Music News aka Houston Music News

Saturday, April 1Steve Satchel Band, Bar Rats, Fresh

Friday, April 7Sagestone

Saturday, April 84 Skull Soup

Friday, April 14Treynwrek, Blended Blue, Paperanvil

Saturday, April 15Noiseland Arcade

Friday, April 21Blaggards, Kaleidoscope Project

Saturday, Aprl 22 -

Tribute Night with Chili Peppers, Limp Bizkit, Five Finger Death

Punch

Friday, April 28Dead Horse Creek

Saturday, April 29 -

Submit Thy Will, Kranc, Bad Trip. Darkness Of Tomorrow

Friday, May 6Freeze Sucka

APRIL 2023

Hi Folks, Hello Music News readers. I hope you had a great March. We’re happy to announce that Concert Season has started up again. Are cover stories for this month is Steve Miller and Carlos Santana. They will be performing at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the first week of May.

Now, on to the new issue. In this issue, as usual, we have some great stories and information to pass on to you. Check out stories in this month’s issue on Leo Kottke, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tower Of Power, Marcus Eldridge, Tom Jones, Ween, Gojira and more, as well as another installment of the original story, THE BIKER along with a lot more! Also in this issue are a ton of great pictures of bands performing around the Houston area. I’m sure you’re going to be familiar with a lot of these bands. Those bands include 5Fifteen, Chaw, Destroyer Of Light, Eric Korb Band, Gary Cain Band, Honeycutt Southern, Kill The Lizard, Phenix Comes Alive, Randy Soffar, Ruckus, Static Blues Band, Temptres, Tianna Hall, Treynwrek, Western Jelly, Xiii and more. If you have pictures of local bands performing, please email them to us. I would really appreciate it and I know the bands do as well. Keep it up... We would like to see more pictures from you.

We’re also happy to announce that Dan Electro’s has opened back up with new owners who are doing a fantastic job at remodeling this Houston landmark. We’ll have more on that in the future. Our pictures in this issue of Randy Soffar and Ruckus performing were taken there. We’re so happy to see Dan Electro’s open again!

We’d also like to invite you to check out our Spanish music section. This month we feature stories on Ricardo Montaner, and Jose Luis Zager. Check these stories out in English and Spanish.

I sincerely hope that everybody reading this new publication finds something here that they like and I would like to encourage you to let your friends and colleagues know about us. Just look for us every month at http://www.houstonmusicnews.net. I would also like to encourage you to email us for a free subscription to Rock And Blues International as well. Just email us at musicnew@airmail.net and in the subject line simply put “Sign Me Up” and we’ll email you a copy each month when it is published. Remember, for your convenience, Music News is also now downloadable. You can download the issue into your computer or storage device and save it and read it at your convenience without having to get logged on to the internet every time. Try it now and save every issue. It will make things a lot easier for you.

Kevin Wildman

Wildman Editor and Publisher

Page 8

Steve Miller and Cheap Trick

Page 6 Carlos Santana

Page 24 Leo Kottke

Page 16 Tower Of Power

Page 14

Tedeschi Trucks Band

Page 22

Jose Luis Zager

Page 18

Marcus Eldridge

Page 26 Ween

Carlos Santana Performs At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 7

Steve Miller And Cheap Trick Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 6

The Tedeschi Trucks Band Perform at Smart Financial Centre On May 3

The Tower Of Power Perform At The House Of Blues April 29th

Marcus Eldridge Performs At Green Oaks Tavern April 30

Jose Luis Zagar Performs At The Arena Theatre April 1st

Leo Kottke Performs At The Heights Theater April 29th

Ween Perform At White Oak Music Hall On April 26

Carlos Santana

Carlos Santana Performs At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 7

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana has announced he will hit the road with his band across North America this summer for the 1001 Rainbows Tour. Throughout, Santana will perform high-energy, passion-filled songs from their fifty-year career, including fan favorites from Woodstock to Supernatural and beyond.

Santana will wrap up the Blessings and Miracles Tour at the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on May 4 followed by dates in Dallas and Houston, TX before kicking off the 1001 Rainbows Tour in Newark, NJ on June 21. Stops include Canandaigua, NY, Niagara Falls, ON, Northfield, OH, Huber Heights, OH, Detroit, MI, Oxon Hill, MD, Atlantic City, NJ, Bridgeport, CT, Bangor, ME, Boston, MA, and more before concluding on August 6 in Springfield, MA.

Delivered with a level of passion and soul equal to the legendary sonic charge of his guitar, the sound of Carlos Santana is one of the world’s best-known musical

signatures. For more than five decades— from Santana’s earliest days as a groundbreaking Afro-Latin-blues-rock fusion outfit in San Francisco—Carlos has been the visionary force behind artistry that transcends musical genres and generational, cultural, and geographical boundaries.

For more than five decades - from Santana’s earliest days as a groundbreaking Afro-Latin-blues-rock fusion outfit in San Francisco - Carlos Santana has been the visionary force behind artistry that transcends musical genres and generational, cultural and geographical boundaries. To date, Santana has won ten GRAMMY Awards and three Latin GRAMMY Awards, with a record-tying nine GRAMMY Awards for a single project for 1999’s Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for “Smooth”). He has received the Billboard Century Award (1996), was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1998), received the Billboard Latin

Music Awards’ Lifetime Achievement honor (2009), and was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors Award (2013). Among many other distinctions, Carlos Santana has been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time;” and has joined the Rolling Stones as one of only two bands to have an album reach the Top 10 in every decade since the 1960s. In 2018, he released his first MasterClass, and recently celebrated three epic milestones - the 20th anniversary of his groundbreaking album Supernatural, the 50th anniversary of his legendary performance at Woodstock, and the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece Abraxas. His most recent album, the powerful, energy-infused Blessings and Miracles (2021) features collaborations with Rob Thomas, Chris Stapleton, Steve Winwood, and many others. Santana continues his residency at the House of Blues Las Vegas where he celebrated his 10th anniversary of performing in the intimate venue in May 2022.

Steve Miller And Cheap Trick Perform At The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion May 6

The Steve Miller Band will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band’s legendary album The Joker with three shows in Texas with special guests Cheap Trick this May. The Steve Miller Band with Cheap Trick will make a stop atThe Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX, on May 6.

ABOUT STEVE MILLER

Steve Miller has been an enlivening presence on the American music scene for more than half a century – and, in the course of that era, his releases have sold tens of millions of records and been streamed several billion times.

Miller’s Greatest Hits 1974-78 received the RIAA Diamond Award with sales of more than fifteen million copies. It is

among the 25 best-selling albums of all time.

At the start of his career, Miller soon became a mainstay of the San Francisco music scene that upended American culture in the late ’60s. With albums like Children of the Future, Sailor and Brave New World, Miller perfected a psychedelic blues sound that drew on the deepest sources of American roots music and simultaneously articulated a compelling vision of what musicand, indeed, society - could be in the years to come.

Then, in the ’70s, Miller crafted a brand of pure pop that was smart, polished, exciting and irresistible - and

that dominated radio in a way that few artists have ever managed. Hit followed hit in what seemed like an endless flow: “The Joker,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Airliner,” “Jungle Love,” “Swingtown” and “Abracadabra,” among them. To this day, those songs are instantly recognizable when they crop up online or on the radio - and impossible not to sing along with. Their hooks are the very definition of indelible.

Running through Miller’s distinctive catalog is a combination of virtuosity and song craft. And that’s no accident. His parents were jazz aficionados -

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Steve Miller and Cheap Trick

not to mention close friends of Les Paul and Mary Ford - so, as a budding guitarist, Miller absorbed valuable lessons from that musical tradition. When the family moved to Texas, Miller deepened his education in the blues, eventually relocating to Chicago, where he played with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Paul Butterfield. That range of sources informs his music to this day.

In recent years, Miller has fully immersed himself in the blues and its many byways. As he has always done, he continues to find creative outlets for the full panoply of his musical passions. On his successful tours with the Steve Miller Band, he complements the commercial peaks of his extensive catalogue with lesser-known songs that expand his fans’ awareness of the range of his work. As a member of the Board of Directors at Jazz at Lincoln Center, he has curated and headlined a series of shows that explore themes like the bridge from blues to jazz in the music of guitar great T-Bone Walker; the distinctive sounds of the blues triangle of Memphis, Texas and Chicago; the resonances between the singular musical creations of Ma Rainey

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and Miles Davis; the deep American roots music of Appalachia; and Cannonball Adderley and the Blues. In addition, at the request of Wynton Marsalis, he is defining a blues pedagogy for Jazz at Lincoln Center. He is also a member of the visiting committee of the Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Indeed, five of his guitars were displayed in “Play It Loud: The Instruments of Rock and Roll,” a groundbreaking exhibition at the Met that ran for six months in 2019. Miller was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 and has been elected for induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2022. He has recently begun to open his vaults for the first time, releasing the acclaimed Welcome to the Vault box set in 2019 and Breaking Ground Live! August 3, 1977 in 2021.

With each listen the beauty and immediacy of Miller’s work, whether at its most playful or most serious, is palpable. As always, whether he was riding the top of the charts or traveling the endless blue highways of American music, you can hear him playing and singing with conviction and precision,

passion and eloquence, making music that is at once immediately accessible, thrillingly alive in the present, respectful of the past, and more than able to stand the test of time.

ABOUT CHEAP TRICK

Cheap Trick are an indisputable American institution, beloved around the globe since 1974 for their instantly identifiable, hugely influential, brand of pop rock ‘n’ roll. The band – Robin Zander (vocals, rhythm guitar), Rick Nielsen (lead guitar), Tom Petersson (bass guitar), and Daxx Nielsen (drums) – are true pioneers with an unparalleled streak of certifiably classic tunes, from “He’s A Whore,” “California Man” and “Dream Police” to “Surrender” and “I Want You To Want Me.” After a year of show cancellations due to the pandemic, Cheap Trick began touring once again with the same lineup of the last several years which includes Robin Taylor Zander on rhythm guitar and vocals. They have already confirmed a Las Vegas residency at the Strat for Spring 2022 and will be announcing more dates soon.

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Steve Miller And Cheap Trick

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2016 saw Cheap Trick’s longawaited induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction honored both the band and the pioneering sound that has earned them total record sales well in excess of 20 million featured appearances and more than 40 international gold and platinum certifications. Cheap Trick closed the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony with a show-stealing performance that prompted Rolling Stone to rave, “Their smoking three-song set (was) played to perfection, with Zander hitting all the notes he hit at Budokan back in 1978.”

In 2017, Cheap Trick released WE’RE ALL ALRIGHT! and CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS. With the former album’s first single “Long Time Coming” enjoying an unprecedented run of 14 weeks at No. 1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock chart and, the album received loud applause from the press following, with Paste flat out raving, “Having been an active band for more than four decades, Cheap Trick continues to be a model of freakish consistency...Quick, think of any other American rock band formed in ’70s who is still putting out albums in the modern era that

not only don’t embarrass the band but repeatedly revitalize their career. The list starts and stops with one name: Cheap Trick. They’re not going anywhere, so you might as well start listening.” “The energy levels are astounding,” shouted Classic Rock from the UK, “with producer Julian Raymond extracting a sonic attack that makes Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, Tom Petersson and Daxx Nielsen sound like they’ve been locked in an industrial hangar with a bunch of AK-47s.” “If 2016’s terrific BANG ZOOM CRAZY...HELLO was a longawaited comeback after a seven-year lapse, then this year’s rapid follow-up shows that was no anomaly,” declared

American Songwriter. “Few acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as Cheap Trick deservedly was in 2016, are cranking out music as fresh, honest, energized and explosive as these guys have released in the past two years. And if this recent burst in activity keeps going, they will be the poster boys for how ageing rock and rollers can stay relevant without selling out or trying to be hip...Long Live Cheap Trick.”

In May 2018, the band released their single, “The Summer Looks Good On You.” The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers co-produced the electrifying rocker alongside their long-time collaborator, GRAMMY® Award winner Julian Raymond (Glen Campbell, Fastball). The song was the first glimpse at the band’s 20th studio album, IN ANOTHER WORLD, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Rock Chart upon its release in Spring 2021, their highest first week chart placement in their long, remarkable career. The record also bowed at #1 on the “Record Label Independent Current Albums” chart, #5 “Current Digital,” #6 “Top Current,” #6 “Internet,” #7 Top Albums,” and #10 “Digital.” To add to the excitement, the album’s single, “Light Up The Fire,” peaked at #1 at Classic Rock Radio both Mediabase and BDS.

April 2023 Entertainment Schedule

The Tedeschi Trucks Band Perform at Smart Financial Centre On May 3

Go back to December 31, 2008 when guitarist Derek Trucks and his wife, singer/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, were preparing to ring in the New Year. Married since 1999, these two soulmates, equally steeped in the musical roots of blues, jazz, and gospel, had finally decided the time was right to set aside their successful solo careers and commit to a new band melding their vision and talent. It wasn’t the first time they had collaborated; they had shared a stage countless times and traded album guest appearances, all while starting a family together. But on that night, hitting the stage together with members of the Derek Trucks Band and a guest horn section they heard the future.

“The 12-piece outfit puts out a big band sound that still rings intimate, shaking listeners to their emotional core.” – Rolling Stone

Two years later, the couple debuted Tedeschi Trucks Band. The nation’s economy was heading into recession. The popular music landscape was filled with technological theatrics and auto-tuned singers. And here were Tedeschi and Trucks along with their (then) 8-member band, loading up two tour buses and hitting the road with a sound that defied conventional genre boundaries or traditional labels; a gypsy caravan on the rock-and-roll highway. To call it ambitious was an understatement.

“They’re a roots-music tour de force, and there’s a strong case to be made that they’ve been America’s best band of the decade.” – Austin American Statesman

In pursuit of their ideal sound driven by world class musicianship, Tedeschi and Trucks put together a musical collaborative like no other, flying in the face of any practical or economic considerations. There have been evolutionary changes to the band along the way, but the current line up includes the freight-train force of drummers Tyler Greenwell and Isaac Eady, long-time Derek Trucks Band member Mike Mattison, with his dynamic vocals and

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The Tedeschi Trucks Band

somewhere it has never been. His phrasing both with and without slide is uniquely his and just odd and jarring and exciting to listen to. [Susan] is an earnest blues player as well and her voice is astounding. The band was mind-blowing. They take a form that is arguably tired and turn it inside out with originality and musicianship and make it totally their own.” – Marc

Maron

(continued from previous page) songwriting skills, Brandon Boone (bass guitar), Gabe Dixon (keyboards), the three-piece horn section of Kebbi Williams (saxophone), Ephraim Owens (trumpet), and Elizabeth Lea (trombone), and Mark Rivers and Alecia Chakour on vocal duties with Mattison. In February 2019, original band member and brilliant multi-instrumentalist Kofi Burbridge passed away, leaving an indelible mark on TTB’s spirit and sound.

On the road for upwards of 200 days a year, the TTB family has grown strong, bonding over backyard BBQs and long bus rides, all the while developing a growing repertoire of original material and paying homage to an extensive canon of influences ranging from Sly & the Family Stone, Miles Davis and George Jones to Joe Cocker, Nina Simone, and even Indian sarod master Ali Akbar Khan. Embracing improvisation over convention, and with set lists that change nightly, the collective is adept at exploring almost any musical territory. The genuine respect within its ranks is evident on stage. Trucks’ masterful guitar skills and Tedeschi’s soaring vocals and bluesy guitar shine but don’t overpower the breadth of talent, happily yielding the spotlight as needed in service of what the song deserves.

“I saw them live and it was mind blowing. [Derek] has taken the guitar, specifically slide guitar,

Trucks and Tedeschi’s uncompromising vision has paid off. Now 12-members strong and over a decade of steady touring in the U.S. and abroad, Tedeschi Trucks Band carries a distinguished reputation earned from both audiences and critics as one of the premier live bands in the world. Sold-out multinight runs at venerable venues like the Beacon Theatre, Ryman Auditorium and Red Rocks Amphitheater are a testament to the can’t-miss concert experience fans have come to anticipate. The band’s own “Wheels of Soul” tour has become a soughtafter summer experience across the country, bringing TTB’s unique stew of upbeat rock and soul together on stage with a slew of guests, sit ins, and supporting bands that have included the late Sharon Jones, Los Lobos The Wood Brothers, Hot Tuna and most recently Blackberry Smoke, The Marcus King Band and DriveBy Truckers.

“Epic is an overused word, but if one contemporary rock band were to rightfully wear it, the Tedeschi

Trucks Band might be the ones.”Santa Barbara Independent

The band’s recent release, I Am The Moon, is the most ambitious studio project of Tedeschi Trucks Band’s storied career, is comprised of four albums, I.Crescent, II. Ascension, III. The Fall, IV. Farewell and four companion films that was released throughout the summer of 2022. The freedom from the road, allowed the band to take a new approach to writing and recording music and included significant song writing input and ideas from all members of the band. The thematic I Am The Moon totals more than two hours of music unfolding across a robust tapestry of genre-defying explorations that propel the treasured American ensemble into new and thrilling creative territory.

I Am The Moon joins an impressive and growing discography that includes Signs (2019), Let Me Get By (2016), Made Up Mind (2013), and the Grammy-winning debut, Revelator (2011) in addition to their live releases, Layla Revisited (Live At LOCKN’) featuring Trey Anastasio (2021), the Grammynominated film/audio, Live From The Fox Oakland (2017), and 2012’s Everybody’s Talkin’. It’s clear that Trucks and Tedeschi have no intention of slowing down. As Trucks remarked to Mark Maron on his WTF podcast “I haven’t found this band’s ceiling yet.”

The Tower Of Power Perform At The House Of Blues April 29th

by Greg Prato

A renowned horn-driven outfit, Tower of Power emerged in the late ’60s playing a dynamic blend of R&B, soul, funk, and AM pop. Along with the similarly inclined Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears, Tower of Power helped push the sound of brass-infused music into the rock era. Led by Detroit-born tenor saxophonist Emilio Castillo, the Oakland, California-based group scored hits like “You’re Still a Young Man” and “What Is Hip?” throughout the ’70s. They also became one of the most sought-after backing ensembles in pop, playing on recordings by Elton John, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Aerosmith, Josh Groban, and more. While their lineup has changed over the years, Castillo remains a constant and continues to guide the ensemble live and in the studio.

Although born in Detroit, Castillo opted to pursue his musical dreams in Oakland, California. It was in Oakland that Castillo put together a group called the Motowns, which, as their name suggested, specialized in ’60s-era soul. In 1967, Castillo teamed up with baritone sax player Stephen “Doc” Kupka, and soon the Motowns were transformed into Tower of Power. (One of the first tunes the duo penned together was “You’re Still a Young Man,” which would eventually go on to be one of Tower of Power’s signature compositions.) The group played regularly in the Bay Area throughout the late ’60s, as their lineup often swelled up to ten members, including such other mainstays as Greg Adams on trumpet and

vocals, Lenny Pickett on sax, and Rocco Prestia on bass. By 1970, the funk outfit had inked a recording contract with Bill Graham’s San Francisco Records, resulting in the group’s debut the same year, East Bay Grease, which failed to make an impression on the charts as Tower of Power were still trying to find their own sound.

But it soon came together for the group, as 1972’s Bump City would touch off a string of classic hit albums, including 1973’s self-titled release (which introduced vocalist Lenny Williams and included another of the group’s most enduring tunes, “What Is Hip?”), 1974’s Back to Oakland, and 1975’s Urban Renewal and In the Slot. While Tower of Power remained a must-see live act, as disco became the new trend in R&B the group’s original funk-laden style fell out of favor, and disco-oriented albums like 1978’s We Came to Play and 1979’s Back on the Streets didn’t please critics or fans, and the band would go nine years without releasing an album.

Despite it all, Tower of Power — in particular their horn section — remained a much in-demand backing group for some of pop/rock’s biggest names, including Elton John, Santana, Bonnie Raitt, Huey Lewis, Little Feat, David Sanborn, Michelle Shocked, Paula Abdul, Aaron Neville, Aerosmith, Public Image Ltd., and many others. In 1988, Tower of Power returned to the studio for the album Power, and in 1991 they signed with Epic Records, where they released five albums by the end of the

decade.

Into the new millennium, Tower of Power kept up their reputation as a strong live band, maintaining a steady touring schedule, and in 2009 they launched their own TOP Records label with The Great American Soulbook, in which they covered a dozen soul and R&B classics in the trademark Tower of Power style. In 2007, Tower of Power celebrated their fourth decade together with a special concert at San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, and a year later the show was issued in a special CD/DVD package, simply titled 40th Anniversary.

In 2013, Tower of Power took a look back with the release of Hipper Than Hip: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, which documented a live radio broadcast from 1974. The bandmembers also announced they would be touring in 2013 and 2014 with two other iconic acts from Northern California, Journey and the Steve Miller Band. In 2018, they celebrated their 50th anniversary with the Joe Vannelli-produced studio album Soul Side of Town on Mack Avenue Records. Recorded with Vannelli during the same sessions as Soul Side of Town, Step Up, the group’s 26th full-length effort, arrived two years later, and soared to the top of the Billboard Jazz and R&B charts. The following year saw the release of the concert album 50 Years of Funk and Soul: Live at the Fox Theater, which commemorated two nights of hometown shows in Oakland in June 2018.

Saturday, April 1, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Saturday, April 8. 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Shades Club 405 7th St - Bay City, TX 7414

Friday, April 28, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Aspens Bar & Grill 817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565

Saturday, April 29 11:00 - 5:00 pm

Mancuso Harley Davidson Crossroads 12710 Crossroads Park Dr - Houston, TX 77065

Sunday, April 30 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Drifter’s Icehouse 29293 FM 149 - Richards, TX 77873

Friday, May 5, Cypress Lounge 11945 Barwood Bend Dr - Houston, TX 77065

Friday, May 26, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Mo’s Irish Pub-Katy 23511 Katy Frwy - Katy, TX 77494

Saturday, May 27, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Sunday, May 28, 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Saturday, June 24, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Scotty’s Saloon 114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469

Saturday, July 1, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Backwoods Saloon 230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385>

Friday, July 7, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

The Abbey Pub 2002 N Fry Rd - Houston, TX 77084

Saturday, July 15, 7:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Papa’s On The Lake 14632 Hwy 105 W - Montgomery, TX 77356

Marcus Eldridge Performs At Green Oaks Tavern April 30

Tomball, Texas native Marcus Eldridge is one of the most unique talents in Texas Music: a guitar player’s guitar player with a wild & free-flowing mixture of south-Texas twang, blues, ranchero sauce, beef ribs, and Houston July icehouse jukebox. He sings like an angel who loves every honky-tonk minute he lives. To his band mates in the Mystiqueros, he is the spark, known as “party in a box” and “crazy Uncle Mertis.” And to more young Texas artists every night, he is a performer to look up to, be moved by and learn from. Eldridge’s genuinely soulful voice & style were forged in the clubs and dancehalls of Texas, the songwriting trenches of Nashville, and the highways and back-alleys of the real musician’s life. Now, with “Bring on the Night,” its Marcus’s turn to step out of the neon shadows and into the stage lights where he belongs. This is a country-soul record: immediately timeless, as real as Marcus’s love of life and music of every soulful stripe. He wrote or co-wrote all but one song on “Bring on the Night,” a collection of songs that celebrate the sweat-soaked jukejoint nights that this uniquely Texas spirit loves to live in. When not out entertaining the good folks of his homeland with solo shows or his own band, you can hear Marcus romance the fretboard and the microphone as one of the Mystiqueros, on their new release “Diamonds in the Sun” on Palo Duro Records. His guitar & voice grace two current Texas Music Chart singles, with more to come soon. “Bring on the night” indeed, Marcus. Bring on the night.

Open Mic Every Wednesday

Saturday, April 1 - TMF 2 DATE 1 w/ Sea Of Treachery, Tactosa, Implosive Disgorgence

Sunday, April 2 - Alien Shore, Doc

Thursday, April 6 - Michael Koby, Randall Gene, Apex Fallen

Friday, April 7 - Lockjaw

Saturday, April 8 - Autism Awareness Showcase

Thursday, April 13 - Hitch, Matthew Renner

Friday, April 14 - Eden Burning, The Babylonz, Dashboard Saints

Saturday, April 15 - Atonement

Sunday, April 16 - Strange Waves, Clueless Minds

Thursday, April 20 - Raider, Warhead, Submit Thy Will

Friday, April 21 - Within The Giant’s Reach, Fused By Defiance, Anathemia, Voltreus

Saturday, April 22 - RAIDFEST 2023 HTX

Sunday, April 23 - June Star, Michael Koby, Sam Cumbie

Thursday, April 27 - Trebor Villarreal, Mike Lazor, Dueling Pianos

Friday, April 28 - Harakiri For The Sky, Ghost Bath

Saturday, April 29 - Gravity Kings, Resonance

Sunday, April 30 - BAD IDOLS, Mid Life Anti Crisis, Small Scale Mutiny

Jose Luis Zagar Performs At The Arena Theatre April 1st

José Luis began his comedian career at the Blue Unicorn in 2001, later he went to Hermosillo, Sonora to the bar

Two years later, he returned to Monterrey and became the favorite comedian of the public.

He turned the Mexican Republic at private events and has worked with personalities such as Polo Polo, El Norteño, Platanito, Teo Gonzalez, Jorge Falcón, Adal Ramones, Omar Chaparro and many more in various television programs, among which stand stands Unemployed, Saturday, humor nights, Central Comedy and in diverse show centers.

After 21 years of not stepping on a recording studio, the comedian returned to the sung of the hand of Apodaca Group and his producer Jorge Pasa Leal, a member of the El Plan group.

A very jocular cumbia is the key that allowed the return of zagar to music.

“We start with something Chusco to go according to the image that many have of me,” said the artist, “and then present songs of romantic, serious songs.”

Many remember him as a member of the Los Humildes group, although the young public who follows it only knows him for his comedian’s facet.

After his departure from the humble, he said, he radically changed by profession and although he continued on stage, now his strong is comedy.

When he entered to record his first single, “Hot gossip”, he reminded him of his stage in the music of 21 years ago.

Regarding his work as a comedian, he said he will alternate with music, although he is determined to give all his effort to hit as a singer.

“This is a musical dream. I’m going to separate my musical career from comedian’s To introduce me. “

Being successful as a comedian, he added, will allow him to win that audience, but now in the sung.

José Luis Zagar is not married to a single genre, promised that he will address everything a little.

“We want to make an important variation. Right are listening a ranchera or a cumbia or as untouchable that also varies. “

Regarding comedy, he commented that he has plans to build a tour with guests of his YouTube Zagar program from the bar.

He said he plans the participation of three guests for a tour that wishes to take not only to Mexico, also to the United States.

Leo Kottke Performs At The Heights Theater April 29th

by Jason Ankeny

Along with John Fahey and Robbie Basho, Leo Kottke was one of the most influential acoustic guitarists to emerge in the 1960s, bringing a unique sound and virtuosic flourishes to the instrument. Although he has also recorded as a singer/songwriter, it’s the propulsive fingerstyle playing of his solo instrumental work that has cemented his reputation as a true innovator. After delivering the 1972 gem 6- and 12-String Guitar for the independent Takoma label, Kottke enjoyed a period of mainstream attention throughout the ’70s with tenures on Capitol and Chrysalis. In the following decade, lingering hand injuries caused him to shift to a more nuanced classicalinformed picking style, and he entered the ’90s as a respected veteran artist with a built-in cult audience. He continued to veer between vocal, band-oriented releases and solo instrumental albums like 1999’s One Guitar, No Vocals. In the latter part of his career, Kottke found inspiration in collaboration and recorded several albums as a duo with Phish’s Mike Gordon. After an extended 14-year hiatus, he returned in 2020, again working with Gordon on Noon, their third album together.

Kottke was born September 11, 1945, in Athens, Georgia. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone before

trying his hand at the guitar at age 11. After developing a love for the countryblues of Mississippi John Hurt, Kottke lost much of the hearing in his left ear as a result of a mishap with a firecracker; during a later tenure in the Naval Reserve, his right ear suffered permanent damage during firing practice.

Discharged due to his impairment, Kottke entered college, dropping out after several years to hitchhike across the country as an itinerant musician. Eventually settling in the Twin Cities area, he became a fixture on the city’s folk club circuit. The guitarist issued his debut LP, Twelve String Blues, in 1969. The album was recorded live at Minneapolis’ Scholar Coffee House and released on the tiny Oblivion label. After sending 1970’s Circle ‘Round the Sun to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed by Fahey’s manager Denny Bruce, who soon secured a deal with Capitol.

Kottke’s 1971 major-label debut, Mudlark, positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer; in the liner notes to 1972’s 6- and 12-String Guitar, issued on Fahey’s Takoma label, he even described his own voice as “geese farts on a muggy day.” Still, despite battles with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972’s Greenhouse and 1973’s live My Feet Are

Smiling and Ice Water found him branching out with guest musicians and unusual song covers drawing on folk, rock, jazz, and bluegrass, all the while honing his propulsive fingerpicking mastery.

With 1975’s Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 50 for the first time; he also gained an international cult following thanks to his performances at folk festivals the world over. With his 1976 self-titled release, he moved to the Chrysalis label, although sales diminished for LPs including 1978’s Burnt Lips, 1979’s Balance, and 1980’s Live in Europe. After 1983’s T-Bone Burnettproduced Time Step, Kottke’s contract with Chrysalis ended, and he moved over to the independent Private Music label.

Kottke’s powerful technique, combined with his prolific output and extensive touring schedule, resulted in a lingering pain in his hands that began to hamper his playing in the middle of the 1980s. Consequently, the beginning of his tenure on Private Music coincided with the beginnings of a shift in technique closer to classical guitar performance. He also slowed his productivity, and after 1986’s reflective A Shout Toward Noon, he did not reenter the studio before recording Regards from Chuck Pink in 1988.

Simultaneously, Kottke cut back dramatically on his live schedule, settling comfortably into his role as a cult figure. He released an album annually from 1989 to 1991, following My Father’s Face with That’s What and finally Great Big Boy, which featured a guest appearance from Lyle Lovett. Two years later, Kottke returned with Peculiaroso, which featured production by Rickie Lee Jones. The solo One Guitar, No Vocals followed in 1999, but it was his collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, Clone, that caught audiences’ attention in 2002. A whimsical meeting of two eccentric players, it kicked off what would become a sporadic collaboration over the coming years. Kottke returned to the solo realm with 2004’s Try and Stop Me, then reunited with Gordon the next year for Sixty Six Steps, their follow-up as a duo. After that, Kottke largely stepped away from the spotlight, performing only occasionally and offering no new albums. His hiatus lasted until 2020, when he and Gordon reentered the studio for a third time, resulting in the quirky, though darker-hued collaboration Noon.

Ween Perform At White Oak Music Hall On April 26

Ween has unveiled plans for an upcoming US tour – the band’s first extensive national headline run since they reunited in 2016. The newly announced dates begin July 28 at Los Angeles, CA’s famed Greek Theatre and then continue through early September. Highlights of the 14-show run includes visits to Oakland, CA’s Fox Theater (July 29), Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre (August 3), Chicago, IL’s Salt Shed Outdoors (September 9), and New York City’s The Rooftop at Pier 17 (September 14).

The upcoming headline tour follows an already announced series of 2023 live dates set to hit Dallas, TX’s South Side Ballroom (April 25), and then proceed to Houston, TX’s White Oak Music Hall the next night on April 26th.

In addition to the band’s busy live schedule, Ween have also launched an official new webstore, showcasing a wide range of select merch including a webstore exclusive variant on gold foil of Todd Slater’s Las Vegas poster from this past weekend’s shows, and much more, all available exclusively at ween.themerchcollective.com.

Formed as teenagers in 1984 by

Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, Jr. (better known as Gene and Dean Ween) in New Hope, PA, Ween has taken on a cult-like status with legions of devoted fans around the world. Beginning with six self-released cassettes in the 1980s followed by 11 studio albums, six live albums, and a smattering of EPs through the 1990s and 2000s, Ween’s recorded output is far-reaching in its styles moving from rock to punk to psychedelic to country to alternative and all points in between.

However, it’s the band’s live shows that have truly cultivated its diehard fan base. In 2016, more than four years after their last performance, Ween reunited for three instantly sold-out shows in Broomfield, CO and New York, NY, made headline and festival appearances across the country, and released GodWeenSatan: Live – their first live album since 2008. Since then, the band has performed sold-out headline shows and festival appearances, including multiple night stands at such legendary venues as New York City’s Beacon Theatre, Nashville, TN’s Ryman Auditorium, Port Chester, NY’s Capitol Theatre, Los Angeles, CA’s The Wiltern, and Morrison, CO’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, to name only a few.

In 2001, Ween began releasing a series of live albums through their Internet-based independent label, Chocodog. The first of these, Live in Toronto Canada, captured a show with the Shit Creek Boys. Around this time, the band and Elektra parted ways, and Ween were without a record label as they worked on their eighth studio album. After a wait of two years — during which time they released another live album, the triple-disc Live at Stubb’s — they signed with Sanctuary Records in 2003, releasing Quebec in August of that year. It was the first Ween album to crack the Top 100, peaking at 81.

A few months after the release of Quebec, another independent live album followed (All Request Live), with additional retrospectives arriving in 2004 (Live in Chicago, a combination DVD/ CD set) and 2005 (the rarities compilation Shinola, Vol. 1). Ween headed back into the studio to work on their ninth studio album, and the resulting La Cucaracha arrived in October 2007 (prefaced by the Friends EP earlier in the year). Recording activity began again in 2009, but nothing appeared forthcoming from the band. In 2012, Gene released a solo album — a tribute to the songs of Rod McKuen called Marvelous Clouds — under his given name of Aaron Freeman. Shortly after its release, he announced to Rolling Stone that the band had ended its run.

For the next few years, it seemed as if Ween really had ended. Freeman released an album of original songs called Freeman and Melchiondo formed the Dean Ween Group, starting work on an album that appeared in the fall of 2016. By that point, Ween had reunited. The group played its first concerts in five years that February, and throughout the year, the band played festivals and concerts, culminating with the release of the archival GodWeenSatan: Live in November. Ween’s live reunion continued through 2017.

Ween consists of Gene and Dean Ween alongside longtime band members Claude Coleman, Jr. (drums), Dave Dreiwitz (bass) and Glenn McClelland (keyboards).

Gojira Perform at The 713 Music Hall On April 28th

Gojira tends to operate in polar extremes. “I can’t help but see humanity as a parasite,” Gojira’s cofounding guitarist and principal songwriter Joe Duplantier explains, “and yet the most beautiful things come out of humans.” To that end, the French quartet—Duplantier and his brother Mario [drums], Christian Andreu [guitar], and Jean-Michel Labadie [bass]—have spent the past 15 years translating this duality into a distinctive sound: dark, crushing metal brightened by triumphant arena-rock melodies, contrast-heavy and emotionally charged.

Enter 2016’s Magma, whereupon Gojira found strength—and crossover success—through a singular commitment to self-reflection. The intensely personal record, penned in memory of the Duplantier brothers’ late mother, was a painful significant turning point for the French group. It debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 chart, topped the Billboard “Hard Rock Albums” chart (a first for a French band), and netted nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Metal Performance (for “Silvera”) at the 59th annual

Grammy Awards. Numerous global headlining tours, including a stint with Metallica, followed. Coming out of Magma, Gojira weren’t just one of the biggest metal bands on the scene—they were one of biggest rock bands in the world, unified and selfemboldened.

Humbled and honored as he was by Magma’s success, Duplantier came out of that victory lap feeling exhausted—and eager to move on. “Magma marked a sad moment in our lives,” Joe says of the record. “We were expressing grief, so it was a bit heavy: not only to the process of making that album, but also talking about it, and playing the songs, and doing all of these interviews around a difficult time in our lives.”

And so, Gojira made a group decision: for album number seven, Fortitude, they’d have some damn fun. In late 2019, the brothers Duplantier returned to Silver Cord Studio, their Ridgewood, Queens, headquarters, to begin work on new, self-produced Gojira material, culled from ideas they’d developed over the past two years. “With this album, we wanted to come back with more joy,

more power, and more positivity about life in general,” Joe explains. “We’re so lucky to do what we love; it’s not like we were depressed or anything, but we had something in our system to express—Magma— and we felt like it was time for something else—something that is all about strength.”

“The writing process was very thrilling and exciting,” Mario adds. “Joe and I really dug deep into every song, paying particular attention to the structures and arrangements. Every idea, every single riff, was analyzed with a fine-tooth comb: everything from the tonality of each instrument and scales used, to the dynamics, interpretation, and tempo. We left nothing to chance.

Of course, 2020 had other plans. Just as Fortitude was nearing completion—halfway through the mixing process, to be exact— COVID-19 hit, bringing Gojira, along with the rest of the world—to an abrupt halt. While waiting out the lockdown back home in France with his family, Joe re-examined the songs

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from a post-pandemic perspective; not only did they fit the turmoil of the time, in hindsight, they were downright prophetic. “In a way, I saw these songs being born again with a new meaning,” he says. “Every single song ever written resonates differently these days, but it’s almost like we felt like this was going to happen.”

To be clear, Fortitude isn’t intended as a musical escape hatch from all this unending global misery. Actually, it’s the opposite: a series of searing motivational speeches urging humanity to imagine a new world— and then make it happen. “Come on! Get back on your feet! Go for it!” Joe says of the album’s themes, briefly stepping into the role of life coach. “Everyone wants to hear that once in a while, and we want to be that to people: the little voice in your head that says you’re a fucking badass, and that you can do it.”

First single “Born For One Thing” kicks off the album in typical Gojira fashion: hyper-focused but unhinged, confrontational and yet compassionate. “We have to practice detaching ourselves from everything, beginning with actual things,” Joe says of the song’s anti-consumerist message, which was partially inspired by the Tibetan and Thai philosophers he read in his youth back in France. “Own less possessions, and give what you don’t need away, because one day we’ll have to let everything go, and if we don’t, we’ll just become ghosts stuck between dimensions.”

Gojira pivot to more earthly concerns on “Amazonia,” a lush ripper interwoven with indigenous folk instruments and Sepulturainspired groove-metal rhythms. The soundscapes skew verdant, but the themes prove anything but idyllic, as Duplantier surveys the endangered Amazon rainforest, concluding: “The greatest miracle/ Is burning to the ground.” Proceeds from the song will benefit the indigenous Guarani and Kaiowa tribes, continuing Gojira’s career-long tradition of harnessing

their music as a vehicle for environmental activism (their partnership with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society goes back over a decade). “We don’t want to just release a song called “Amazonia”—we want to do something on top of that,” Joe explains. “We feel a responsibility as artists to offer a way for people to take action.”

The album-long call to action comes to a head with “The Chant,” a slow-burning track singled out by Mario as Gojira’s most melodic material to date. Where past anthems were driven by nuanced dynamics and technical guitar arrangements, “The Chant” is a self-described “healing ritual” emanating primordial warmth, culminating in a harmonystacked chorus that bridges the gap between ancient hymnals and contemporary rock. Consider Joe’s twoword rallying cry in the refrain— “Get strong!”—Fortitude’s mantra, as well as the band’s mission statement heading into this new, uncertain decade. Gojira struggled; Gojira persevered; Gojira rose. Now, it’s our turn...and the soundtrack is at the ready.

Tom Jones Performs At Smart Financial Centre May 5

Tom Jones’ 50+ year career has remarkably gone from strength to strength. Along with sustaining his popularity as a live performer and recording artist for five decades, he has garnered at the age of 75, the best reviews of his career for his most recent albums Long Lost Suitcase, Spirit In The Room and Praise & Blame. Critics across the world are unanimous in their approval and admiration for both the recorded work and the performance of it in concert.

Thomas Jones Woodward was born in Pontypridd, South Wales, Great Britain on June 7, 1940 to a father who worked the coal mines of the Rhondda Valley. After quitting school at 15, working a variety of manual jobs, singing in the clubs at night and marrying at 17, Jones went on to sign with Decca Records in London.

Jones has a fundamental interest in a

wide range of music. Although he is well known for hits including It’s Not Unusual, Kiss, Delilah, What’s New Pussycat, I’ll Never Fall In Love Again and If I Only Knew, he is first and foremost an artist with a true rhythm and blues soul. He has remained a vital recording artist, with his 1999 album Reload the biggest selling (5m) of his then 35-year career. Tom was a key player in Martin Scorsese’s Red White & Blues series, and in 2004 released an album of roots rock n roll with Jools Holland. In 2008, 24 Hours, was a critical career highlight with many of the selfpenned tracks being an insightful and evocative reflection of his spirited and rich life.

2010 saw a change of direction with Tom releasing his 39th studio album, Praise & Blame. The Praise & Blame mantra was ‘get back to basics’, and the album was recorded as wholly live

performances at Peter Gabriel’s studio in Bath, England, produced by Ethan Johns (Kings of Leon, Ryan Adams, Ray LaMontagne, Laura Marling, Paolo Nutini). The result witnessed a singer at the top of his game, with the songs themselves coaxing exhilarating performances out of Tom and his band.

Following the success of Praise & Blame, in May 2012 Tom released Spirit In The Room. Paired once again with producer/guitarist Ethan Johns at Bath’s Real World Studios, Spirit In The Room, like it’s predecessor, allows an unvarnished Tom to bring a voice to songs as only he can. Accompanied by Ethan Johns throughout, the album includes gems from a diverse choice of writers - Richard Thompson, Leonard Cohen, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney amongst others. Spirit In The Room is simple, raw and soulful.

Tom was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen in 2006, an honour he deeply cherishes. An honour he was able to celebrate once again in 2012 when he performed at the Queens Diamond Jubilee concert at Buckingham Palace. Other highlights of his long career include receiving a BRIT Awards for Best Male and Outstanding Contribution to Music, a Silver Clef Award and a Silver Clef Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Hitmaker Award from the [US] Songwriters Hall of Fame, GQ Man Of The Year, and the prestigious [UK] Music Industry Trust Award. He has been animated as himself in The Simpsons, Duck Dodgers, The Emperors New Groove; other film roles include Tim Burton’s Mars Attacks. In 2012 he landed his first acting role not playing himself, alongside Brenda Blethyn and Alison Steadman, in “Playhouse Presents: King of The Teds for Sky Arts.

In and amongst a very successful touring year in 2014, Tom had the thrill of performing at the MCG in Melbourne for the AFL Grand Final, the premier sporting event in Australia, alongside Ed Sheeran. Later in the year, he had the honour of appearing at Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit concert, sharing the bill with Florence + The Machine, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Brian Wilson and others. And over in the UK, he was pleased to close the first Annual BBC Music Awards, helping to salute a fantastic year of music across the BBC by performing alongside Paloma Faith, a chorus of hundreds and the BBC

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Concert Orchestra.

In 2015, Sir Tom continued his role as Coach on The Voice UK, working alongside will.i.am, Rita Ora and Ricky Wilson. In February, a very special invitation was received to perform at the 25th Anniversary of MusiCares Person Of The Year tribute honouring Bob Dylan, alongside musical luminaries Bruce Springsteen, Beck, Jack White, Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson and many more. The following evening he performed at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards. After a busy few months touring, Sir Tom released his first ever autobiography entitled Over The Top And Back (Penguin Books), and the book’s companion soundtrack entitled Long Lost Suitcase (VirginEMI/Caroline) which he actively promoted internationally. He also hosted and headlined a special 2-hour television event with his friends in music and comedy in a major fund-raising effort for the BBC’s charity Children In Need.

2016 was a difficult but busy year of performing and touring for Sir Tom as he has laboured to work through the grief of losing his childhood friend and wife of 59 years, Melinda, in April. Tom and his band lifted performances to a different level, garnering rave reviews in Europe and America. A quick trip to Germany to perform with the stellar Helena Fischer finished the year on a positive note.

2017 to present has seen the return of Sir Tom to prime time Saturday night

TV, resuming his role of coach and mentor on ITV’s The Voice alongside fellow coaches will.i.am, Jennifer Hudson and Olly Murs. In 2017, Sir Tom helped to secure the runner-up position for Welsh duo Into The Ark; in 2018, Sir Tom’s finalist singer/songwriter Ruti Olajugbagbe went on to win the seventh series, with Ruti and Sir Tom’s delightful duet of Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’ becoming a critical and popular highlight of the series. The summer months brought

a sell out tour and rave reviews for Sir Tom and his band as they toured the US, UK & Europe, bringing his Voice finalists out on the road as show openers and special guests.

2021, sees Sir Tom having recorded three hugely acclaimed albums with producer Ethan Johns (Laura Marling, Paolo Nutini, Kings Of Leon, Ray Lamontagne), Sir Tom was keen to continue what was already the longest musical association of his career. An avid record collector, there were songs he had set aside for decades, waiting to reach an age at which he would truly be able to do them justice. This new collection is entitled… Surrounded By Time (Released 23rd April 2021)

Sir Tom is indeed a living legend, one of the few musical artists whose profession began at the dawn of modern popular music who continues to have a vital recording and performing career to this day. His irresistible show traverses musical eras and genres, cuts across class divides and appeals to young and old, male and female, mainstream and cutting edge. Sir Tom has always been about the power of the song, the power of the voice.

Tyler Childers Performs at The 713 Music Hall On April 19th

by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Tyler Childers will be touring through Houston this month. He will be bringing his “Send In The Hounds Tour” to the 713 Music Hall on April 19th

Hailing from the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky, Tyler Childers is part of a wave of 2010s Americana artists who prize authenticity both in their songs and sound. Sonically, he borrows heavily from the weathered, ornery, progressive country records of the 1970s, a comparison brought into sharp relief on his second album, 2017’s Purgatory, which was produced by the acclaimed Americana rocker Sturgill Simpson. Childers’ success continued with a Grammy nomination for “All Your’n,” a cut from 2020’s politically charged bluegrass album Long Violent History. Where that record benefitted from his control, its 2022

successor Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven? showcased his ambition, featuring a variety of styles spread over the course of three LPs.

Purgatory may have been Childers’ breakthrough, but he has played since his childhood in Lawrence County, Kentucky, and had been performing professionally for over half a decade. As a young adult, he relocated to Lexington and played with a band called the Food Stamps. He began his solo career with the self-released 2011 album Bottles & Bibles and continued to write and perform for the next five years. Miles Miller, a friend of Childers’ and the drummer for Sturgill Simpson, introduced the two singer/ songwriters, and Simpson decided to produce a record for Childers with the assistance of engineer David Ferguson. The resulting Purgatory arrived in August 2017 on Thirty Tigers, followed in 2018 by Live on

Red Barn, Radio Pts. I & II, a reissue of a pair of EPs taken from two 2013 performances for the Lexingtonbased Red Barn Radio program.

Childers’ third studio album, Country Squire, appeared in August 2019 and included the singles “House Fire” and “All Your’n,” the latter of which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Country Solo Performance. He returned in September 2020 with his fourth full-length, the Grammy-nominated Long Violent History, which topped the folk chart and hit number 45 on the Billboard 200. The stirring “Angel Band” appeared in September 2022 ahead of Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?, a triple album that featured a set of eight original songs performed in three different ways: a live set recorded with the Food Stamps, an overdubbed rendition, and a “Joyful Noise” version.

Saturday, April 1 - Jerkwater (3-6 pm), Pierce & The Purple Moon (8-12 am)

Sunday, April 2 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Hugo Jamz (4-8 pm)

Wednesday, April 5 - Katie’s Jam with Pierce (8-11 pm)

Thursday, April 6 - James & The Classix

Friday, April 7 - Mark May

Saturday, April 8 - Chris Castaneda

Sunday, April 9 - Closed For Easter - Happy Easter!

Wednesday, April 12 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, April 13 - Hugo Jamz Trio

Friday, April 14 - Chip Oliphant

Saturday, April 15 - PeeWee Bowen

Sunday, April 16 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Paul Ramirez (4-8 pm)

Wednesday, April 19 - Katie’s Jam with James Wilhite (8-11 pm)

Thusday, April 20 - Static Blues

Friday, April 21 - Sparky Parker

Saturday, April 22 - Eric Demmer

Sunday, April 23 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Lightning Rob (4-8 pm)

Wednesday, April 26 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, April 27 - Benny Brasket

Friday, April 28 - Groove Kings

Saturday, April 29 - Mike Zito

Sunday, April 30 - Katie’s Jam with guest host Chris Castaneda (4-8 pm)

Umphrey’s McGee Perform At The House Of Blues April 21st

In the twenty-four years since eclectic improv-rock band Umphrey’s McGee formed, their sound has been an amalgamation of genres, moods, and tempos, effortlessly flowing from one feeling to the next throughout an album or concert—or sometimes within a singular song. But with time and repetition comes wisdom and maturity, both personally and musically, and in the case of the band’s new album Asking For A Friend, Umphrey’s McGee entered the recording studio with something to say and a wise, measured way to say it. The end result is an astoundingly cohesive fourteen-song album that feels like a fresh statement from a group of worldclass musicians and friends reapproaching their craft with a new lens. But long-time fans will be happy to know that the Umphrey’s McGee they know and love is still very much present on Asking For A Friend, just more refined. More focused.

In conjunction with the release of Asking For A Friend, Umphrey’s have launched their first-ever NFT offering. The AFAF token grants access to download audio stems of the entire fourteen-song album. Fans can deep dive by accessing individual mixes of each instrument, isolating tracks, and playing along at will. Each stem-set includes a Garage Band file for easy import on any Apple device. To tie the collection together, each token is also a limitededition piece of art, featuring a composite image built from fourteen individual lyrically based pieces. Hidden amongst the 2,022 NFTs are one-of-a-kind easter eggs. Randomly selected holders will win copies of the vinyl test pressing, handwritten lyrics, studio-used song charts, free UM concert tickets, and more, bringing a taste of the band’s legendary “Golden Ticket” giveaways onto the Ethereum blockchain. Token

holders are also entitled to future benefit unlocks. For more information please visit AFAF.io.

Asking For A Friend is also accompanied by a behind-the-scenes podcast through Osiris Media entitled Talking Circles. With episodes leading up to the album release and stretching through the summer, Talking Circles will tell the story of the writing and recording of this set of brand new songs utilizing demos, live recordings, alternate takes, mix stems, and interviews with all six band members. Five episodes are currently live right here.

Mostly recorded in three distinct sessions at three different studios during the pandemic and never played live— their first album since 2009’s Mantis of

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which fans haven’t gotten a sneak peek of from stage—Asking For A Friend explores a feeling that UM guitarist and vocalist Brendan Bayliss describes as “tapping into the idea that we were all isolated yet somehow still connected and experiencing the same emotions.” That isolated feeling is perfectly captured in the album’s cover art: the lonely, surrounded-by-clouds peak of Chicago’s John Hancock Center (or 875 N Michigan Ave) photographed by “Chicago’s Picture Poet” himself, Barry Butler.

Asking For A Friend began to take shape in a pre-COVID world in September 2019 when the band met up with longtime UM engineer Greg Magers and producer Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers, The Avett Brothers) in Nashville for a session that would ultimately produce standalone UM single “Suxity” as well as the first few tracks of this new album. Session

two found the band at guitarist Jake Cinninger’s home studio in Niles, Michigan, deep in the throes of the first few months of the global pandemic. Working on new music by day and performing via live stream at night proved to be highly successful and entertaining for the band who’d just been sidelined a mere three months before. The final full-band session for Asking For A Friend took place at ECTO productions in Chicago, a.k.a. the band’s production warehouse. Relying on the record during the day/perform at night mentality once more, UM completed full-band, live tracking for the record before putting finishing touches on from their home studios. “It was a real welcome change to be able to sing the vocals in my pajamas,” says Bayliss.

Pulling the ripcord and taking an enforced break after twenty years of touring resulted in not only a complex

emotional reaction from members of Umphrey’s McGee. “Those first three months felt like an eternity,” keyboardist Joel Cummins says. But “there was a huge excitement and motivation when we got back together again. More than ever, we realized how much we needed each other and this music. But their reunion also refined a newfound approach to letting their new music flow freely; not over-thinking it. “This album reflects how our songwriting has really come a long way since the days of putting ‘legos’ together, a term given to explain our past process of assembling the greater sum of the parts in eclectic fashion,” says drummer Kris Myers. “Instead, we were able to naturally connect with these songs with our hearts, and a little less from our heads through simple, serene songs.” The end result is an astoundingly cohesive fourteen-song album that feels like a fresh statement from a group of world-class musicians and friends reapproaching their craft with a new lens, but long-time fans will be happy to know that the Umphrey’s McGee they know and love is still very much present on Asking For A Friend, just more refined. More focused.

Twizted Perform At Warehouse Live On April 23

by Steve Huey

Protégés of the Insane Clown

Posse, the Detroit-area horrorcore rap duo Twiztid base their act on a similarly theatrical, outrageous, makeup-heavy image and an obsession with serial killers, horror films, marijuana, and comic books. Comprised of Jamie Spaniolo (Jamie Madrox) and Paul Methric (Monoxide), the duo has released 15 studio albums since emerging in 1998, including career highlights like The Green Book (2003), Heartbroken & Homicidal (2010), The Darkness (2015), and Unlikely Prescription (2021).

Jamie Madrox and the Monoxide

Child cast themselves as psychotic axe murderers on their 1998 debut album, Mostasteless, which was reissued with new artwork and extra tracks a year later in the wake of ICP’s rise to national notoriety. Twiztid’s second album, Freek

Show, was released on Halloween 2000 in conjunction with ICP’s Bizzar/Bizaar sets; Mirror Mirror followed two years later. The Green Book hit the shelves in 2003, with Man’s Myth, Vol. 1 landing in 2005. The 2007 album Independent’s Day featured numerous guest stars, including DJ Quik and tha Dogg Pound along with D12 members Bizarre and Proof. Two years later, W.I.C.K.E.D. appeared, the initials standing for “Wish I Could Kill Every Day.” Monoxide produced most of the cuts on their 2010 effort, Heartbroken & Homicidal, and Abominationz landed in 2012 as the group’s last album for ICP’s Psychopathic label.

A year later, the duo issued the EP A New Nightmare on their own label. It was followed in 2015 by their tenth fulllength studio album, The Darkness, with a pair of reissued remasters of Mutant, Vol. 2 and Green Book arriving in 2016. The pair’s 11th set, The Continuous

Evilution of Life’s ?’s, arrived to the delight of Juggalos everywhere in January 2017. Peaking within the Billboard Top 30, the album featured guest appearances by familiar faces like Blaze Ya Dead Homie, the D.O.C., and Lex “The Hex” Master, as well as rapper G-Mo Skee. Before the end of the year, they returned with Twiztid Presents: Year of the Sword. The duo kept up a steady stream of singles, releasing the Trick or Treat EP in October 2018 before resuming their singles output in 2019 with tracks like “Somthing New” and the Young Wicked collaboration “Clockin’ w’s.” Later that year they released Generation Nightmare, which peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Independent Albums chart. Mad Season and Revelashen appeared in 2020, and in 2021 the prolific duo entered the mainstream rock charts with the single “Rose Petal,” which appeared on the full-length Unlikely Prescription later that year.

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Everlong, The Foo Fighters Tribute Perform In The Woodlands April 8

Everlong, the premiere Foo Fighters tribute will be performing this month in The W Woodlands at Waterway Square as part of the Waterway Nights weekly concerts on April 8th. We urge you to get there early for the show as the band performs from 6:30 pm till 8:30 pm.

Hello. I’ve waited here for you...

It’s what you want to hear. The thundering of the drums. A beat that begs for a throaty bass rhythm to answer. Where a soaring distorted lead dives in along side a chugging rhythm guitar. The crescendo of a vocal growl joins in the rock anthem. “There goes my hero”. One could swear it was Grohl and the fellas. Foo Fighters.

In 2021, a seemingly alternate universe kind of year, Everlong was born. Rocking at music venues all over Houston and Texas, They bring their high-energy show to the stage and a refreshing take on Grohl and the guys to your ears. This isn’t just another tribute band with a smattering of cover songs. Everlong is a celebration of grunge, hard rock and alt rock as we know it.

Everlong is Lead Vocal: James Curtis, Lead Guitar: Ryan Fernandez, Rhythm Guitar: Sid Taylor, Bass Guitar: Chris Granger, and Drums: Carl “Trey” Pittman.

Ricardo Montaner Performs At Smart Financial Center April 30

Singer-songwriter, producer, philanthropist and businessman, Ricardo Montaner is one of the most recognized and active artists in the Spanish-speaking world.

His followers in concerts and social networks number in the millions, not only for his artistic quality but also for his personality. The awards and recognitions are unstoppable in his career, and today Montaner, who has recorded 25 studio albums and over 55 compilation albums, has sold more than 65 million albums and has, among hundreds of awards, dozens of Multiplatinum, Platinum and Gold, several Gold and Silver Gaviota Awards from the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile,

and the Silver and Gold Torch Award, as well. In November 2016, he received a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in Las Vegas for his continued musical excellence and his great legacy to Latin American music.

Born in Argentina and raised in Venezuela, he has been named Singer of the Year by the specialized entertainment magazine Billboard. With the worldwide success of the television reality shows The Voice, Montaner has served as a coach for the Latin American editions of La Voz Colombia (2012, 2013), La Voz Argentina (2018, 2021), La Voz México (2019, 2020) and The

Voice Mexico Senior (2020, 2021). For his philanthropic work and dedication to children, in May 2007, Billboard honored him with its top award, the Hope Award. Montaner has been appointed Goodwill Ambassador by UNICEF, by the Pan American Development Foundation and by Peace Tech Lab, an organization that fights against xenophobia in social networks and on the internet in general.

As a composer, Montaner has written and edited more than 300 songs, and his valuable catalog includes countless hit songs, solidifying a career that spans four successful decades.

Leon’s Lounge Is Now Available For Private Parties! Make Your Reservations Now!!

This April at Leon’s Lounge

Saturday, April 1 - Midnight Bourbon

Sunday, April 2 - The Sleaze Kings with Johnny King & Glenn Gilbert

Monday, April 3 - Wild Rabid Salad with Jimbo Jones from Montgomery, Alabama

Tuesday, April 4 - Karaoke Tuesday

Wednesday, April 5 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, April 6 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, April 7 - Randy Pavlock

Saturday, April 8 - Zest with Ian Lindblour

Sunday, April 9 - Easter Sunday

Monday, April 10 - Industry Night

Tuesday, April 11 - David Tyson - Columbian Jazz Sax

Wednesday, April 12 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, April 13 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, April 14 - MSGC Quartet (Jazz)

Saturday, April 15 - Ian with Dompston Band

Sunday, April 16 - Sunday Funday

Monday, April 17 - Industry Night with Bud

Tuesday, April 18 - Karaoke Tuesday

Wednesday, April 19 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, April 20 - Houston Ensemble with Armov

Friday, April 21 - Barry Talley

Saturday, April 22 - Howard Singers & Lightnin’ Brothers

Sunday, April 23 - Sunday Funday

Monday, April 24 - Industry Night

Tuesday, April 25 - Karaoke Tuesday

Wednesday, April 26 - Herschel Teper’s Birthday with Brennen Nast

Thursday, April 27 - Houston Ensemble

Friday, April 28 - Entertainment To Be Announced

Saturday, April 29 - The Hates with Christian Kidd

Sunday, April 30 - Sunday Funday

The Biker, The Blues and The Runaway Boa

There are all kinds of folks running away from all kinds of things. I ran into a good looking gal named Boa The Babe at a nightclub that favored rhythm and blues, scantily dressed ladies along with both men and women from the biker scene. Someone once asked me how does a person forget a bad situation and just relax for the evening? Well all I know is that if you watch Boa work those feathers you’re probably not thinking about missing last month’s electric bill. I mean if I am lying I’m dying people….. Allow me to digress.

I pulled out of Detroit Michigan and crossed the bridge into Windsor Ontario. Some of the best night spots in the world are located in Windsor. The customs guy was actually cool about the bike and nodded me on. Not always that way but this time it was cool. I had been there before, actually I met a young lady the last time around named Marilyn Chambers. Yes, that Marilyn Chambers. I only met her but she was interesting to say the least. She had a polaroid camera with her and she would take her photo with you for $25. I remember saying that I would give her $25 if she didn’t take my photo. She thought that was funny, I did too. She asked what are you running from? I said me, nothing just being free. She smiled and said yes me too and away she went. This trip however I was watching a sophisticated extremely exotic lady about town on the stage and she was not only good looking but talented. By the way if you think stripping for a living doesn’t require talent and they just bump and grind well try it. It is an art for sure and the music is great. This dancer was presenting her performance to the tune of “Dancing In The Moonlight” by King Harvest. The song came out in ‘72/73 by a French American band and smoked the charts for weeks. So there I was taking in this song and the charisma of this fine dancer. Nice time to be alive was the over arching feeling in the room I would say. Sure beat watching Dr. Welby or another rerun of Gilligan’s Island that’s for sure. Molson is the beer of choice up in their neck of the woods, good beer too. So I tilted a few, ok maybe six but no more than eight anyway. So this place was clean, not your standard den of iniquity and it actually had two pool tables. Whatever was going on at one of them was gathering a good size crowd. So my choice was to set still and give up this exotic love affair from afar or go check out the action. I opted to go and see what was happening. A big dude wearing a cut off told me that the game was up to $1,000. I said really because even in places like this that number is rare. They were playing nine ball and one of the players was a woman. Both tremendous shots and both prima donnas in their own unique ways. You could see it. It was in their walk and more. My eyes kept glancing over to the stage as this woman was now performing to Bad Company’s “Ready For Love” with some of the best lyrics a biker could ask for, “Walkin’ down this rocky road wondering where my life is leadin’ - rollin’ on to the bitter end - finding out along the way what it takes to keep love living - you should know how it feels, my friend.” Pool games come and go but this woman was more than just exotic. I was thinking she was being truthful about something revealing it through her choice of music. I had to know. There’s that damn moth to a flame thing again. I am telling you her beauty caught my attention, her movements increased my interest for sure but it was her choice of music that told this traveling dude there’s a story there. The question was how do I approach her? I certainly didn’t want to come

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Biker, The Blues and The Runaway Boa

off as some ordinary pervert and no I didn’t want to come off as some an extraordinary pervert either. I thought about it and decided well no big deal, if we talked fine and if we didn’t such is life. The funniest thought entered my mind - maybe she will come walking by with a camera? Well it happened once before. Her set was over and she received a warm applause and left the stage. A short while later she entered through a curtain by the bar that led into the main room. She still looked good but not wearing as big a smile so I felt sure there was a story there. What would make a gal like this perform to “Ready For Love”? She was making the stripper’s customary rounds, smiling and still wearing that boa. Finally she came by me and I blurted out with a smile what’s a good girl like you doing in a place like this? She asked do you really want to know and I said actually I do. She sat down. She said I don’t sit anywhere without a drink no conversations for free. That felt like a low shot but I bit. I said to her that I noticed her choice of music and the change in expression on her face when “Ready For Love” came on. I think there is a story there am I right? She sat back, folded her arms and said ok you really want to go there? I said for some reason I seem to need to know. Believe it or not she opened up. Of course at this point I had no way to know if it was the truth or not. But she was an American citizen that crossed the border four nights a week to make excellent money in Canada. She also found a way to get health insurance there and when you add those two things together that explains what a good girl was doing in a place like that. But I wanted to know more - was she just playing that song to build ambiance for a big finish or was she hiding something, on the move? Maybe running, lonely, missing someone and ready for love? Turns out she was jilted and left hanging without a job after she had moved to Detroit from Orlando. She still loved the guy and this song was her unspoken lament to him. That’s heavy. I think she could tell by the look on my face that she hit a nerve when she told me that and reached over and touched my arm. I said now I know thank you and I am sorry that happened to you. She said me too. Slowly but surely we moved closer toward getting to know one another and then some guy came by and gently told her to work the floor and that she was up again soon. She said ok and told me well that’s how it goes and she had to go. I nodded. Then she asked if I was going back across the bridge that night and I said yes and she said well me too. How about a dive bar with good sandwiches after I get off. Like any good boy scout of course I was willing to escort this distressed damsel into a dive bar with good bar food. She had one more set to do and then had to make her table rounds. She handed me a note and it was the address and name of the place she wanted to go to along with a phone number. The place was named The

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The Biker, The Blues and The Runaway Boa

High Dive and it was cool actually. Big ass chandelier over the bar with friendly people and good late night snacking. Where ever this gal lived it had to be close because when she arrived just about everyone knew her. My bike was the conversation piece of the moment that night which was ok. I spied the juke and handed Boa The Babe who by the way looks way different without the make up and the boa but still attractive none the less. I handed her a five spot and said that because she had such good taste in music maybe she would choose the songs. She nodded and off she went. So here we were in the heart of Motown basically and what does this woman play? Aretha. You could see the small crowd giving an acceptance hoist to the song, “Respect”. This place be cooking now Jack! So we continued our time together talking about music, bikes, and places we had been. She asked me if I would take her for a ride and I thought touché woman you scored on me with your no free conversations routine so now take this: Yes for sure but no one rides for free, gas, grass, or ass is price to pay. She laughed and said ya ok but you’re not at work where they make you move the drinks. It was a good yuk between us. At one point she asked me where I was staying and I said Oh Sugar! (not really oh sugar but for this magazine and in writing it’s oh sugar but you get the drift) For the first time in a long time I forgot to check into the next motel before going off on an excursion. I looked at her and thought well this will sound contrived but it wasn’t and I said I forgot to get a place. She laughed like hell, I mean belly rolled laughed. I don’t know what was going on inside her head but if she thought I was so enamored by her beauty that I blew a reservation she would have been dead wrong. I just forgot. That can happen when you live free and easy, you just flow with the moments. She finally quit laughing and I didn’t even try to explain how this can happen because I was sure she would start laughing again. I would have to think that any lady in the fine arts business gets all kinds of BS lines and the last thing I wanted to be was on that list, life, go figure! She said you seem safe enough and you can come to my place if you want to but I need to tell you about my boa. I remember vividly saying oh honey you don’t have to tell me anything about your boa baby you know how to work a boa. She said no I have a seven foot boa named Babe. I said what? She said really, a yellow boa, seven feet long. I said well I really do like you but this dude isn’t going anywhere where a snake that size lives. She tried to convince me that it would be ok but I was dead sure I would be on my way, where to I certainly did not know but not to her place. I did a double shot of Jaegermeister, paid up and went outside to my trusty dusty scooter. It turned right over and I didn’t know where I was going actually but I wound up in a suburb named Warren Michigan. Still no place to stay but then I spied a for sale sign in front of a house with no lights on. I wheeled up into the driveway, took my bed roll off the bike and sat it on the front porch. I looked into the bay window and no furniture inside so I figured that I wouldn’t be freaking somebody out at zero dark thirty in the morning or some hour like that if I grabbed some zzz’s on their porch. Man, a freaking seven foot boa, are you kidding me? What a freaked up night and no motel to boot, man this sucked. (and no the word is not freaking but you get the drift) A freaking boa people, a yellow seven foot humongous snake, are you freaking kidding me?

As the momentum continues to build for old-school blues rock trio GA20, the band takes their expanding fanbase by storm with the release of its first full-length live LP, Live In Loveland. Featuring 11 rowdy, blistering performances (including five songs from 2022’s Crackdown, three from their 2019 debut Lonely Soul and three previously unrecorded tracks), Live In Loveland captures GA-20 feeding off the energy of the wall-to-wall crowd and delivering each song with raw emotion and bodyshaking force.

Live In Loveland mixes band originals and vintage covers, from early electric blues and honky-tonk country to proto rock ‘n’ roll, all performed live with deep feeling and punk energy. The album was recorded direct-to-tape on a vintage Tascam 388 at Plaid Room Records in Loveland, Ohio, home of the famous Colemine record label. Produced by Stubbs and engineered by Colemine owner Terry Cole, the band blasts out of the gate playing Harold Burrages’ I Cry For You, before tearing into Little Walter’s obscure gem My Baby’s Sweeter. The previously unrecorded original Hold It One More Time proves to be an instant classic, sitting seamlessly next to the vintage covers on the album.

According to guitarist Matthew Stubbs (whose resume includes playing with blues legends Charlie Musselwhite and James Cotton, among others), “There is a special type of energy that is exchanged when we play in front of a live audience, and we definitely feed off of that and wanted to capture that. I love the power and energy of the best live blues albums. Historically, some of the most iconic blues and jazz records have been live ones. B.B. King’s Live At The Regal changed my life. So did Hound Dog

GA-20 Perform At Dosey Doe Big Barn April 27th

Taylor’s Beware Of The Dog!, and Albert King’s Live Wire/Blues Power. We really wanted to continue that tradition and do one of our own.”

Since they first hit the scene in 2018, GA-20 have quickly become the trailblazers of the nascent traditional blues revival. It’s a movement GA-20 kicked into gear with their debut album Lonely Soul on Colemine/Karma Chief Records. Two more full length releases – including 2022’s critically and popularly acclaimed Crackdown – and years of nonstop national and international touring has firmly cemented the band as one of the blues’ most significant young acts, bursting at the seams with talent. In December 2022 and January 2023 respectively, legendary magazines Vintage Guitar and Guitar Player selected GA-20 for cover features. They also appear on the cover of the December/January issue of the UK’s famed Blues Matters! magazine.

GA-20, according to Rolling Stone, are “a pure marvel and delight” who play “100% blues.” The UK’s Guardian says, “GA-20 keeps things simple and fierce…scything, growling riffs, driving grooves, blistering boogies and defiant vocals.” Living Blues magazine declares, “GA-20’s loose, raw, high-energy approach to the blues [is] guaranteed to get anyone with a pulse on to the dance

floor. Riotously happy house rockers…they deliver sweaty, raucous grooves all night long.”

But it’s not just the critics talking, as the band receives regular radio airplay from coast to coast and all around the world, from SiriusXM’s Bluesville to the BBC. Most importantly, the fanbase continues to swell, anxiously awaiting the band’s next move. Amazingly, GA-20’s fulllength albums – 2022’s groundbreaking Crackdown, 2021’s tribute album GA-20 Does Hound Dog Taylor: Try It...You Might Like It!, and the 2019 EP LIVE: Vol. 1 – debuted at the #1 position on the Billboard Blues Chart. 2019’s Lonely Soul debuted at the #2 position.

According to Stubbs, “GA-20 is a band meant to be heard live, and we are most in our element in front of an audience.” Now, with Live In Loveland, the band is thrilled to document the power and passion of their live performances. “We love making records but performing live is even more important to us. Playing live as much as we do, we’re finding more and more that people are discovering how cool it all is.”

GA-20’s Live In Loveland was released on vinyl, CD and digital/streaming platforms March 17th via Colemine Records / Karma Chief Records.

En Español En Español En Español En Español En Español

José Luis Zagar

Ricardo Montaner Ricardo Montaner Ricardo Montaner Ricardo Montaner Ricardo Montaner

José Luis Zagar se presenta en El Arena Theatre el 1 De Abril

José Luis comenzó su carrera de comediante en El Unicornio Azul en el año 2001, posteriormente se fue a Hermosillo, Sonora al bar “El Rincón de Venancio cómo telonero de muchos comediantes que iban de Monterrey, Guadalajara y CDMX. Dos años después, regresó a Monterrey y se convirtió en el comediante favorito del público.

Dio la vuelta a la república Mexicana en eventos privados y ha trabajado con personalidades como Polo Polo, El Norteño, Platanito, Teo Gonzalez, Jorge Falcón, Adal Ramones, Omar Chaparro y muchos más en diversos programas de Televisión, entre los que se destacan Stand Parados, Sabadazo, Noches de Humor, Comedy Central y en centros de espectáculo diverso.

Después de 21 años de no pisar un estudio de grabación, el comediante volvió a la cantada de la mano de Apodaca Group y su productor Jorge Chapas Leal, integrante del grupo El Plan.

Una cumbia muy jocosa es la llave

que permitió el regreso de Zagar a la música.

“Iniciamos con algo chusco para que vaya de acuerdo a la imagen que muchos tienen de mí”, dijo el artista, “para después ir presentando canciones de temas románticos, serios”.

Muchos lo recuerdan como integrante del grupo Los Humildes, aunque el público joven que lo sigue sólo lo conoce por su faceta de comediante.

Tras su salida de Los Humildes, indicó, cambió radicalmente de profesión y aunque siguió en los escenarios, ahora su fuerte es la comedia.

Cuando entró a grabar su primer sencillo, “Chisme Caliente”, lo hizo recordar su etapa en la música de hace 21 años.

Respecto a su trabajo como comediante, señaló que lo alternará con la música, aunque está decidido a dar todo su esfuerzo para pegar como cantante.

“Este es un sueño musical. Voy a separar mi carrera musical de la de comediante. El futuro de esto que estamos iniciando es llegar a tener un show musical en vivo. Apodaca Group me puede llevar a uno de sus tantos proyectos que tiene de conciertos para presentarme”.

Ser exitoso como comediante, agregó, le permitirá ganarse a ese público, pero ahora en la cantada.

José Luis Zagar no está casado con un sólo género, prometió que abordará de todo un poco.

“Queremos hacer una variación importante. Ahorita están escuchando una canción alegre, para bailar, pero también les quiero mostrar un bolero, una ranchera. Quiero darle una variedad importante en inspiración de las agrupaciones que yo admiro como Ramón Ayala que puede cantar un corrido, una ranchera o una cumbia o como Intocable que también le varía”.

Ricardo Montaner Se Presenta En El Smart Financial Center El 30 De Abril

Cantautor, productor, filántropo y empresario, Ricardo Montaner es uno de los artistas más reconocidos y activos del mundo hispanohablante.

Sus seguidores en conciertos y redes sociales se cuentan por millones, no solo por su calidad artística sino también por su personalidad. Los premios y reconocimientos son imparables en su carrera, y hoy Montaner, quien ha grabado 25 álbumes de estudio y sobre 55 álbumes de compilaciones, cuenta con más de 65 millones de álbumes vendidos y tiene entre cientos de premios, decenas de álbumes Multiplatino, Platino y Oro, varios Premios Gaviota de Oro y Plata del Festi-

val de Viña del Mar en Chile, y el Premio de Plata y Antorcha de Oro, también. En noviembre de 2016, recibió en Las Vegas un premio Grammy Latino Lifetime Achievement por su continua excelencia musical y su gran legado a la música latinoamericana.

Nacido en Argentina y criado en Venezuela, ha sido nombrado Cantante del Año por la revista especializada en entretenimiento Billboard. Con el éxito mundial de los reality shows televisivos The Voice, Montaner se ha desempeñado como coach de las ediciones latinoamericanas de La Voz Colombia (2012, 2013), La Voz Argentina (2018, 2021), La

Voz México (2019, 2020) y La Voz México Senior (2020, 2021). Por su labor filantrópica y dedicación a los niños, en mayo de 2007, Billboard lo honró con su máximo premio, el Hope Award. Montaner ha sido nombrado Embajador de Buena Voluntad por UNICEF, por la Fundación de Desarrollo Pan Americano y por Peace Tech Lab, organización que lucha contra la xenofobia en las redes sociales y en el internet en general.Como compositor, Montaner ha escrito y editado más de 300 canciones, y su valioso catálogo incluye innumerables éxitos musicales, solidificando una carrera que abarca cuatro exitosas décadas.

Skinny Puppy Embark On Their Final Tour And Appear At The House Of Blues In Houston April 7

Formed in Vancouver, Canada, in 1982, industrial-music OGs Skinny Puppy will be celebrating their 40th anniversary a little late, with a tour this spring dubbed “Skinny Puppy: Final Tour.” It will be the band’s first trek in nearly a decade, but even more importantly, according to the group, it’ll also be their last run ever.

“It’s been eight long years since we’ve toured, and there is no better way to end our run as a group than with a tour celebrating our 40th anniversary,” the band said in a statement. “To our west coast fans, don’t worry! We’ll see you soon!”

Skinny Puppy

Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicks off on April 6th at Aztec Theater in San Antonio making stops across the U.S. in Atlanta, New York, Denver and more before wrapping up in Seattle at Neptune on May 9th. Skinny Puppy are also scheduled to play the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas on May 13th.

Skinny Puppy released their debut album Remission in 1984. Their influence can be felt in acts like Nine Inch Nails, Rammstein, Fear Factory, and more. Last year at Hellfest in France, the festival curated an industrial lineup for the main stage that featured Skinny Puppy, Ministry,

Killing Joke, Health, and Youth Code on the day that Nine Ninch Nails were headlining. Skinny Puppy’s last proper LP was 2013’s Weapon.

Drawing from the pioneering work of artists like Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire, and Suicide, the dark avantindustrial group Skinny Puppy formed in 1982 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Originally a duo comprised of former Images in Vogue drummer cEvin Key (born Kevin Crompton) and Nivek Ogre (aka Kevin Ogilvie), Skinny Puppy followed their debut cassette, Back and Forth, with the EP Remission, the first of many recordings with producer David “Rave” Ogilvie, in 1984.

BitesKeyboardist Wilhelm Schroeder joined the group for 1985’s full-length debut, Bites, but was replaced the next year by Dwayne Goettel, whose sampling and synth work proved significant in the development of the Skinny Puppy aesthetic from ominous dance music into a distinct fusion of industrial, goth, and electronic sounds. Subsequent releases like 1986’s Mind: The Perpetual Intercourse, 1987’s Cleanse, Fold and Manipulate, and 1988’s VIVIsectVI further honed the trio’s style, as well as introducing the outspoken lyrical agenda that remained a thematic constant

throughout much of the group’s work.

In 1989, Ministry’s Al Jourgensen added vocals, guitars, and production work to Rabies; later, he joined Ogre in the side project Pigface. Ultimately, the members’ interest in pursuing similar outside projects began to unravel Skinny Puppy: in 1987, Key and Edward Ka-Spel of the Legendary Pink Dots recorded the album Their Eyes Slowly Burning under the name Tear Garden, and in 1990, he and friend Alan Nelson worked as Hilt. A major rift began splitting the band apart, and Key and Goettel often sided against Ogre, whom they felt was more interested in pursuing solo work than in keeping the trio intact; drugs had also become a serious problem, but Skinny Puppy nonetheless signed to American Recordings in 1993 and relocated to Los Angeles to begin production work.

The sessions for the album, titled The Process, proved disastrous; for the first time in nearly a decade, David Ogilvie did not oversee production duties, and the group went through several producers, including former Swan Roli Mosimann and Martin Atkins. Flooding and earthquakes further hampered the sessions, and Key was severely injured in a film shoot. After months of recording, Key and Goettel, dissatisfied with Atkins’ work, absconded with the master tapes and returned to Vancouver in mid-1994 to finish production. Ogre remained in California, and later announced he was leaving Skinny Puppy to form W.E.L.T. A few months later, on August 23, 1995, Goettel was found dead of a heroin overdose in his parents’ home; in his honor, Key and Ogilvie finally completed the album, and The Process was released in 1996. A multimedia history of the band, Brap: Back and Forth, Series 3 & 4, followed a few months later, while Key returned to his new project, Download. Released in 1998, Remix Dys Temper featured Skinny Puppy reworkings by Autechre, Neotropic, and Adrian Sherwood in addition to industrial groups like KMFDM and God Lives Underwater.

By 2000, the word was out that Key and Ogre had buried the hatchet, reactivated Skinny Puppy, and recording was underway. A 1994 jam between Skinny Puppy and Throbbing Gristle/Psychic TV member Genesis P-Orridge was released under the title Puppy Gristle in 2002 on Key’s subCON label. The SPV label (which had long been the distributor of the band’s albums in Europe) signed the band in late 2003. Skinny Puppy’s Greater Wrong of the Right hit the streets in 2004 with members of Tool, Collide, and StaticX making guest appearances. Two more studio albums, 2007’s Mythmaker and 2011’s Handover, followed before the release of 2012’s live album Bootlegged, Broke and in Solvent Seas.

RANDOM SHOTS

5Fifteen Perform Their Acoustic Show At The 19th Hole

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Destroyer Of Light Perform At The Black Magic Social Club

Photos by Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Gary Cain Band Perform At The Big Easy

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Phenix Comes Alive

(Peter Frampton Tribute)

Perform At The Concert

Pub North

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Temptress From Dallas

Perform At The Black Magic Social Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Western Jelly Perform at Shady Acres Saloon

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Randy Soffar and Friends Perform At Dan Electro’s In The Heights

Randy Soffar performed a solo gig at the newly reopened Dan Electro’s in The Heights this night. While on stage Randy was joined by members of the band Whitson, Madison Sutton and Whitney Ward. Also joining Randy at the microphone was singer Joe Standefer. Next time you’re out on the town, be sure to drop by Dan Electro’s. The club has been completely remodeled and also features a fantastic patio area. Bes sure to check it out now! Dan Electro’s features live music every weekend!

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Chaw Perform At The Acadia

Bar And Grill

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Kill The Lizard Perform At The Black Magic Social Club

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Tianna Hall Performs At Green Oaks Tavern

This night Tianna Hall brought her own special brand of Jazz to Green Oaks Tavern for a fun-filled evening. Tianna has a unique way where she can take just about any song and give it a bit of a twist and turn it into a Jazz tune. Tonight’s show was very inspiring and interesting. Some of the songs that she performed were “Sweet Child Of Mine” by Guns N Roses, “Never Going To Make You Cry” by Rick Astley, “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top, “Wicked Games” by Chris Isaak, “Like A Virgin” by Madonna, and “Sitting On The Dock Of The Bay” by Otis Redding. I would bet that some of the people in the audience would’ve been very surprised to know where she draws her inspiration from. Her presentation was flawles and the band was equally as impressive as her singing was. I Can’t wait to see her again someday.

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Xiii Perform At The Acadia Bar And Grill

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Eric Korb Band

Perform At Shady Acres Saloon In The Heights

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Honeycutt Southern Perform At Leon’s Lounge In Midtown

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Ruckus Perform At The “All New” Dan Electro’s In The Heights

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Treynwrek Perform At Leon’s Lounge In MIdtown

Photos By Kevin D. Wildman