PREVIEW PICKS
Amazon Prime’s “Them” something to look forward to.
1. Jason Eady
Jason Eady is a Mississippi native who found his crowd in Texas, not surprising since his music suggests points of reference that include Don Williams and Willie Nelson. He’s a bright observer and a subtly brilliant lyricist, with songs that don’t scream for your attention, but they whisper to you long after they’ve played. His most recent album is “I Travel On,” which is what he did for years until the pandemic shut down touring. But nearly three years after that album, he’s likely to have some new songs to test drive before a crowd.
When: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday
Where: McGonigel’s Mucky Duck, 2425 Norfolk
Details: $120 for a group of four, $30 for virtual ticket; 713-5285999, mcgonigels.com
Andrew Dansby
2. ‘The War on Pleasure’
This one-woman show from Robin Goldstein delves into a little-known side of American history in which culinary puritans, such as Sylvester Graham (father of the graham cracker) and John Harvey Kellogg (corn flakes), tried to rid our diets of spices and taste. Admission to the outdoor event includes two free craft beers from the show’s sponsor, 8th Wonder Brewery. It’s presented by Houston’s 5th Wave Productions, which says it is “dedicated to presenting raw local events that foster community-building.”
When: 6 p.m. April 10
Where: The Plant House, 3408 Garrow
Details: $20; facebook.com/5thWaveProductions
Cary Darling
3. Jackopierce
During the height of grunge, two theater students at SMU took a different tact. As Jackopierce, Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce toned things down and put an emphasis on hook and harmony.
More than 30 years after releasing its debut album, the duo gets by with the same plan it had all those years ago. The tour dates are more scarce, the albums even more so, but the well-crafted alterna-folk-pop song remains a rare thing, and one they do well.
When: 6 and 8:45 p.m. Friday
Where: The Heights Theater, 339 W. 19th
When: $24; theheightstheater.com
Andrew Dansby
4. Merry Clayton
Even those music enthusiasts who don’t know Merry Clayton know Merry Clayton’s voice, since she added the crucial vocal to the Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter.” Clayton got some new notice after being featured in the documentary “20 Feet From Stardom” a few years ago, but “Beautiful Scars” is her first new recording in over a quarter century. And its title tells of a difficult road, after a car accident nearly killed her seven years ago. Her new album leads a heavy week of new music, with Taylor Swift’s new “Fearless” recording; “Larry Coryell’s Last Swing With Ireland,” documenting the Houston native and guitar giant’s last tour before he died in 2017; and “The Wind,” a lovely new album by Austin minimalists Balmorhea.
Details: Available on streaming services and music retailers.
Andrew Dansby
5. ‘Them: Covenant’
There’s a loud buzz around this new series created by producer Little Marvin. The show, which focusing on members of a 1950s-era Black family who find themselves terrorized by unseen forces after moving to a white LA neighborhood, stands at the confluence of race and the fantastical, like such predecessors as “Get Out,” “Us,” “Watchmen” and “Lovecraft Country.” One of the elements that makes “Them” unique is that, like “American Horror Story,” each season will feature a different subtitle and a different story. And, even though few outside of festivals such as South by Southwest have seen a frame of it, the series has already been renewed for a second season.
Details: Premieres April 9 on Amazon Prime.
Cary Darling
6. Laura Mvula
English singer-songwriter-composer Laura Mvula is a unique musical figure who can combine a sense of orchestral and choral sweep with pop smarts and a sense of African musical history into beautifully rendered fourminute songs. It has been five years since her last album, but she has been teasing us in early 2021 by dropping a couple of new tracks, “Church Girl” and “Safe Passage.” The former is a straightforward, ’80s-flavored track that gets better as it goes along, the latter is strong from the start, with the sweet hooks and soaring layered vocals that we’ve come to expect from Mvula. With luck, these are a taste of much more to come.
Details: Available on streaming services
Cary Darling