Good golly, ya’ll! Lots to talk about on the concert front this week, so we’ll jump right in, and I will sprinkle the snark that generally occupies this space throughout the proceedings this time around.
Ticket Alert
Blues guitarists Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia have been recording (both are on Gulf Coast Records based in Nederland) and touring together for the past few years under the Blood Brothers banner, and now they have added Bill Murray to the mix. Yeah, that Bill Murray. Caddyshack Bill Murray, Rushmore Bill Murray and “SNL” Bill Murray. Everyone’s favorite weird uncle, who can actually sing and who, according to Zito and Castiglia, had a band when he was in high school. Tickets are on sale now for their show at the White Oak Music Hall on Thursday, February 5.
The Queens? That how a show featuring four female R&B vocalists is billed, but when the ladies in question are Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Gladys Knight (sorry, no Pips this time) and Stephanie Mills, I’m OK with that. Tickets are on sale now for their concert at Toyota Center on Friday, February 20, with multiple meet and greet options available.
A couple of intriguing shows at the Heights Theater have just been announced. Guitarist Warren Haynes (Gov’t Mule, Allman Brothers) will perform a rare solo show on Tuesday, February 24, and Joe Jackson (“Stepping Out,” “I’m the Man”) will play a gig in support of his forthcoming album Hope and Fury on Tuesday, June 16. Tickets for both shows are on sale now.
Having a bit of fun with the notion of farewell tours that really aren’t, Little Feat has announced “The Last Farewell Tour,” which is coming up next spring. The Houston show will be on Sunday, May 3, at the 713 Music Hall, and tickets are on sale now. The tour’s moniker is also a nod to the band’s 1975 release The Last Record Album, which featured a cover depicting the Hollywood Hills as a huge mold of orange Jell-O with Cool Whip visible in the higher altitudes.
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Foreigner will co-headline a tour of sheds around the country next summer, and the classic rock combo will make a stop at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Thursday, August 27. For whatever reason, this tour is being treated like something akin to the second coming in some quarters. With that thought in my head, I’m picturing posters advertising Jesus and Allah co-headlining a “Dueling Deities” tour, with Buddha as the opening act. What can I tell you except that presales are in progress now, with the general sale set for Friday.
And speaking of classic rock package tours, Mötley Crüe (two umlauts mean they rock twice as hard) will bring the “Return of the Carnival of Sins” to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion next year, dragging along Tesla and Extreme. The show is set for Friday, September 11, with presales up now and the general sale for the great unwashed on Friday.
Concerts This Week
A couple of big shows at Toyota Center highlight this week’s list of concerts. Rapper Playboi Carti will perform on Thursday, with Nigerian singer-songwriter Burna Boy taking the stage on Saturday. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Playboi Carti is a fashion enthusiast and has modeled for lines including Louis Vuitton, Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 5 and Drake’s OVO Longbook. ‘Cause More Knowledge is More Power: Speaking of fashion, Burna Boy was named one of GQ’s Best-Dressed Men earlier this year.
Shawn Phillips gained a cult following (translation: he could sell out decent-sized halls but never moved a lot of records) during the ‘70s, and since then he has continued a low-key but distinguished career. One reason for his lack of mainstream success is his melding of disparate musical styles, including rock, folk, classical and jazz. Phillips has been something of a musical Zelig over the years, opening for Lenny Bruce, cowriting “Season of the Witch” with Donovan and singing background vocals on the Beatles’ “Lovely Rita.” Catch him on Thursday at the Mucky Duck.
Looking for blues this week? The Heights Theater has just the thing, in the form of Sue Foley’s concert on Friday. Though Foley spent much of the past year concentrating on acoustic guitar, this time around she will appear with a full band, her pink paisley Telecaster in hand. Billy Gibbons has described Foley’s style as “straight from the hip and from the heart groovaliciousness.” I have nothing to add to that.
Also at the Heights Theater this week is the Band of Heathens, celebrating its 20th anniversary with a concert on Saturday. The Austin aggregation promises a special two-set performance drawing from the band’s two-decade history.
If you have family in town early for Thanksgiving, head over to the Continental Club and catch Houston’s own Beetle on Tuesday. The band held down the Thursday night slot at the club for over 20 years, building a devoted fan base, so don’t miss this opportunity to geek out on all things Beatles.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
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