This Week's Best Concerts

If you were thinking about buying someone (maybe yourself?) a Gibson guitar for Christmas, make sure that it’s legit. Over the past weekend, over 3,000 counterfeit instruments were seized at the Los Angeles – Long Beach seaport. Everything from bogus Les Pauls to SG’s to double-necks like Jimmy Page used to play in Led Zeppelin. Were the guitars genuine Gibsons, the lot would have been worth around $18 million, according to customs officials.

So how to avoid being scammed? When considering a guitar purchase, make sure that the components, e.g. the neck and the body, are smoothly joined. Also check for blemishes in the paint or the finish. Cheap tuners and hardware can also be a giveaway. And though it might be obvious, take a look at the logo on the instrument to be sure that it matches the manufacturer’s trademark exactly (no weird fonts, uneven letter spacing, etc.).

You probably don’t need to worry too much if you are buying from a reputable dealer, but caveat emptor if you are dealing with an individual, particularly if the transaction takes place in a parking lot, back by the dumpster. And remember what your parents told you. “If a deal seems too good to be true…”

Ticket Alert

This just in: Kendrick Lamar will play NRG Stadium on Wednesday, April 23, with SZA opening. The rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner released the album GNX (named after a Buick Regal model) two weeks ago, so his marketing machine is in high gear. Presales and VIP packages are available now, and the official sale date is Friday.

A couple of shows at the Smart Financial Centre have just been announced. Jazz vocalist and pianist Diana Krall will perform on Sunday, April 27, in support of her latest album, This Dream of You. Bluegrass badasses Alison Krauss and Union Station will bring their “Arcadia” tour to the venue on Thursday, May 29, with dobro virtuoso Jerry Douglas joining the band. Presales for both shows are in progress, with general ticket sales set for Friday.

If you have felt a void in your life since Kiss stopped touring a year ago, relief is at hand. Kiss bassist Gene Simmons will be at the House of Blues on Saturday, May 24. Simmons has released two solo albums (the self-evidently titled Gene Simmons and Asshole), but my money is on a setlist full of Kiss hits like “God of Thunder” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.” Presales are up, general sale on Friday.

AC/DC hasn’t toured the U.S. since 2016, so plenty of classic rock fans got excited when it was announced earlier this week that the band would embark on a brief tour of stadiums next spring. The bad news for Houston fans is that (harrumph!) the band has opted to bypass H-Town in favor of Dallas and AT&T Stadium, aka Jerry World. The show is on Monday, April 14, and tickets go on sale Friday at noon.

Concerts This Week

Justin Timberlake is known for slick dancing in addition to his vocal skills. However, the Prince of Pop has been hobbled since a back injury last week during a performance in New Orleans, so don’t expect him to bust much of a move tonight at Toyota Center. Timberlake has cancelled several concert appearances over the past month, including a show this week in Oklahoma City. The name of his current jaunt (his first in five years) is the “Forget About Tomorrow” tour, but my advice to Justin is that he not forget the Advil and the Bengay.

The South Austin Moonlighters started out as a kicks band, performing at the Saxon pub in Austin on the members’ nights off from other bands. Things began happening pretty quickly, though, and by 2019, the Moonlighters were one of the biggest names on the roots / Americana circuit. The band’s most recent album, From Here to Home, was produced by Steve Berlin of Los Lobos. You can hear them on Friday at the Mucky Duck, but tickets are going quickly.

Another Texas musical gem, singer-songwriter Radney Foster, is at the Mucky Duck on Saturday. In addition to notching a number of hit singles under his own banner, Foster’s songs have been covered by Gary Allan, Sara Evans, Keith Urban, Hootie and the Blowfish and Jack Ingram. His latest release, For You to See the Stars, is a multimedia offering, combining a CD and a book of short stories.

The joint will be jumping on Saturday and Sunday when Hayes Carll and the Band of Heathens crank it up at the Heights Theater. The combination of Carll and the Heathens – fronted by Ed Jurdi and Gordy Quist – promises some superb musicianship and one hell of a good time. Hayes and the Heathens don’t play together all that often, so don’t miss out.