{"id":91477,"date":"2025-12-17T15:38:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T15:38:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/91477\/"},"modified":"2025-12-17T15:38:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T15:38:10","slug":"houston-concert-watch-12-17-trans-siberian-orchestra-carolyn-wonderland-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/91477\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Concert Watch 12\/17: Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Carolyn Wonderland and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the murder of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele is certainly a tragedy on a human level, it is an artistic devastation as well.\u00a0 As Brad Gilmore\u2019s Houston Press story <\/a>details, Reiner was a talented and versatile filmmaker, masterminding some of the most beloved films of the past 40 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The world of rock and roll owes Reiner a debt of gratitude for giving us the funniest look at the music business ever.\u00a0 Of course we\u2019re talking here about This is Spinal Tap, Reiner\u2019s 1984 directorial debut that introduced the world to Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins and Derek Smalls.\u00a0 Not to mention Artie Fufkin, Bobbi Flekman and Reiner\u2019s character, documentarian Marty Di Bergi.<\/p>\n

The film is hilarious but insightful, not cutting clueless rock stars any slack but lampooning them in a manner that is, at its essence, affectionate.\u00a0 Sure, there\u2019s the Stonehenge debacle, questionable lyrics (\u201cSex Farm\u201d), the controversy surrounding Smell the Glove (\u201cWell you should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn\u2019t a glove, believe me.\u201d) and the custom Marshall amps (\u201cThese go to 11.\u201d).\u00a0 But Spinal Tap treats the characters more like goofy old friends than outright morons, though sometimes it is a delicate balance.<\/p>\n

Reiner was always politically active, never afraid to speak his mind and take a stand on the issues of the day.\u00a0 He was courageous, opinionated and articulate.\u00a0 And this earned him a great deal of respect, even from those whose views were diametrically opposed to his.\u00a0 In 1996, when his acting career was at a low point, James Woods was cast by Reiner in his film Ghosts of Mississippi.<\/p>\n

\u201cI judge people by how they treat me, and Rob Reiner was a godsend in my life. We got along great, we loved each other.\u00a0 He was always on my side,\u201d Woods said earlier this week on Fox News.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen people would say to me, \u2018What do you think of his politics?\u2019 I would say, \u2018I think Rob Reiner is a great patriot.\u2019\u00a0 Do I agree on many of his ideas on how that patriotism should be enacted, to celebrate the America that we both love? No. He doesn\u2019t agree with me either, but he also respects my patriotism. We had a different path to the same destination, which was a country we both love.\u00a0 Because you disagree with people doesn\u2019t mean that you have to hate people.\u201d \u00a0Amen.<\/p>\n

Ticket Alert<\/p>\n

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Note: Tickets for all of the following concerts are on sale now.<\/p>\n

When the Jayhawks arrived on the scene in the early \u201890s, their first single, \u201cWaiting for the Sun,\u201d sounded like the bastard offspring of Tom Petty\u2019s \u201cMary Jane\u2019s Last Dance\u201d and middle-period Neil Young.\u00a0 And if you\u2019re going to do some gene splicing, well, that\u2019s a pretty good combination.\u00a0 All these years later, this multifaceted band from Minnesota is still producing quality music, which you can experience on Friday, March 6, at the Heights Theater<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Trying to forge a career in music by following in the footsteps of a famous parent is no easy task.\u00a0 Just ask Julian Lennon.\u00a0 Or Jakob Dylan.\u00a0 Nevertheless, A.J. Croce \u2013 the son of Jim Croce \u2013 seems to have things figured out.\u00a0 Rather than running from his father\u2019s legacy, Croce the younger incorporates some of the elder Croce\u2019s songs into a concert that also includes his own work, plus some classic roots music that inspired them both.\u00a0 Catch \u201cCroce Plays Croce\u201d at the Bayou Music Center <\/a>on Sunday, March 22.<\/p>\n

Yellowcard, hitmakers from the noughts, will perform on Thursday, June 4, at the 713 Music Hall<\/a>.\u00a0 Though the band has gone through various hiatuses, breakups, etc. over the past 20 years, Yellowcard regained its form with the release of the album Better Days, whose title track hit number one on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart earlier this year.\u00a0 \u2018Cause Knowledge is Power: the band\u2019s name comes from the soccer term for a foul.\u00a0 However, in the case of Yellowcard, the fouls in question were \u201cparty fouls,\u201d e.g. spilling beer on carpet or hurling at an ill-timed moment.\u00a0 Which, when you think about it, is maybe worse than \u201cpersistent infringement\u201d or \u201cunsportsmanlike conduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

Concerts This Week<\/p>\n

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If all the \u201cho ho ho\u201d is making you want to \u201cgo go go,\u201d there are plenty of opportunities to get musically festive this week.\u00a0 Things get started at the Heights Theater<\/a> on Friday, when homegirl Carolyn Wonderland presents her annual \u201cHome for the Holidays\u201d concert.\u00a0 Wonderland will be joined by Shelley King, Rosie Flores and Kevin Russell (Shinyribs), so it\u2019s bound to be a Houston Christmas hoedown.<\/p>\n

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If you\u2019re looking for something a bit more traditional, consider Sarah Brightman at the Smart Financial Center <\/a>on Friday.\u00a0 \u201cA Winter Symphony\u201d promises plenty of Brightman hits mixed with holiday favorites, accompanied by a rock band, a choir and an orchestra.\u00a0 Hardcore fans may be interested in the VIP ticket option, which includes a meet and greet, a laminate with lanyard and a commemorative Christmas ornament.<\/p>\n

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One the other hand, if you are a fan of hard rock but hold a soft spot for holiday cheer, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Toyota Center <\/a>on Friday might just be up your alley.\u00a0 Imagine if Rush, AC\/DC and Mannheim Steamroller joined forces, and you will have a good idea of what a TSO concert holds in store.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0Fans of vocal music will be at Toyota Center<\/a> on Saturday for Pentatonix, the Dallas (technically, Arlington) a cappella quintet.\u00a0 The singers will combine pop harmonies, jazz scat singing and beatboxing (!) for \u201cChristmas in the City,\u201d a concept which probably sounds more foreboding than it actually is.<\/p>\n

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Looking for something a bit more rustic?\u00a0 Try Robert Earl Keen at the House of Blues<\/a> on Sunday.\u00a0 Keen\u2019s modestly titled \u201cThe Best Christmas on Earth\u201d concert will put you in a festive holiday mood, with any residual sappiness leavened by (if there is a God in Heaven) a rousing performance of \u201cMerry Christmas from the Family.\u201d<\/p>\n

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And while we\u2019re in that country sort of groove, let\u2019s not forget Bill Kirchen\u2019s \u201cHonky Tonk Holiday Show\u201d on Tuesday at the Mucky Duck<\/a>.\u00a0 The Titan of the Telecaster will whip out all those great guitar licks that made him a legend when he played with Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, bringing longnecks, swinging doors and neon signs into the collective Christmas vibe.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This article appears in Jan 1 \u2013 Dec 31, 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"While the murder of director Rob Reiner and his wife Michele is certainly a tragedy on a human…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":91478,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[36462,43044,22883,575,226,56,58,57,43045,306,36833,278,43046,43047,39966,43048,35979,43049,43050,43051,37705,43052],"class_list":{"0":"post-91477","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-a-j-croce","9":"tag-bill-kirchen","10":"tag-carolyn-wonderland","11":"tag-concerts","12":"tag-homepage","13":"tag-houston","14":"tag-houston-headlines","15":"tag-houston-news","16":"tag-james-woods","17":"tag-jayhawks","18":"tag-kevin-russell","19":"tag-music","20":"tag-pentatonix","21":"tag-rob-reiner","22":"tag-robert-earl-keen","23":"tag-rosie-flores","24":"tag-sarah-brightman","25":"tag-shelley-king","26":"tag-shinyribs","27":"tag-spinal-tap","28":"tag-trans-siberian-orchestra","29":"tag-yellowcard"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91477","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=91477"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/91477\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/91478"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=91477"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=91477"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=91477"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}