Jason Bonham first played the drums with Led Zeppelin when he was teenager, after his father John had the boy sit in with the band during a soundcheck at the Knebworth Festival. The younger Bonham grew into a respected drummer, occasionally performing with Zeppelin (e.g. at the group’s reunion in 2007) while playing with Black Country Communion and Sammy Hagar.
Here’s where it gets weird. Late last year, Bonham’s mother suffered a stroke, and he was forced to miss a few Hagar tour dates while he returned to England to take care of her. Drummer Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan), a previous Hagar collaborator, was recruited to fill in, but when Bonham was ready to return, Hagar told him that his services were no longer required.
While there may be more to the story than we know, on the surface it seems a rather shitty thing for Hagar to do. Sure, it is his prerogative to hire who he wants to play in his band, but why not let Bonham finish the tour and then make the drumming switch during some down time? Bonham says that he holds no ill will toward Hagar, and he has moved on.
Here’s the good news: Bonham and his band will be touring this spring, performing all of Zeppelin’s classic Physical Graffiti in honor of the album’s 50th anniversary. Since Bonham the younger is the finest exponent of his father’s powerful drumming style, it will be a treat when Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening performs at the Bayou Music Center on Tuesday, May 20. Some of the presales are active now, with others to follow on Thursday and the general ticket sale on Friday. Which neatly leads us to….
Ticket Alert
Some big shows have been announced for Toyota Center, beginning with Lil Baby’s “Wham” tour in support of his latest release, Who Hard as Me? That musical question will presumably be answered on Tuesday, June 3, when Lil Baby performs with BigXthaPlug, NLE Choppa and Loe Shimmy opening. Tickets are on sale now, with a number of meet-and-greet and photo opportunities also available.
“Hip-hop musical collective” the Wu-Tang Clan will stop at Toyota Center on Saturday, June 14, as part of its “Final Chamber” tour, which promises deep cuts and selections which have never before been performed live. Run the Jewels – El-P and Killer Mike, who once burned one on television with Bill Maher – will open. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 am.
Also coming to Toyota Center is Tate McRae, who first achieved fame as a contestant on the television series “So You Think You Can Dance.” The Canadian chanteuse has just released a new album, So Close to What, and her “Miss Possessive” tour will hit Toyota Center on Saturday, November 11. Presale tickets and a VIP package – which includes a Q and A with McRae and an acoustic performance – are available now, with the general ticket sale on Thursday.
Canadian alt-rockers Simple Plan will perform at the 713 Music Hall on Friday, September 5. Presales are up now, and the general sale is on Friday. Also coming to the 713 is Lake Street Drive, a band comprised of former New England Conservatory of Music students that sports influences ranging from classical to jazz to the Beatles to Motown. A bunch of presales for the group’s show on Sunday, September 21, are up now, with the general sale set for Friday.
Concerts This Week
Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has been working on solo projects since 2006, but he did not release his first official solo album, Brighten, until 2021. Cantrell’s latest is I Want Blood, and he is on the road, stopping at the House of Blues tonight. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Cantrell threw out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game in 2018 when the team was facing the visiting Astros. As this video verifies, Cantrell fired a strike. To paraphrase legendary Astros radio broadcaster Loel Passe, “Now you chunkin’ in there, J.C.!”
Two of Houston’s most distinctive bands, Los Skarnales and Swimwear Department, will be appearing at the Heights Theater on Friday. The Skarnales vatos will bring their patented “Pachuco Boogie Ska,” a mix of ska (natch), rockabilly, cumbia, reggae and punk, ingredients which meld together in a high-energy live music experience. Swimwear Department, conversely, presents a repertoire of songs that are all “about swimming pools, shopping malls and sometimes both.” Word is that, at the band’s live gigs, spirited line dancing sometimes results.
It’s never easy being a “young phenom,” but Austin’s Gary Clark Jr. outgrew that tag long ago, emerging as a unique contemporary blues stylist who incorporates elements of soul, funk and hip-hop into his playing. Catch him on Saturday at the 713 Music Hall.
Whether we knew it or not, many of us first encountered Robert Cray when he was playing the bass with Otis Day and the Knights in the film Animal House. During the ‘80s, Cray – along with Stevie Ray Vaughan – helped keep the blues in the public eye with his biting guitar work and smooth vocal chops, notching gold and platinum albums while earning a fistful of Grammy awards. You can hear the “Strong Persuader” on Sunday at the Heights Theater.
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