Centre, part of the band’s “Invincible Shield” fall tour. Presales begin today, with the general sale set for Friday.
Concerts This Week
Grant-Lee Phillips spent several years fronting the band Grant Lee Buffalo, making a name for himself as a critics’ favorite in the early ‘90s. Since 2000, Philips has been a solo artist, racking up a string of albums and appearing as the “town troubadour” on the television series “Gilmore Girls.” Phillips will perform on Thursday at the Mucky Duck in support of his latest album, All That You Can Dream. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Phillips produced the song “Asian Adjacent” by comedian Margaret Cho on her album Cho Dependent.
Also on Thursday, it’s Noah Kahan, another singer-songwriter of note, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. After earning a gold record with his debut 2017 single, “Hurt Somebody,” Kahan has built upon his initial success, recording two well-received albums and snagging a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist last year.
It’s finally here! A two-night engagement (Friday and Saturday) at Toyota Center featuring one of the biggest names to ever come out of Houston. I’m talking here about Megan Thee Stallion (calm down, members of the BeyHive, I said “one of”), who is in the midst of the phenomenally successful “Hot Girl” tour. Online reports say that Megan broke down in tears while performing “Cobra” in Tampa this past weekend but managed to gather herself and finish the song. She has experienced some mental health issues as of late, so I hope Megan is doing OK. Take care of yourself, girl.
Though she initially gained fame as a contemporary of Debbie Gibson and Tiffany, Alanis Morissette was always more than a teen queen and never a shrinking violet. This became apparent with “You Oughta Know,” which pinned everyone’s ears back upon its release in 1995. (Coincidentally, the first complete sentence that my youngest daughter spoke was, “It’s not fair,” but that’s another story.) In recent years, Morissette has headed in a more contemplative direction, with her website featuring information on spirituality, relationships, health and wellness. She will be at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Sunday, with Joan Jett (!) and Morgan Wade as special guests, so get there early and catch the openers.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
