Part of growing up is discovering music that your parents hate and playing it as loudly and as often as you can get away with it. It is only natural that the music of one generation is scorned by the next in line. However, some music seems to draw, across multiple generations, admirers of many ages. The Beatles, the Stones, Stevie Wonder, the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd. All possesses a certain je ne sais quoi. Sometimes confounding but always compelling.
There’s another name to add to that list, though. I am speaking here of Black Sabbath, a band from the Midlands of England that went from absolutely nothing to worldwide stardom, inventing the genre of heavy metal and providing – for over 50 years – music to bang one’s head by.
Black Freaking Sabbath closed out its performing career over this past weekend, with a mega-concert in the band’s hometown of Birmingham. Kudos to Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who assembled a top-tier group of musicians to pay tribute to Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne. The grand finale was Black Sabbath’s final performance.
The band looked old. Ozzy is suffering from Parkinson’s disease and had to remain seated during his appearances on stage. But he summoned all of his inner reserves and did his dead-level best. Drummer Bill Ward (who did not participate in Black Sabbath’s farewell tour several years ago due to a contract dispute) was back in the fold – at least for one day – and yes, he looked like somebody’s grandpa. And taking his shirt off halfway through Sabbath’s brief set was probably not a great idea.
But why should he care? He’s a rock god and has nothing left to prove. (See last week’s Concert Watch and the notion of “Yeah, I’m old. Deal with it!”) Those who might make insulting remarks can pucker up and kiss his wrinkled ass. The years have been kinder to guitarist Tony Iommi and bassist Geezer Butler, but the passage of time is still evident. Still, they all rocked it hard for four songs. And did themselves proud.
What a send-off. Imagine a day-long celebration of your music which was capped off by an audience made up of people of all ages singing lyrics back to you that you wrote when you were 21 that still resonate today. That’s how you make an exit.
Ticket Alert
Boney James has been racking up hit records in the smooth jazz genre for almost 20 years. But lest you think that he is limited in his musical focus, bear in mind that this guy has played with Morris Day (of “and the Time” fame), the Isley Brothers, Bobby Caldwell, Randy Crawford and Teena Marie. Tickets for a show by his Boney-ness on Sunday, October 26, at the House of Blues are on sale now.
Maybe I am awash in sentimentality after writing about Black Sabbath’s final gig, but I will not say an unkind or snarky word about Shaun Cassidy, who once sold out the Astrodome. Many loved his hits during the ‘70s, along with his acting in “The Hardy Boys Mysteries” television series. Tickets are on sale now for his concert at the House of Blues on Saturday, January 10.
Concerts This Week
The current cross-country jaunt co-headlined by Kesha and Scissor Sisters is billed as the Tits Out Tour. Which, I suppose, makes sense, in that there are two featured acts. Not the greatest punchline, but feel free to make up your own. I’m sure there’s a better one in there somewhere. Nevertheless, it is significant that the tour’s promotional material features Kesha on a Jet Ski – topless, we assume – with her mammaries obscured by a rectangle bearing the word “Freedom.” However, don’t expect anything too wild at Thursday’s show at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. If Kesha were to actually whip them out on stage, Mrs. Mitchell would no doubt turn over in her grave.
In 1994, Miles Doughty’s band Slightly Stoopid was discovered by Sublime front man Brad Nowell during his stay at a California drug rehab center operated by Doughty’s mother and her boyfriend. Nowell heard the guys rehearsing, was impressed, and offered the band a gig at a bar in Long Beach. Slightly Stoopid was soon signed to Nowell’s label, Skunk Records. Since that time, the band has absorbed a variety of influences, including punk, reggae, rock, hip-hop, funk and metal. Check them out on Thursday at the White Oak Music Hall.
As the song says, they’re gonna pitch a wang-dang-doodle over at the Continental Club on Friday. Contrary to the song’s lyrics, the shindig won’t last “all night long,” but it will be an evening chock full of Houston blues, featuring Trudy Lynn backed by the Sparky Parker Band. Harmonica wizard Steve Krase opens, and Rock Romano will also be along for the ride, so what more can a music lover ask for?
And in other Continental Club news, the venerable venue will celebrate its 25th anniversary (has it really been that long?) with a festival on Saturday featuring ten acts: Thunderado, the Footnotes, Amber Digby, the Turnaways, Hate Mail, Beetle, David Garza, the Allen Oldies Band, the Lonesome Haunts and Xanadudes. So much entertainment, in fact, that sister venue Shoeshine Charley’s Big Top Lounge (next door) will be pressed into service in order to accommodate all the music.
The Rebirth Brass Band made its name by virtue of a Tuesday night residency at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans. Television helped to spread the band’s reputation through appearances on the shows “Treme,” “NCIS: New Orleans” and “The Originals.” You can hear Rebirth’s mix of brass band, second line, funk, jazz, soul and hip-hop on Friday at the House of Blues.
The following night (that would be Saturday for those of you keeping score at home) at the HOB, it’s back to the ‘80s with the Psychedelic Furs. Though musicians have come and gone since the peak of the band’s success around 1986, original members Richard Butler (vocals, sibling) and Tim Butler (bass, sibling) are still in charge of the goings-on This being the case, you can probably expect fully credible versions of the songs you heard back then on MTV. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: “Why ‘the Psychedelic Furs?’” you may ask. “Couldn’t they come up with a better name?” Well, the band was previously called “The Europeans.” So, I suppose the answer would be “no.”
