This Week's Best Concerts

It seems that airport officials in Wellington, New Zealand have a problem. Security concerns? Birds flying into jet engines? A glaring lack of Pappas restaurants? No, it’s more serious than that. Due to overly fond farewells on the part of passengers, the airport has posted signs setting a three-minute limit on goodbyes. And if you need more than three minutes, the signs invite you to return to the car park (as they say down there).

A couple of things here. One, I haven’t seen a romantic farewell at an airport in forever. What I do see these days is a bunch of people in sweat pants shuffling around, not knowing where they are going, setting off the metal detector and generally getting in my way. Two, back to the car park? Well, I suppose it is a better alternative than actually boning in the terminal, but really? Oh well, if the van is a-rockin’, don’t go a-knockin’.

Ticket Alert

Los Lonely Boys have something of a checkered past. After scoring a big hit with “Heaven,” the guys didn’t seem to know what to do when confronting success. There were some serious legal problems to deal with, maybe some burn out, and, oh yeah, that night at Toyota Center when they were supposed to open for the Rolling Stones and failed to perform, even with all of their gear on stage and ready to go. The good news is that these purveyors of “Texican” rock and roll seem to be back on track, with a new album and a tour. Catch the Garza brothers at the House of Blues on Saturday, February 15.

Columbian superstar Shakira will perform on Sunday, June 15, at Toyota Center in support of her latest album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (en inglés, Women Don’t Cry Anymore). Presales are in progress, with the general ticket sale set for Friday. Shakira says that the tour will move to stadiums later in 2025, so this show represents an opportunity to catch her act in (relatively) cozy confines.

Concerts This Week

The most recent album from Chris Carrabba and Dashboard Confessional, 2022’ All the Truth That I Can Tell, shows that there’s always something to get emo about, even if it is reaching middle age, which I will confirm can be a real pisser. Tickets for Friday’s show at the Bayou Music Center are still available, but it appears that the VIP package is sold out, as lots of folks want to get up close and personal with Carrabba.

Though temperatures may still be hovering near 90, it’s time to say goodbye to summer, as the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion concert series comes to an end this week. On Thursday, it’s Breaking Benjamin, with Daughtry, Staind, and Lakeview opening. Though the band has been relatively quiet for the past few years, its new single, “Awaken,” went to the top of the iTunes chart when it was released last week. Then on Friday and Saturday, Cody Johnson will close things out with two nights of hardcore country music. The real deal, as inspired by Merle Haggard, George Strait and, natch, Willie Nelson.

Over the years, keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman has picked up the nickname “Caped Crusader.” Sure, Wakeman has historically favored a bedazzled silver cape for his stage wear, but what is he crusading for? More keyboards on one stage? More concept albums? More concerts involving ice skaters in horse costumes (see the premiere performance of Wakeman’s The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table)? Hard to say, but we know for sure that Wakeman will perform a solo show on Saturday at the Heights Theater. The concert is billed as an evening of songs and stories, which should be a good thing, as Wakeman is a gifted raconteur and knows how to spin a yarn (see his autobiography, Grumpy Old Rock Star).

It must be gratifying to have written a sing-along classic. Particularly a song that generates a lusty drunken sing-along. Like “American Pie,” “Piano Man” or “Living on a Prayer.” But you know what’s better than all those tunes put together? “Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother,” which was most famously performed by Jerry Jeff Walker on his album Viva Terlingua. Now while Jerry Jeff did write the classic “Mr. Bojangles,” he did not write “Redneck Mother.” That was Ray Wylie Hubbard, who will play a three-night run at Main Street Crossing Friday through Sunday. Pro tip: Pace yourself through the performance but be sure that you have enough beer in your system by the time Hubbard nears the end of his performance to do the song justice. Then, sing out, brother!