Sly Stone, who died on June 9 at the age of 82, falls into that “woulda, coulda, shoulda” category of artists. Sure, Stone and his band, the Family Stone, recorded gold and platinum records, sold out concerts around the country, and were an undisputed highlight of the Woodstock festival in 1969. But it should have been so much more.
“Dance to the Music” was Stone’s first hit single, charting at No. 8 in 1967. He hit No. 1 the following year with “Everyday People” and then had eight more top 40 singles through 1974, including “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” and “I Want to Take You Higher.” Even before the hits stopped coming, Stone had gained a reputation for arriving way late or missing concerts altogether. And his massive drug habit didn’t help matters much.
In his 2023 autobiography (see the Houston Press review), Stone tells of talking his way out of a drug charge by explaining to the officers that there was no way he was holding, because he was on his way to buy drugs when he was arrested. Yeah, like that.
Still, his irresponsible behavior over the past many decades cannot obscure the fact that Stone was a true original, taking the essential components of funk as designed by James Brown and adding a mix of musical ingredients, some subtle, some obvious, to produce a unique sound that captured music fans as the edginess of the ‘60s gave way to the mellowness of the ‘70s. The best way to remember Sly? Pull out a copy of the Woodstock soundtrack and crank up side five. That’s all a person really needs to know.
Ticket Alert
Rap legend Lil Wayne will bring “Tha Carter VI” tour – named after his just-released album – to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Thursday, September 18, with special guests Tyga, NoCap and Belly Gang Kushington opening. Plenty of tickets are still available.
Jazzy saxophonist Boney James will perform at the House of Blues on Sunday, October 26. James has consistently exhibited a knack for finding top-notch collaborators, leading to guest appearances by heavyweights like George Benson, Al Jarreau and George Duke on his records. Tickets for his House of Blues show are on sale now.
New Orleans rapper NBA YoungBoy has added another Houston stop to his current tour, appearing at Toyota Center on Tuesday, October 28. YoungBoy’s show on Saturday, September 6, has been sold out for some time, hence the additional date. Decent seats remain in most sections.
Concerts This Week
Post-punk San Diego rockers Pierce the Veil are on the road this summer, with the band headlining its first shed tour, “I Can’t Hear You,” which stops at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Thursday. The band promises to play cuts from each of the five albums in its discography. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Bandleader Vic Fuentes once told the San Diego Reader that Pierce the Veil tries to slide a bit of Latin influence into all of its songs, hence his description of the band’s music as “mexicore,” defined by Fuentes as a “mix of heavy music with a little Spanish feel.”
There are two big shows set for Saturday night. Well, one is big and the other is really freaking huge, so we’ll start with that one. After months of waiting, Houston metal heads will get to experience Metallica’s “M72” tour at NRG Stadium. The tour began in the middle of 2023 and will conclude in the summer of 2026, with a center stage design, huge video screens and plenty of pyro (look out, James Hetfield!). And did we mention that Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies are opening? Scattered tickets remain, but they won’t last long. And the prices on those tickets? Let me put it this way: you may have to talk your credit card off the ledge.
Also on Saturday, the hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan will perform at Toyota Center as part of its “Final Chamber” tour. Wu-Tang says that this is the aggregation’s last tour, featuring both hits and deep cuts. Going forward, it will be interesting to see if rappers are any more trustworthy than their rocker colleagues (talking about you, The Who) when it comes to “farewell” tours. As a bonus, the rap duo Run the Jewels will open.
And speaking of big tours, Columbian singer-songwriter Shakira will play two nights at Toyota Center, on Sunday and Monday. The Sunday show is sold out, but there are tickets available for Monday’s performance, along with “VIP Experience” packages. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Shakira has provided the voice of Gazelle in the animated Disney films Zootopia and Zootopia 2, also voicing the Spanish versions of the film which played in Spain and Latin America.
Note: According to the Toyota Center website, the Polk exit from 59 northbound will be closed until June 30. This will translate into traffic delays around the venue, and it is advised that concert goers allow extra time to arrive before the shows this weekend.
To paraphrase Kermit the Frog, it’s not easy being Ann Wilson. Following cancer treatment and chemotherapy, Heart’s lead singer fell and broke her elbow, necessitating major surgery and (due to accompanying balance issues) wheelchair transportation around the stage when the tour resumed. Wilson assures fans that she is on the mend, and this would seem to be the case, as Heart is on the road this summer with a two-set / no opening act format, allowing the band to perform some songs that they haven’t played in years, along with some covers. Check out Heart on Tuesday at the Smart Financial Centre, and check out Bob Ruggiero’s Houston Press interview with guitarist Nancy Wilson for more on the current tour and Heart’s condition.
