DON’T MISS THESE SHOWS AT HOUSTON’S INTIMATE MUSIC VENUES
THE 2018 CONCERT PREVIEW ON PAGE 8 FOCUSES ON SOME OF THE SHOWS HITTING LARGER CLUBS AND ARENA/PAVILION-SIZE STAGES. WHICH IS TO SAY, THERE’S A LOT OF MUSIC ALREADY ANNOUNCED FOR HOUSTON IN 2018.
Here are another 15 shows that have caught my eye as we begin the new year, some of which follow a less beaten path than the one that leads to the larger venues.
Most of these are weeks away, though No. 15, Larry Carlton, gets us started this week. The legendary guitarist will drop in on the Dosey Doe on Saturday. His work spans rock, jazz, fusion, soul and pop, with credits that include Joni Mitchell’s “Court and Spark” as well as four Steely Dan albums. He’s recorded with Townes Van Zandt, Linda Ronstadt, the Partridge Family, Aaron Neville and Clint Black. He’s a welltraveled instrumentalist.
1. Waxahatchee at Rockefeller’s, Feb. 16: Note the spelling. Katie Crutchfield’s band is named for a river in her native Alabama rather than the Texas town. But just about anybody can relate to the range of emotions she works through on her fourth album, “Out in the Storm,” which builds on the modest minimalism of her earlier recordings. This record looks to be a career-maker. 2. Charles Lloyd and the Marvels at Cullen Performance Hall, Feb. 2: The flutist and saxophonist is one of the few surviving legends from a storied period of progressive jazz. At 79, he remains a
vital composer and instrumentalist, and he has great backing here with his band the Marvels, which includes the peerless guitarist Bill Frisell and one of the top drummers in jazz, Houston native and HSPVA alum Kendrick Scott.
3. Bruce Cockburn at The Heights Theater, April 15: Folky and jazzy singer-songwriter and guitar whiz Cockburn has been quiet for a long spell, six or seven years, and hasn’t been to Houston in at least that long. Even solo, he’s a mesmerizing performer, with a picking style that draws you in and doesn’t let loose.
4. Willie Watson at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, Feb. 15: The former Old Crow Medicine Show singer and guitarist left that successful band and has dedicated himself to old-school folk instead. He passed through here with the David Rawlings Machine a few years ago, but this is a rare solo gig for Houston.
5. Khalid at Smart Financial Centre, May 18: This Georgia native has a great future in front of him, in part because his debut album, “American Teen,” was made when he was just 18. He’s an expressive singer and a transparent lyricist, which explains, in part, how he found so much success so quickly. But he also has a daring streak that should serve him well in the years to come.
6. Peter Hook & The Light at Warehouse Live, May 31: By all accounts, the New Order set at Day for Night three years ago was top shelf stuff, but I’ve been wary of the band since bassist and co-founding member Peter Hook quit a decade ago. He’s getting smaller gigs on his own with his band, but this set should pull in some more folks as Hook and The Light work through both “Substance” anthologies that
represent favorites by New Order and also Joy Division.
7. Brad Mehldau Trio at Cullen Performance Hall, April 13: This is a tight ensemble that gets filed under jazz, even though they pull from the pop/rock/experimental songbook with great daring and flair.
8. Margo Price at The Heights Theater, Jan. 31: Illinois native Price plays roots music, which is a way of saying country-but-not-contemporary-radio-country. Her debut album, “Midwest Farmer’s Daughter,” rung a lot of bells and
primed people for “All American Made,” which was much lauded in 2017. Consider the wording of the titles: Her work has a deep topical resonance.
9. Rod Picott at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, April 12: The Maine native is one of the best in the singer-songwriter field since he decided to quit hanging sheetrock and instead pen songs. His voice and delivery are largely void of any melodic trimmings; and that suits his lyrics, which capture characters who are struggling to get by. He released albums in 2014 and 2015 but has been quiet since, so there should be some new tunes in the mix. 10. They Might Be Giants at White Oak Music Hall, Feb. 2: People identify so strongly with the band’s first three albums that they miss some strange and genuinely tuneful power poppy songs from more recent years. With the “Flood” tour having come and gone and a new record about to come out, they’re likely to be in a less nostalgic mode. 11. The Hates at Rudyard’s, Feb. 3: After a tough 2017, Houston’s beloved, decades-spanning punk band returns. Frontman Christian Kidd underwent treatment for a cancerous tumor on his tongue last year, but he’s back in good health and ready to return to the stage.
12. Ilaiyaraaja at Smart Financial Centre, March 10: At 74, this legendary composer doesn’t have much to prove. He’s written thousands of pieces of music, most of them for Indian cinema, though he’s also composed symphonies, devotional music and just about anything else. This is a rare opportunity to see an international master at work. 13. Acid Mothers Temple at Walter’s, April 28: Prolific Japanese psych-rock band has been following guitarist’s Kawabata Makoto’s weird and expansive musical lead for more than 20 years. 14. Chris Smither at McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, March 30: A deeply meditative songwriter and a masterful guitarist, Smither is one of the few remaining treasures from a storied folk blues music scene that sprung up decades ago. Once a road
warrior, he doesn’t tour much these days. So this is a rare treat.
15. Larry Carlton at Dosey Doe, Jan. 6: Carlton has explored just about every possible space on the neck of a guitar. He logged time in the Crusaders and Fourplay, and was a session guy on classic albums made by Mitchell and Steely Dan. In addition to that, he’s released albums of his own for 50 years.