Music News aka Houston Music News aka Texas Music News

Friday, February 3

Psycho Pact, Stella Vir, The Dirty Birds, Sage Stone, Apex Fallen

Saturday, February 4

Saint Mastif, External Turtle (acoustic), Subpenguin

Friday, February 10

Jim Presley (blues), Urban Rivers

Saturday, February 11

To Be Announced

Friday, February 17

To Be Announced

Saturday, February 18 Safer Alternatives, The Creeps, Vermin Vendetta, Wayside Drive

Friday, February 24

Car Show Property

Saturday, February 25

Brother Stone

FEBRUARY 2023

Hi Folks, Hello Music News readers. I hope you had a great January. We’re happy to announce that Concert Season is starting up again this month. We have three big concerts coming to the Houston area starting this month and we’d like to let you know about them. Bruce Springsteen will be coming to Houston this month for a great show at Toyota Center this month. That’s going to be a lot of fun. Also coming this month will be the legendary John Mellencamp. He will be performing at Smart Financial Cetre later on this month. And to top thing off, MUSE returns to Toyota Center on March 2, which is also my birthday. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that they will be here that day. They’re not making a special appearance here in celebration of my birthday.... or are they? At any rate, we have stories on all three of these artists in this month’s issue of Music News aka Houston Music News, so please enjoy them.

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 Buddy Guy, Alastair Greene, Grace Potter, Inner Wave, Radney Foster, Steel Panther, Thy Art Is Murder, Show Me The Body 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 Backdrop Violet, Barenuckle Ministry, Chad Ware, Hold On Hollywood, James Rivera’s Metalwave, Mathias Lattin, The Mighty Orq, Mike Morgan and The Crawl, The Hates, Reverb Cartel, Riot The Witness, Santa Oscuridad 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’d also like to invite you to check out our Spanish music section. This month’s section is a bit slow as the Spanish Concerts have slowed down for January, but once they start up, it will have a lot more to read than this month. In the meantime, check out the great story this month on Morat. We hope you like it.

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

Kevin Wildman Editor and Publisher

MUSE MUSE MUSE MUSE MUSE

Muse Bring Their Will Of The People Tour To Toyota Center March 2

By Kevin Wildman

Multi-platinum and Grammy Award winning global superstars Muse are hitting the road this month. The band will be kicking off their Will Of The People North American Tour this month on February 25th in Chicago, Illinois at United Center. The tour is expected to take them to twenty venues through the United States and Canada so far with stops in Austin, Houston, Toronto, Quebec, Montreal, New York City, Los Angeles, Los Vegas, and Salt Lake City to name a few. Muse is touring in support of their new Warner Records/ Helium-3 album release, Will Of The People. Support act for the tour is special guest Evanescence.

Since the band first went on tour in

1998 with their Showbiz Tour, Muse has always put on a spectacular live performance. 11 tours later as they hit the road with their twelfth big tour, the band promises that this tour will be just as spectacular as the past ones and will be their best one yet. Muse has come to be known as one of the finest live bands to ever tour. This two-month North American tour will no doubt leave people marveling at it for quite a while as they perform songs from their new album, Will Of The People along with some of the finest hits they’ve recorded so far.

Will Of The People is the ninth album by Muse. It was released just last August and debuted at the #1 spot on the charts in the UK, Austria, France, Finland,

Italy, and Finland to name a few. In fact, Will Of The People is the band’s seventh #1 album in the UK. Their previous album, Simulation Theory did the same thing, debuting at #1 in multiple countries. The album before that, Drones went on to win a Grammy award for Best Rock Album, which was the second time the band achieved this honor. However, Muse is no stranger to winning awards. To date, some of the awards they have won include two Grammy Awards, an American Music Award, five MTV Europe Music Awards, two Brit Awards, eleven NME Awards and seven Q Awards, amongst others.

The inception of Will Of The People

continued on next page

MUSE

(continued from previous page)

came as a request from Warner Records. Evidently Warner wanted Muse to release a greatest hits album. After the band discussed the situation among themselves, they agreed to do it, but not exactly in the way that Warner Records had intended. Instead of just culling their albums for the hits, the band set to work selecting different styles of songs from the previous albums and wrote new songs to go along with those styles. As they would like to explain it, it’s a greatest hits album of new songs. Evidently the plan worked because both label and fans are ecstatic on how the project turned out. The project was recorded at Matt Bellamy’s Red Room studio in Santa Monica, California. Additional recording took place at Abbey Road studios and Black Lodge Studios in London. Bellamy explains that the lyrics of Will Of The People were inspired by “the increasing uncertainty and instability in the world [...] as the Western empire and the natural world, which have cradled us for so long, are genuinely threatened”. He further explained that Will of the People “is a personal navigation through those fears”.

Prior to the release of the selfproduced Will Of The People, Muse started the buzz rolling with a slick release of five songs leading up to the release, along with a few videos to gain their fans attention. The first hint of the new album came in December of 2021 when Matt Bellamy released a small snippet of a video of he and his 10-year old son listening to the first single from the album, “Won’t Stand

Down.” In January of 2022, the band finally announced the release of “Won’t Stand Down” as the first single from the album. The second single from the album came two months later in March when the band released “Compliance.” It was with the second single release that the band finally revealed that they would be releasing a new album in August of 2022. The band was very precise with the release of their new singles prior to the album’s release. Nothing was hurried.

The third single from the album, the album’s title song, “Will Of The People” came out in June, three months later. Along with that, Muse hit the road for a European festival tour where they test drove their new singles for their fans along with a new, previously unreleased song, “Kill Or Be Killed.” The song proved to be a favorite of fans along the tour, so halfway through July, the band released “Kill Or Be Killed” as their fourth single from the new album.

The following month on August 1st, Music released a statement announcing that when Will Of The People would be released, it would also be available at a NFT (Non-Fungible Token) on the “ecofriendly” Polygon-powered platform Serenade. This made Will Of The People one of the first new chart-eligible formats in seven years As was reported in The Guardian, “The Muse NFT album will retail for £20 and will be limited to 1,000 copies globally. As both an NFT and a

limited-edition format, it is relatively sparse in its offering. Buyers will get a downloadable version of the album –complete with different sleeve – as high-res FLAC files; the members of Muse will digitally sign it, and each of the 1,000 buyers will have their names permanently listed on the linked roster of purchasers.” This was certainly a bold and trend-setting move by Muse.

“Muse are breaking new ground with their latest offering. NFTs have gradually evolved from a fringe topic in an emerging market to one of the cornerstones of a multi-trillion-dollar industry,” says Emelie Olsson, Chief Operations Officer of Corite.

On August 23rd, 2022, Muse announced that the fifth single from the album would be “You Make Me Feel Like It’s Halloween” would be released on August 26th, the same day as the album’s release.

Will of the People debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, selling 51,500 units in its first week making it Muse’s seventh UK number-one album. In the United States, it debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. It debuted at number 1 on the Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts with sales of 24,000 albums. By January of this year, Will of the People went on to sell over 300,000 units worldwide.

Muse is guitarist/vocalist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard. It’s hard to categorize the music of Muse as they constantly are evolving and changing their musical stylings from one album to the next. Perhaps that is one of the most endearing qualities of the band. With some bands, it is easy to speculate what they will be releasing from year to year. With Muse, it is never a set style. One album might be alternative rock, the next more orchestrated. The following album could be layered with strings followed by an album leaning more towards electronic and pop... and then they’re back with a harder edged sound for their next album. They can be totally unpredictable... and through all their changes, their fan base just continues to grow and grow.

This trio started playing together at the age of thirteen in their hometown of Teignmouth, Devon. The names of the band seemed to be constantly changing during this time as the band searched for the name that they though really fit them. They started out as Gothic Plague, moved on to Fixed Penalty, and then to Rocket Baby Dolls. By the time they reached 1997 they had finally settled on Muse and

continued on next page

MUSE

(continued from previous page)

released their self-titled debut EP on Dangerous Records. The following year in 1998 they released their second EP, Muscle Museum.

By 1999 the band released their first full-length album, Showbiz. Showbiz started getting the band a lot of attention, at times conjuring up a comparison of Radiohead. It didn’t take long for that comparison to die down. The album was fueled by Matt Bellamy’s falsetto and a melancholic alternative rock style.

Two years later in 2001, Origin of Symmetry followed with a wider instrumentation influx and romantic classical influences. It didn’t take long for the public to take a lot more interest in the band as they quickly gained a reputation for putting on very energetic shows. 2003’s Absolution saw the band taking the sentimentalization to a new level with the incorporation of strings on several tracks, such as “Butterflies and Hurricanes”. Absolution was also the first of what would wind up being seven consecutive UK number-one albums.

2006’s Black Holes and Revelations would turn out to be another big styling change for Muse as they incorporated electronic and pop elements into their new songs. It was also another number-one album for the band as well bringing them even more international recognition. The album yielded hit singles in the form of “Supermassive Black Hole”, “Starlight”, and “Knights Of Sedonia”, and “Invincible.” Most of the year and the next was dedicated to touring.

In 2008 the band entered the studio and spent the better part of the year and part of the next working on their next number-one album, The Resistance, which came out in 2009 and produced the megahit “Uprising.” “Uprising” became their highest charting single in the U.S. and dominated the airwaves. The band finished off the year either headlining their own shows or opening for U2. The band was certainly on a roll.

By the time 2011 had come around, they were request to write the theme song for the 2012 Summer Olympics which were going to be taking place in London. The band responded with the song “Survival”, which also spearheaded their

next album release, 2012’s The 2nd Law. The album also featured an electronic pop song titled “Madness” that showcased a new electronic dubstep influence. As I said before, the band was continuing to reinvent themselves album after album. The went out on another major tour to promote The 2nd Law with culminated in an unbelievable show at Rome’s Olympic Stadium , which was packed with pyrotechnics, video walls, and acrobats. The concert was filmed in ultra-high definition for the concert movie Live at Rome Olympic Stadium, which came out in December 2013.

Things got a bit heavier sound-wise for the band in 2015 when they again reinvented themselves with the singles “Psycho” and “Dead Inside.” These were the first singles from their seventh studio album, Drones. Drones was their fifth consecutive U.K. number one album and their first release to top the U.S. Charts. It also went on to garner them a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in February 2016. Their shows were definitely something special when they went out on tour to support this album as they actually had drones flying high above the crowds at the concert performances. One thing is for sure, Muse always has had a yen for theatrics.

In 2018 Muse returned again with their 80s-inspired eighth LP, . Simulation Theory featuring the singles “Dig Down,” “Pressure,” and “Dark Side.” It quickly became their sixth consecutive U.K. charttopper. An international tour followed for the band for much of 2019. They wound up ending the year with the release of a massive box set that celebrated their Showbiz and Origin of Symmetry eras. The Origin Of Muse was comprised of nine CDs and four vinyl records, spotlighting the B-sides, demos, EPs, and some live tracks from each period.

That brings us to their new release, Will Of The People. As can be expected from Muse, the band spent the latter part of last year on tour in Europe supporting the album, and this month they return to North America for the next leg of the tour.

So what can we expect to hear from the band this year in concert here in the United States and Canada.... EVERYTHING! No doubt the band will again put on another great tour that will leave their fans gasping for more! All I can tell you... is to expect the unexpected. No doubt Muse will again top their tours of the past with the all-new Will Of The People Tour!

Follow Muse:

Website @ https://www.muse.mu/ Spotify @ https://open.spotify.com/artist/ 12Chz98pHFMPJEknJQMWvI

Apple Music @ https://music.apple.com/gb/artist/muse/1093360

YouTube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/ UCGGhM6XCSJFQ6DTRffnKRIw

Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/muse Twitter @ https://twitter.com/muse

Instagram @ https://www.instagram.com/muse/

Radney Foster Performs At Dosey Doe On March 1st

Radney Foster Announces

Tour to Celebrate 30

Year anniversary of “Del Rio, TX, 1959”

Nashville, TN - To celebrate the 30th anniversary of his iconic solo debut, Radney Foster launches a tour that kicks off in Nashville on October 6 and continues through Summer 2023. “Thirty years ago, Radney Foster opened up his heart, wrapped it in lap steel and Fender guitars, shouted it from a microphone mountain in a voice of bluebonnet twang, and created a work of riotous loss along the lines of Merle Haggard or Buck Owens, says author/historian Peter Cooper. “Del Rio, TX 1959 is an album that mines the personal to unearth the universal.”

The album produced five singles on the country charts: “Just Call Me Lonesome,” “Nobody Wins,” “Easier Said Than Done,” “Hammer and Nails,” and “Closing Time,” and became a touchstone for other artists. Foster will

be performing the album top to bottom, with later hits at the end of the set.

An early stop will be Darius Rucker’s Riverfront Revival in Charleston. “Del Rio, TX, 1959 is what inspired me to sing Country music,” says Rucker. “It’s the ultimate album.” Legendary steel guitarist Steve Fishell (who coproduced the album with Foster) will be joining the band on select dates.

Radney Foster first gained attention as half of the duo Foster & Lloyd (who, with “Crazy Over You” became the first duo in history to top the country charts with their debut single). His solo debut was on the upstart record label Arista Nashville, where his labelmates included Alan Jackson, Diamond Rio, Pam Tillis and Brooks and Dunn.

Foster’s discography contains

countless cuts by artists ranging anywhere from country (Keith Urban, The Chicks, Brooks and Dunn, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) to contemporary (Marc Broussard, Hootie & The Blowfish, Kenny Loggins, Los Lonely Boys, George Benson). Foster has appeared in film, TV and stage including as host of CMT Crossroads, in the feature film Beauty Mark, on stage in the acclaimed musical “Troubadour. “

?His most recent project For You

To See The Stars is in two parts, a book of short fiction, and a companion CD of the same name. Foster, who produced the first three Randy Rogers Band albums, recently reunited with them to produce Homecoming. He’s currently working on a second book of short fiction, and a side jazz project with his sons, The Space Cadet Quintet.

Buddy Guy

Famed blues guitarist Buddy Guy has embarked on his ‘Damn Right’ Farewell tour this year. The legendary musician’s final trek will begin in February of 2023 and bring him to Houston’s 713 Music Hall on March 5th. Fans at Guy’s “Damn Right Farewell” tour will hear hits from throughout his career, in addition to songs from his new number-one album. Amid core classics, audiences will hear new favorites, including “Gunsmoke Blues” ft. Jason Isbell, the spellbinding “We Go Back” with Mavis Staples, and a harmonious collaboration with James Taylor on “Follow the Money.”

This tour, the blues album chart-topper will be reunited with his Grammy Awardwinning producer/songwriter and longtime collaborator Tom Hambridge, to bring audience members even more emotionallycharged music with bone-chilling hard-earned lyrics and lessons that continuously receive critical recognition and praise.

Buddy Guy is one of the most celebrated blues guitarists of his generation (arguably the most celebrated), possessing a sound and style that embody the traditions of classic Chicago blues while also embracing the fire and flash of rock & roll. Guy began his recording career in 1959 and scored his first hit in 1960 with “First Time I Met the Blues.” He spent much of the next decade a well-regarded journeyman, praised by peers and blues fans without breaking through to a larger audience; his best album of the ’60s originally didn’t even have his name on it (Junior Wells’ Hoodoo Man Blues). However, he found an audience in Europe in the ’70s and rock fans began discovering his work through the endorsements of noted fans Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Mark Knopfler. Guy released little material in the ’80s (his best-known album of the decade was 1981’s Stone Crazy, one of the few that received an American release), as he focused on live work. But in 1991, Guy finally enjoyed a commercial breakthrough with Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, and since then he’s been one of the biggest names in contemporary blues, touring frequently and cutting new material on a regular basis. In the 21st century, Guy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, kept recording (2001’s Sweet Tea, 2008’s Skin Deep, and 2010’s Living Proof are high points from this period), played an annual residency at his Chicago nightclub Legends, and even played at the White House, inviting President Barack Obama on-stage for a duet on “Sweet Home Chicago.”

George “Buddy” Guy was born in Lettsworth, Louisiana on July 30, 1936, and is said to have first learned to play on a home-made two-string instrument fashioned from wire and tin cans. Guy graduated to an acoustic guitar and began soaking up the influences of blues players such as T-Bone

Buddy Guy Brings His Farewell Tour To The 713 Music Hall March 5th

Walker, B.B. King, and Lightnin’ Hopkins; when his family relocated to Baton Rouge, Guy had the opportunity to see live performances by Lightnin’ Slim (aka Otis Hicks) and Guitar Slim, whose raw, forceful sound and over-the-top showmanship left a serious impression on him. Guy started playing professionally when he became a sideman for John “Big Poppa” Tilley, and he learned to work the crowd and overcome early bouts of stage fright. In 1957, Guy cut a demo tape at a local radio station and sent a copy to Chess Records, the label that was home to such giants as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Etta James, shortly before buying a one-way train ticket and moving to Chicago, eager to make music his career.

Guy didn’t enjoy immediate success in Chicago, and struggled to find gigs until his fiery guitar work and flashy stage style (which included hopping on top of bars and strutting up and down their length while soloing, thanks to a 100-foot-long guitar cable) made him a regular winner in talent night contests at Windy City clubs. Guy struck up friendships with some of the city’s best blues artists, including Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, Freddie King, and Magic Sam, and landed a steady gig at the 708 Club, where he became known as a talent to watch. In 1958, Magic Sam arranged for Guy to meet Harold Burrage, the owner of local blues label Cobra Records, and Guy was soon signed to Cobra’s sister label Artistic Records. Willie Dixon produced Guy’s debut

single, “Sit and Cry (The Blues),” as well as its follow-up, “This Is the End,” but in 1959, Cobra and Artistic abruptly closed up shop, and like labelmate Otis Rush, Guy found a new record deal at Chess. His first single for Chess, 1960’s “First Time I Met the Blues,” was an artistic triumph and a modest commercial success that became one of his signature tunes, but it was also the first chapter in what would prove to be a complicated creative relationship between Guy and label co-founder Leonard Chess, who recognized his talent but didn’t appreciate the louder and more expressive aspects of his guitar style. While Guy enjoyed minor successes with outstanding Chess singles such as “Stone Crazy” and “When My Left Eye Jumps,” much of his work for the label was as a sideman, lending his talents to sessions for Muddy Waters, Koko Taylor, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, and many others. And one of Guy’s definitive ’60s recordings wasn’t even issued by Chess; Guy had been performing occasionally with blues harpist Junior Wells, and Guy and his band backed Wells on the 1965 Delmark release Hoodoo Man Blues, a masterful exercise in the Chicago blues style, with Guy credited as “Friendly Chap” on initial pressings in deference to his contract with Chess.

Chess didn’t issue an album of Guy’s until the 1967 release of I Left My Blues in San Francisco, and when his contract with the

continued on next page

Buddy Guy

(continued from previous page)

label ran out, he promptly signed with Vanguard, which put out A Man and the Blues in 1968. As a growing number of rock fans were discovering the blues, Guy was finding his stock rising with both traditional blues enthusiasts and younger white audiences, and his recordings for Vanguard gave him more room for the tougher and more aggressive sound that was the trademark of his live shows. (It didn’t hurt that Jimi Hendrix acknowledged Guy as an influence and praised his live show in interviews.) At the same time, Guy hadn’t forsaken the more measured approach he used with Junior Wells; Buddy and Wells cut an album that also featured Junior Mance on piano for Blue Thumb called Buddy and the Juniors, and in 1972, Eric Clapton partnered with Ahmet Ertegun and Tom Dowd to produce the album Buddy Guy and Junior Wells Play the Blues. In 1974, Guy and Wells played the Montreux Jazz Festival, with Bill Wyman of the Rolling Stones sitting in on bass; the show was later released as a live album, Drinkin’ TNT and Smokin’ Dynamite, with Wyman credited as producer.

By the end of the ’70s, Guy was without an American record deal, and his career took a hit as a result; while he recorded some material for specialist labels in Europe and Japan, and Alligator issued two collections in 1981, Alone & Acoustic and Stone Crazy, for the most part Guy supported himself in the ’80s by extensive touring and live work, often appearing in Europe where he was more well-respected than in the United States. Despite this, he continued to plug away at the American market, buoyed by interest from guitar buffs who had heard major stars sing his praises; in 1985, Eric Clapton told a reporter for Musician magazine, “Buddy Guy is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive...he really changed the course of rock & roll blues,” while Vaughan declared, “Without Buddy Guy, there would be no Stevie Ray Vaughan.” In 1989, Guy opened his own nightclub in Chicago, Buddy Guy’s Legends, where he frequently performed and played host to other top blues acts, and in 1991, after a wellreceived appearance with Clapton at London’s Royal Albert Hall (documented in part on the album 24 Nights), he finally

scored an international record deal with the Silvertone label, distributed by BMG. Guy’s first album for Silvertone, Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues, featured guest appearances by Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Mark Knopfler, and featured fresh versions of several fan favorites as well as a handful of new tunes; it was the Buddy Guy album that finally clicked with record buyers, and became a genuine hit, earning Guy a gold album, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Guy wasted no time cutting followups, releasing Feels Like Rain in 1993 and Slippin’ In in 1994, both of which racked up solid sales figures and won Guy further Grammy Awards.

In 1993, Guy reunited with Junior Wells on the stage of his Legends club; it would prove to be one of Wells’ last live performances, and the show was released in 1998, several months after Wells’ passing, on the album Last Time Around: Live at Legends. While most of Guy’s work in the late ’90s and into the new millennium was the sort of storming Chicago blues that was the basis of his reputation, he also demonstrated he was capable of exploring other avenues, channeling the hypnotic Deep Southern blues of Junior Kimbrough on 2001’s Sweet Tea and covering a set of traditional blues classics on acoustic guitar for 2003’s Blues Singer. In 2004, Guy won the W.C. Handy Award from the American Blues Foundation for the 23rd time, more than any other artist, while he took home his sixth Grammy Award in 2010 for the album Living Proof. Guy also received the National Medal of the Arts in 2003, and was awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 2012. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005, with both Eric Clapton and B.B. King presenting him with his award, and in 2012 he performed a special concert at the White House, where he persuaded President Barack Obama to join him at the vocal mike for a few choruses of “Sweet Home Chicago.” Guy continued his late-career revival with the 2012 memoir When I Left Home: My Story and the summer 2013 release of the ambitious, guest star-laden, double-album Rhythm & Blues. The record reached number one on Billboard’s Top Blues Albums chart and 27 on their Top 200. Two years later, Guy returned with Born to Play Guitar, another album recorded with producer Tom Hambridge, who has helmed the guitarist’s albums since 2008’s Skin Deep. In 2018, he took time off from his busy road schedule to release a studio album, The Blues Is Alive and Well, which featured guest appearances from Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, and Mick Jagger. The album earned Guy the Grammy Award (his eighth) for Best Traditional Blues Album. He reunited with producer Tom Hambridge for The Blues Don’t Lie, a 2022 album featuring cameos by Jason Isbell, Elvis Costello, Bobby Rush, James Taylor, and Mavis Staples.

Friday, January 27, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

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

Saturday, January 28, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Aspens Bar & Grill

817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565

Friday, February 3, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Scotty’s Saloon

114 Agnes Rd - Richmond, TX 77469

Saturday, February 4, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Sharky’s Tavern 504 25th St - Galveston, TX 77550

Saturday, February 11, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am

Backwoods Saloon

230 Lexington Ct - Conroe, TX 77385

Friday, February 24. 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

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

Saturday, March 4, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

3 Doors Down 102 20th St - Galveston, TX 77550

Saturday, March 11, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

Aspens Bar & Grill

817 Clear Lake Rd - Kemah, TX 77565

Thursday, March 16, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Republic Harley Davidson 12707 Southwest Freeway - Stafford, TX 77477

Friday, March 17, 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm

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

Friday, March 17, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am

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

Saturday, March 18, 8:00 pm - 11:00 pm

Mo’s Irish Pub College Station 1025 University Dr - College Station, TX 77840

Alastair Greene Performs At The Green Oaks Tavern March 3rd

Guitarist Alastair Greene will be performing at Green Oaks Tavern in Humble of March 3. Greene is touring in support of his new Whiskey Bayou Records album, Alive In The New World.

Alive In The New World was recorded live in Chicago at the City Winery. The ten live tracks feature Greene on guitar and vocals, Benoit on drums, and Corey Duplechin on bass. The sold-out crowds inspired the band with the kind of energy that produces timeless performances. Greene affirms, “Enjoy your front row seat to what I consider some of my finest live moments as a blues rock musician.”

A native of Santa Barbara, California, Greene has ridden his Blues-soaked rock into the 21st century, traversing a constantly changing global (and musical) landscape. He’s well-equipped for the challenge, carrying the diverse musical interests he developed at an early age, intrigued by his mother’s piano-playing and a record collection that included The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Elton John. His father introduced the youngster to the sophistication of Bach and

Beethoven, yet it was Greene’s grandfather, the late trumpeter Chico Alvarez – a member of the Stan Kenton Band in the 1940s and ’50s – who inspired him to pursue a life in music.

As a youth, he took piano lessons and played the saxophone before discovering the guitar in high school. ‘80s heavy rock icons Iron Maiden and Def Leppard brought motivational thunder. Then, a vintage and seminal sound – the Blues – changed Greene’s course. Records by B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, The Allman Brothers Band, and Stevie Ray Vaughan exposed the burgeoning guitarist to a trove of musical treasure.

He received a scholarship to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he studied for two years before returning in the early ‘90s to Southern California. Greene formed the Alastair Greene Band in 1997 and subsequently released 10 solo albums (including three live sets and a compilation record) over two decades. 2017’s studio effort, Dream Team, landed a four-star review and Best Album of the Year nod in DownBeat;

2018’s Live from the 805 was nominated for Rock Blues Album of the Year by Blues Blast Magazine, garnering inclusion on many ‘Best of 2018’ lists. 2020’s The New World Blues debuted at number three on the Billboard blues chart, received accolades from Joe Bonamassa in his music blog and was featured on Joe’s SiriusXM radio show. The single “Living Today” was one of the most played songs on SiriusXM Bluesville for much of the year. Greene also had exclusive premieres with Relix magazine and a week long premiere on DittyTV. He also graced the cover of multiple blues magazines.

A much in-demand guitarist and vocalist, Greene traveled the world, touring with the legendary Alan Parsons Live Project from 2010 – 2018, as well as stints with Starship featuring Mickey Thomas and Blues Music Award-winner Sugaray Rayford. His work with Parsons, in particular, sparked a conversation with renowned multi-instrumentalist and producer Tab Benoit at a Las Vegas blues festival. In 2019, Greene signed with Benoit’s Whiskey Bayou Records label.

Greene says he wanted to “go somewhere; find something.” Fortified by the historic Louisiana backdrop – a birthplace of Blues and Jazz – as well as his new ‘bandmates’ and their cultural connection to the area, The New World Blues and Alive In The New World both display Greene’s lifelong reverence for Delta and Chicago Blues, respectfully and affectingly, detailing each cut with honesty and respect. “I endeavor to play the Blues. It’s some of my favorite music. And I have a responsibility to inform where this music comes from,” Greene says. “This is a Black, AfricanAmerican art form that is basically responsible for everything we love today. I want to be true to what I love.”

Friday, Feb. 3 Jay Hooks Band

Saturday, Feb. 18 Buck Yeager Band

Sat., Feb. 25 Tony Vega

Friday, February 10 Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations

Friday, Feb. 17 Evelyn Rubio Band

Sunday, February 12 The Octanes

Sunday,Feb. 26 Scott McGill

Friday, February 24 Diunna Greenleaf

Saturday, Feb. 4 Jamie Lynn Vessels Band

Sat., Feb. 11 Jonn Del Toro Richardson

Sunday Feb. 5 Shayne Porter

Wed. Feb. 15 Lauren Anderson and Jonn Del Toro Richardson

Open Mic Every Wednesday With $5 Domestic Pitchers

Friday, February 3 -Krank, Chaotic Reckoning, Submit Thy Will, Rhizomata

Saturday, February 4 -WARRIOR ALIVE, ALIEN SHORE, Bad Trip

Sunday, February 5 -Social DistancingThe Band, Loose Change, Michael Koby

Thursday, February 9 -Neil Halo, Rina March, Daniel McClellan

Friday, February 10 -FourFunerals, War WIthin Dreams, The Kidnap Soundtrack at Acadia

Saturday, February 11 -Scotti Fraser , Proverbial Cool Aid, Colournoise

Sunday, February 12 -Rocking ChairReality Room, Omero, Trebor Villarreal

Thursday, February 16 -Tracing Paces, Alien Shores, Emissary, Zephyr

Friday, February 17 -Hitch Band,Atonement, Hatbox, C.A.S.L.

Saturday, February 18 -Wacken Battle

Sunday, February 19 -Snake Fatherand Bottom Feeders at Acadia

Thursday, February 23 -Origami Button and Lobby Boxer

Friday, February 24 -Kur t Travis with Amarionette at Acadia

Saturday, February 25 -FINALLY

THE FINALS

Sunday, February 26 -Benefit forPitstomper

Morat Perform At The Arena Theatre On February 5th

Morat is a Colombian folk-pop quartet from Bogotá featuring childhood friends Juan Pablo Villamil Cortés (voice, banjo), Juan Pablo Isaza Piñeros (voice, guitar), Alejandro Posada Carrasco (percussion), and Simón Vargas Morales (bass). Their sound melds contemporary and folk instruments with expert songwriting that walks the edges of traditional folk songs, hook-laden pop, punk, rock & roll, corridos, mariachi, cumbias, vallenato, and much more, as evidenced by their 2016 debut longplayer Sobre el Amor y Sus Efectos Secundarios (Love and Its Side Effects). The album showcased a bright, sunny anthemic sound complete with four-part harmonies, pop hooks, expert songwriting, and smooth organicsounding production. Their singles and albums have charted across Latin America and have made real inroads in the U.S. They backed Alejandro Fernandez on “Se Qwue Te Duele,” and placed inside the Top 40. In five short years, they netted a Latin Grammy nod, won four Cadena Dial Awards, and have been certified gold and platinum numerous times. Their sophomore outing, Balas Perdidas in 2017, boasted the number one single and his collaboration with Juanes on the single and video for “Besos en Guerro” rang up more than 20 million views during its first week of release.

Morat was formed in 2015 by childhood friends Juan Pablo Villamil

Cortés (voice, banjo), Juan Pablo Isaza Piñeros (voice, guitar), Alejandro Posada Carrasco (percussion), and Simón Vargas Morales (bass). Their sound combines what Billboard called “Perfect summer road trip pop in Spanish, with banjo adding an Americana touch.” The band was assembled when these friends and classmates graduated from high school. They made their recorded debut with the 2015 single “Mi Nuevo Vicio,” whose version with Paulina Rubio reached the charts not only in Colombia but also in Spain (number one) and Mexico as well as inside the Top 20 on the Latin Songs Airplay chart. They followed with the EP Grabado en Madera, that included the chart-topping digital single “Cómo Te Atreves.” Their debut long-player for Universal, Sobre el Amor y Sus Efectos Secundarios, included no follow-up singles. While on a promotional tour, they began writing their second album. A

slew of singles hit the airwaves and streaming services including “Del Estadio al Cielo,” “Amor con Hielo,” and “Ladrona.” In April of 2017, “Se Que Te Duele,” a collaborative single with Alejandro Fernandez, peaked inside the Top 50 on the Hot Latin Songs chart, followed by the full-length Sobre el Amor y Sus Efectos Secundario...Y Unas Cuantas Cosas Más in June. It peaked at number five on Spain’s album charts and was certified gold and later platinum. It netted them a Latin Grammy nomination and its singles, including “Cómo Te Atreves” were all certified five-times platinum. After wildly successful tours of Spain, Colombia, and Argentina, Morat re-entered the studio. Throughout 2017 and 2018, singles and videos were released, among them “Amor con Hielo,” “Yo Contigo, Tú Conmigo” (feat. Alvaro Soler), and “Besos en Guerra” (feat. Juanes), and all were certified multi-platinum and charted across Latin America.

In 2018, Morat released their sophomore long-player, Balas Perdidas. Its title-track single reached number one in Mexico, followed by gold and platinum certifications, tours of Mexico, the U.S., and Latin America. They also received a Latin Grammy nomination in the Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album category. Throughout 2019, Morat delivered singles and videos that registered at radio and on You Tube. They began 2020 with “No Termino” and followed with “Nunca Te Olvide”; both landed on the airplay charts in Spain, Argentina, and Mexico. In the early spring, just as coronavirus was shutting down the globe, Morat released the single “Bajo La Mesa” (feat. Sebastian Yatra) and followed it in May with “La Bella y La Bestia” in collaboration with Reik.

Steel Panther Perform At The House Of Blues March 1st

HouOn the heels of the recent addition of Spyder as their full-time bassist, California rock legends Steel Panther are announcing their sixth studio album On The Prowl. The album is schedule for release on February 24, 2023 and feature 13 new tracks from the creative brains of Satchel, Michael Starr, Stix Zadinia and Spyder. On The Prowl was produced by Steel Panther and is now available for pre-order in multiple configurations including CD, Cassette, and 2 different color variant vinyl records here at https:// steelpantherrocks.com/collections/on-theprowl.

From the opening synth intro of “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)” to the thunderous outro of “Sleeping On The Rollaway,” Steel Panther is back with the infectious riffs, pounding drums, unforgettable vocals alongside the witty humor that has earned them a global audience. Songs like “On Your Instagram,” “Magical Vagina” and “One Pump Chump” are sure to fit in on the biggest live stages next to the band’s most-memorable songs. “1987” is an incredible retro look at that unforgettable year and the band even slows things down on the reflective “Ain’t Dead Yet.” The first single from On The Prowl is the memorable “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight).” A music video for the song can be seen here at https://youtu.be/ 2myLjGeYOu0!

“The song and video are an absolute

public service announcement. People have been asking Steel Panther for advice on life, love and the pursuit of happiness for decades. ‘Never Too Late’ is a reminder to never give up, follow your heart, realize your dreams, overcome your challenges, navigate the rough seas, reach for stars and any other cliché you have in your pocket,” explains Stix Zadinia.

Satirically pretending to be a hair metal band that missed its big break in the ’80s, singer Ralph Saenz (“Michael Starr”), drummer Darren Leader (“Stix Zadinia”), bassist Travis Haley (“Lexxi Foxxx”), and guitarist Russ Parrish (“Satchel”) hit the club circuit on the Sunset Strip around the turn of the millennium under the name Metal Shop (later changed to Metal Skool, and then to Steel Panther). With big, spiky wigs, leather jackets, zebra-striped spandex, chops earned from playing in a Van Halen tribute band, and lots and lots of machismo, their comic take on sex, drugs, and rock & roll to the extreme caught on quickly, leading to sold-out shows and some unexpected brushes with mainstream success. As their popularity increased, the Hollywood crowd started frequenting their sets, often making appearances on-stage. This led to some opportunities: the band fittingly played the role of a metal band as “Danger Kitty” in a Discover Card commercial; they appeared on The Drew Carey Show as themselves; and their song “FF” was used as the theme for MTV’s Fantasy Factory.

In 2008, the band signed to Universal

Republic. After releasing the singles “Death for All But Metal” and “Community Property,” Steel Panther’s album Feel the Steel was released in October of 2009. The album broke the band onto the Billboard chart, netting them a spot at number 98 on the U.S. charts (and 48 on the rock chart). Not wanting the fun to stop, the band got back to it quickly and in 2011 followed up with Balls Out, which featured guest appearances from comedian Dane Cook and Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, among others. 2014’s All You Can Eat featured the single “Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World,” and featured cover art parodying Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. In 2016, the band issued their first concert LP, Live from Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage, which was released in conjunction with their first full-length feature film, which blended comedic vignettes and other assorted antics with the aforementioned glam-folk garage show.

At the end of 2016, Steel Panther released a cover of Cheap Trick’s “She’s Tight” in advance of their fourth studio album Lower the Bar, arrived in March 2017. The group headed out on tour in support of the album, playing dates across the world before embarking on their Sunset Strip Live tour, which saw the band playing a mix of original material and classic metal covers. Tapping producer Jay Ashton for their fifth album, the band dropped the unabashed Heavy Metal Rules in late 2019, preceded by the single “All I Wanna Do Is F@#k (Myself Tonight).”

Inner Wave Perform At White Oak Music Center February 25th

by Timothy Monger

Los Angeles indie quintet Inner Wave play a bright, experimental mix of psych-pop and synthwave that earned them a significant streaming presence and die-hard regional following in the mid-2010s, thanks in part to songs like “American Spirits” and “Eclipse.” The group’s quirky but catchy songs and combined Filipino, Colombian, and Mexican heritage have helped make them underground stars in the area’s Latinx indie rock community alongside acts like Chicano Batman and Cuco. Their 2017 album, Underwater Pipe Dreams, proved to be somewhat of a breakout, earning critical acclaim and increasing their visibility on a national level. They followed it in 2021 with the ambitious Apoptosis.

A group of childhood friends from Inglewood who began playing together in their teens, the band consists of Pablo Sotelo (vocals/guitar), Jean Pierre Narvaez (bass/vocals), Chris Runners (keys/vocals), Elijah Trujillo (guitar/ keys), and Luis Portillo (drums). An early diet of bands like the Arctic Monkeys, the Strokes, and Gorillaz fueled their imagination as they learned their instruments and began writing songs together during high school in the late 2000s. By the time they began releasing music in 2012, Inner Wave had transformed themselves into a psychdriven indie pop band with a lo-fi bent and a strong D.I.Y. presence. A series of self-released singles and EPs paved the way for their first full-length, 2013’s III. The album’s bubbly lo-fi single, “American Spirits,” went on to notch millions of streams on major streaming platforms.

The exploratory Sun Transmissions followed a year later as Inner Wave continued to build buzz as a live band. A steady stream of signals throughout early 2017 preceded the August release of their ambitious third album, Underwater Pipe Dreams. An hour long and boasting 18 tracks, the experimental set was followed in 2018 by similarly toned companion EP, Underwater +, further bolstering their reputation as a creative and engaging act. Inner Wave returned in 2019 with the warped but sunny EP wya, and a concert album, Live at the Fonda, Los Angeles, 2019. A fourth studio album finally materialized in 2021, Apoptosis, another eclectic and sophisticated set, partly recorded live in the studio and completed in quarantine by singer/guitarist Pablo Sotelo.

Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will kick off their 2023 international tour with 31 performances across the United States. The tour begins Wednesday, Feb. 1, at Amalie Arena, 401 Channelside Drive, Tampa, touching down in Houston, TX on February 14th

The shows will mark Springsteen and the E Street Band’s first tour dates since February 2017, and their first in North America since September 2016.

Springsteen’s 2020 studio album, “Letter to You” on Columbia Records, marked the first time he and the E Street Band recorded live together in decades and debuted at No. 1 in 11 countries. Their most recent tour, the River Tour in 2016-2017, was named 2016’s top global tour by both Billboard and Pollstar.

In November, Springsteen released “Only the Strong Survive,” a solo cover album of R&B and soul songs.

The E Street Band’s members include Roy Bittan on piano, Nils Lofgren on guitar, Patti Scialfa on guitar and vocals, Garry Tallent on bass guitar, Stevie Van Zandt on guitar and vocals, Max Weinberg on drums, Soozie Tyrell on violin, guitar, and vocals, Jake Clemons on saxophone, and Charlie Giordano on keyboards.

An outsider and recluse in school, Springsteen frequently got in trouble at his Catholic elementary school. “In the third grade, a nun stuffed me in a garbage can under her desk because she said that’s where I belonged,” he said. “I also had the distinction of being the only altar boy knocked down by a priest during mass.” Several years later, he skipped his own high school graduation because he felt too uncomfortable to attend.

In 1967, an 18-year-old Springsteen was drafted for military service in the Vietnam War. But, as he later told Rolling Stone magazine, the only thought in his head as he traveled to his induction was “I ain’t goin’.”

Springsteen failed his physical, largely due to his deliberately “crazy” behavior and a concussion previously suffered in a motorcycle accident. Springsteen’s 4-F

Bruce Springsteen Performs At Toyota Center February 14th

classification — unfit for military service — freed him from having to go to Vietnam and allowed him to pursue music full time.

By the late 1960s, Springsteen was spending most of his time in Asbury Park on the New Jersey Shore, playing in several different bands while he forged his unique sound and introduced audiences to the gravelly baritone voice for which he would later become famous. It was there that he first met the musicians who would later form his E Street Band. Around this time, Springsteen also acquired his nickname, “The Boss,” because he had a habit of collecting money earned during shows and then distributing it evenly among his band mates.

After signing with Columbia Records, Springsteen released his first studio album in 1973. Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. garnered critical acclaim but slow sales. Many compared him to Bob Dylan for his introspective lyrics and poetic style, but this did not immediately help Springsteen make it big. Springsteen and the E Street Band followed their debut with The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle later

the same year, and again found themselves lauded by critics but largely dismissed by the public.

In 1975, after more than a year in the studio, Springsteen released a third album, Born to Run, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and skyrocketed him to fame. Drawing heavily on Springsteen’s New Jersey roots, the album offered soaring guitars, largerthan-life characters, urban romance and a rebellious spirit that captured the essence of the American Dream and connected with audiences of all ages.

Springsteen’s next album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, released in 1978, was a more somber affair, emphasizing themes of lost love, depression and existential suffering. “The whole force of Darkness was a survival thing,” he said. “After Born to Run, I had a reaction to my good fortune. With success, it felt like a lot of people who’d come before me lost some essential part of themselves. My greatest fear was that success was going to change or diminish that part of myself.”

To promote the album, Springsteen

continued on next page

Bruce Springsteen

(continued from previous page)

and the E Street Band embarked on a cross-country tour that would make them famous for their marathon performances (three or four hours per show), boisterous behavior and infectious energy, captivating audiences from California to New York. During this time, Springsteen also became famous for his integrity and pride as a performer, as stories of his exhausting performances and perfectionism in the recording studio became legendary.

Darkness at the Edge of Town marked a shift in Springsteen’s musical style that he continued in his next two albums, The River (1980) and Nebraska (1982), which both explored themes about working-class Americans. Nebraska was a raw, solo acoustic effort that has been lauded by music fans for its provocative sound. But Springsteen’s explosion into rock superstardom came in 1984 when he released Born in the U.S.A. With seven singles hitting the top of the Billboard Charts—including “Glory Days,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Cover Me” — the album would become one of the bestselling records of all time and spark a successful world tour.

Deeply affected by his conflicted love life and failed marriage to actress Julianne Phillips, Springsteen wrote and released Tunnel of Love in 1987. The album examined themes of love, loss,

confusion and heartbreak, tracing the extreme highs and lows of relationships. As Dave Marsh from Creem magazine prophetically wrote in 1975, “Springsteen’s music is often strange because it has an almost traditional sense of beauty, an inkling of the awe you can feel when, say, first falling in love or finally discovering that the magic in the music is also in you. Which may also be first falling in love.”

Springsteen dissolved the E Street Band in 1989 and relocated with his new wife and family to California in the early 1990s. The albums he produced during this period — Human Touch and Lucky Town, released on the same day in 1992 — came from a happier place; ironically as his personal life improved, his songs seemed to lack the emotional intensity that had made him so famous in earlier years. He was criticized by his fans for

“going Hollywood” and no longer recording with the E Street Band. As happy as he may have been in his personal life, the early 1990s were not Springsteen’s glory days as an artist.

He began to bounce back with The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995), an acoustic set musically reminiscent of Nebraska and lyrically inspired by Pulitzer Prize–winning writers and books (John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath and Dale Maharidge’s Journey to Nowhere: The Saga of the New Underclass). Springsteen also recorded an Oscarwinning song, “The Streets of Philadelphia,” for the movie Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks. In 1999, Springsteen reunited the E Street Band to tour in support of a new Greatest Hits album, selling out stadiums around the world despite his long absence from the limelight. It was the same year in which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2002, Springsteen and the E Street Band released their first studio album in 18 years, The Rising, which became both a critical and commercial success. Lyrically wrestling with the pain, anger and anguish caused by the September 11th terrorist attacks of 2001, the album restored Springsteen’s status as one of America’s most iconic musicians.

Later in the decade, Springsteen continued to experiment with different sounds. Devils & Dust (2005) was a bleak, sparse acoustic record in the vein of Nebraska and The Ghost of Tom Joad. We Shall Overcome: The Seeger

continued on next page

Sessions (2006) was something completely different, a throwback jamboree of folksy Americana. Magic (2007) was a more traditional rock album incorporating the full E Street Band, a record viewed by many fans and critics as the true follow-up to The Rising.

Springsteen wrote the songs on Magic in something of a blue mood, discouraged by the Iraq War and declining health of E Street keyboardist and longtime friend Danny Federici, who died in April 2008. Just a few years later, Springsteen would mourn the death of fellow E-Street founding member and saxophonist Clarence Clemons, who died of complications from a stroke.

Continuing to thrive as a performer and songwriter, in 2012 Springsteen released the album Wrecking Ball, which, along with its single “We Take Care of Our Own,” was nominated for three Grammy Awards and fueled a highly successful tour. In 2014, Springsteen released High Hopes, his 18th studio album, which shot to the top of the U.S. and U.K. music charts. The High Hopes Tour followed and was considered to be a continuation of the record-breaking Wrecking Ball Tour. In April of that same year, the E-Street Band was inducted into the Rock Roll Hall of Fame.

Showing few signs of slowing down, in 2015 Springsteen celebrated the 35th anniversary of The River with a tour and a box set entitled The Ties That

Bruce Springsteen

(continued from previous page)

Bind: The River Collection, which included previously unreleased songs. Springsteen followed in 2016 with his memoir, Born To Run, along with a companion album entitled Chapter and Verse, which included five previously unreleased songs, some dating back to the 1960s.

In June 2019, Springsteen released Western Stars, his first full album of original material in seven years. Filled with its creator’s usual vivid character depictions, the album also featured what Pitchfork described as “sweeping

orchestral accompaniments unlike anything in his catalog.”

Springsteen released his 20th studio album featuring the E Street Band, Letter to You, on October 23, 2020. He also released an accompanying special on Apple TV +.

In 2017 Springsteen made his Broadway debut in Springsteen on Broadway. Held at the Walter Kerr Theatre, the solo effort featured the artist performing some of his hits and sharing stories of his influences and formative years. After receiving a special Tony Award in June 2018, presented by Billy Joel, Springsteen closed out his show at the end of the year.

The following summer Springsteen’s music was the focal point of the feature Blinded by the Light, about a British teenager of Pakastani descent who draws inspiration from the working-class yearnings of the Boss. According to director Gurinder Chadha, Springsteen expressed his appreciation of the film after a screening, saying, “Thank you for looking after me so beautifully.”

Open 6 Days A Week

Tuesday thru Sunday

Wednesday, February 1 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, February 2 - Chad Ware

Friday, February 3 - Jamie Lynn Vessels

Saturday, February 4 - Lightning Rob

Sunday, February 5- Katie’s Blues Jam featuring guest host Paul Ramirez

Wednesday, February 8 - Katie’s Jam with Pierce

Thursday, February 9 - James & The Classix

Friday, February 10 - Peewee Bowen (8pm - 12am)

Saturday, February 11 - Sonny Wolf

Sunday, February 12- Katie’s Blues Jam featuring guest host Lightning Rob

Wednesday, February 15 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, February 16 - Chris Casteneda

Friday, February 17 - Pierce & The Purple Moon

Saturday, February 18 - Wake Zone

Sunday, February 19- Katie’s Blues Jam featuring guest host Hugo Jamz

Wednesday, February 22 - Katie’s Jam with Bob Emmons

Thursday, February 23 - Hugo Jamz Trio

Friday, February 24 - Blues Survivors

Saturday, February 25 - Snit’s Dog & Pony Show

Sunday, February 26 - Katie’s Jam with Pierce

Grace Potter

by Marisa Brown

A bluesy, roots rock specialist with a powerful voice, Grace Potter is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (primarily Hammond B-3 and guitar) who burst onto the scene in the early 2000s both as a solo artist and with her band the Nocturnals. The group went widescreen in 2013 with their eponymous third studio album, which paired country and heartland rock with muscular Memphis-style grooves. She returned to her solo career in 2015 with the Midnight LP, which was followed by Daylight in 2019.

Born in Waitsfield, Vermont, Grace Potter grew up in a family that encouraged her artistic pursuits in areas from music to theater, the latter of which she was studying at St. Lawrence University when drummer Matt Burr heard her singing at an open-mike night in 2002 and asked if she would form a band with him. She declined, but when her high school friend and bass player Courtright Beard enrolled in their college, she reconsidered the invitation, and the three of them began to write and perform jazzinfluenced songs, with Potter also taking up duties on the Hammond B-3. Soon, guitarist Scott Tournet joined, and the bandmembers, calling themselves Grace Potter & the Nocturnals — thanks to their late-night practice habits — began to think seriously about making music their careers. When Burr graduated in 2003, they decided to move back to Vermont to some land that Potter’s parents owned and dedicate themselves more fully to their craft, replacing Beard (who chose to stay at school) with Bryan Dondero in the process.

In 2004 they self-released their debut, Original Soul, receiving positive response and comparisons to artists like Norah Jones and early Bonnie Raitt. This in turn garnered major-label offers, but the band preferred to build its fan base with constant touring and festival appearances. Word of their electric performances spread, and shortly after their second album, Nothing But the Water — also self-released — came out in 2005, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals signed to Hollywood Records. Their third full-length, This Is Somewhere, hit shelves nationwide in August 2007. In 2010, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals was released; Hollywood pulled out all the stops in order to break the band internationally. Over the next year-and-a-half, they toured incessantly, releasing a foursong Christmas EP, a live album in the U.K., and a digital download-only set recorded live at the Fillmore. Potter’s

Grace Potter Performs At White Oak Music Center

February 24th

duet with Kenny Chesney, “You and Tequila,” was nominated for Single of the Year Vocal Collaboration at the American Country Awards, and the pair performed it at the CMA Awards. In June of 2012, a new studio album, The Lion the Beast the Beat, by Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, was released. Peaking at 17 on the Billboard 200, The Lion the Beast the Beat received the most attention of any Nocturnals record yet released, but Potter decided to go solo for her next album, 2015’s Midnight. Produced by

Eric Valentine, who also co-wrote many of the songs, the album appeared in August of 2015. She returned to the studio with Valentine in 2019 for the emotionally charged Daylight, which arrived in the wake of the official breakup of the Nocturnals, a divorce, a marriage, and the birth of her first child. 2020 saw Potter issue the moving oneoff single “Eachother,” which featured guest vocals from Jackson Browne, Marcus King, and Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius.

Show Me The Body Perform At Warehouse Live February 19th

by Mark Deming

A New York-based hardcore trio who augment their minimal bass-and-drums assault with samples, electronic manipulation, and the occasional report of a banjo, Show Me the Body are musical activists dedicated to protecting the people and culture of their community as well as the city’s underground music scene. The hard impact of their music is paired with lyrics that speak out against political repression and the culture of hate. Initially attached to New York’s Letter Racer collective, they released a series of critically acclaimed EPs and albums, including 2016’s full-length Body War, which netted them a deal with Loma Vista. Over the next several years, Show Me the Body released a handful of small releases and began a community effort called Corpus, which is centered around collaboration within their musical neighborhood. After producing music for several other Corpus artists, they returned with 2019’s socially conscious Dog Whistle, and added greater electronic textures on 2022’s Trouble the Water.

Taking their name from the legal term “corpus delicti,” the first lineup of Show Me the Body featured Julian Cashwan Pratt on lead vocals and banjo, Harlan Steed on bass and sampler, and Gabriel Millman on drums and sampler. The group’s story began when Pratt and Steed were both students at

Elisabeth Irwin High School, a progressive school in Manhattan. The two became friends and decided to form a band. Initially known as U-Lock Justice, the group became a trio with the addition of Millman and changed their name to Show Me the Body. Becoming part of the Letter Racer collective — a community of conscious underground artists and musicians that also includes the hip-hop group Ratking — Show Me the Body soon developed a potent reputation in New York City, playing to growing crowds in makeshift alternative venues around the city. In 2015, Letter Racer released the group’s first EP, S M T B; that same year, Gabriel Millman dropped out of the band, and Noah CohenCorbett took his place on drums and sampler.

The album Body War followed in 2016, earning enthusiastic press and attracting the attention of the independent label Loma Vista Records. Loma Vista struck a deal with Show Me the Body and reissued the debut album before the year was out. In January 2017, Show Me the Body made headlines in the music press when, shortly after they had been announced as part of the lineup for the 2017 Coachella Festival, they declared they would not take part in the event. Two days later, they announced they would be playing Coachella after all, and while in California, they would also perform benefit shows for environmental and LGBTrelated charities as well as donating their

performance fee from the festival to the same organizations. Later that year, the band released a highly collaborative mixtape, Corpus 1, with various artists from their musical community. Inspired by working together, the band launched Corpus as a community effort and, in 2018, produced projects for friends like Dreamcrusher, Dog Breath, and Tripp Jones. Show Me the Body returned to their own work the following year and released 2019’s Dog Whistle, their sophomore Two years later, the band issued the hard-hitting EP Survive, informed by their experiences visiting the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum while touring in Poland. It was their first release with drummer Jackie Jackieboy, who replaced Noah Cohen-Corbett as SMTB built a new studio and pondered new ways to interact with their audience during the COVID-19 lockdown. That same year, SMTB contributed the track “Stone Cold Earth” to the album DC’s Dark Nights: Death Metal (Original Soundtrack), an intense album of music tied in to the ambitious comic series. October 2022 brought Show Me the Body’s third album, Trouble the Water, where their hard-edged sound showed off a greater electronic influence. The band played a pair of festival dates in the United States to promote the release before mounting an extensive tour of Europe, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Thy Art Is Murder Bring Their “Decade Of Hate Tour” To Warehouse Live March 1st

by James Christopher Monger

A hard-hitting Aussie deathcore unit in the vein of Carnifex, Whitechapel, and Suicide Silence, New South Wales-based Thy Art Is Murder specialize in savage breakdowns and punishing, tech-heavy blasts of djent-fueled riffage. Formed in 2006 around the original lineup of vocalist Brendan Van Ryn, guitarists Gary Markowski and Sean Delander, bassist Josh King, and drummer Lee Stanton, the band issued a debut EP, Infinite Death, in 2008, which clawed its way into the Top Ten on the Australian independent charts. Van Ryn left the group shortly after

the record’s release, citing creative differences, and was replaced by Chris “CJ” McMahon from Sydney metalcore band Vegas in Ruins.

After a flurry of lineup changes, the group headed into the studio to lay down tracks for their debut longplayer, the Skull & Bones-issued The Adversary (2010). In 2012 the band released their sophomore studio LP, Hate, through Aussie independent label Halfcut, leading to a record deal with Nuclear Blast, which reissued the album the following year. The record charted in both the U.S. and Australia, and garnered mostly positive reviews, as did their third

studio album, 2015’s Will Putneyproduced Holy War. The Depression Sessions, a vinyl-only split album with Fit for an Autopsy and the Acacia Strain, preceded the release of the group’s highly anticipated fourth full-length effort, 2017’s Dear Desolation. Following the announcement that founding drummer Lee Stanton had left the group, they promoted his fill-in, Jesse Beahler, to fill the role. Beahler made his first appearance as a bona fide Thy Art Is Murder member on their 2019 album, Human Target.

Chris D’Elia Performs at Smart Financial Center February 5

Chris D’Elia is an American standup comedian, actor, writer, and podcast host. He is known for playing Alex Miller on the NBC sitcom Whitney, Danny Burton on the NBC sitcom Undateable, Kenny on the ABC television series The Good Doctor and Henderson on the Netflix thriller series You.

D’Elia started acting in high school and had some guest roles on Chicago Hope.[10] He attended New York University and studied acting, but dropped out after a year because he did not like college. He then appeared in a movie that went straight to DVD. During his downtime as an actor, he started writing scripts. When he was 25 he decided to try stand-up comedy, which he had always wanted to do.

D’Elia has been performing stand-up comedy since 2006. His first set was at the Ha Ha Café in North Hollywood. He considers himself to be a stand-up comedian who acts. He has been featured on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham, Comedy Central Presents, and Showtime’s Live Nude Comedy. He was introduced to a broader audience as a regular on the series Glory Daze, which ran for one season on TBS. He was initially cast only for the pilot and was later made a series regular. He then co-starred in the NBC

comedy series Whitney, opposite comedian Whitney Cummings, for two seasons.

D’Elia was one of three hosts of the Ten Minute Podcast (2012–2015), along with Bryan Callen and Will Sasso. Since February 2017, he has hosted the weekly podcast Congratulations with Chris D’Elia, which has charted in the top 20 comedy podcasts in multiple countries. Listeners of the podcast are often referred to as ‘Babies’. Other podcasts have been heavily influenced by his style, including The Fighter and the Kid. D’Elia also gained over 2 million followers on Vine.

In January 2013, D’Elia released his debut parody rap album, as MC “Chank Smith”, called Such Is Life (produced by Mr. Green).

On December 6, 2013, D’Elia’s first one-hour stand-up special, White Male Black Comic, aired on Comedy Central. He has had three subsequent comedy specials: Incorrigible (2015), Man On Fire (2017) and No Pain (2020), all of which aired on Netflix. These were directed by his father, with the exception of No Pain which was directed by his brother.

D’Elia had a lead role in the 2014–2016 NBC sitcom Undateable as Danny Burton, a ladies’ man whose friends are all

in one way or another “undateable”. The show often incorporated improvisation, with a cast of stand-up comics who were friends before the show. In 2015, executive producer Bill Lawrence and comics from the cast (D’Elia, Brent Morin, Ron Funches and Rick Glassman) went on a series of stand-up tour dates to promote the show.

In 2016, D’Elia headlined the Leafly 420 Comedy Tour show in Chicago with special guest Ron Funches.

In March 2019, it was announced that D’Elia had been cast in the recurring role of Henderson on the second season of the Netflix thriller series You.

On an April 2018 episode of his Congratulations podcast, D’Elia imitated rapper Eminem and made fun of Eminem’s middle-aged fans, while conceding that Eminem was “one of the best rappers of all time”. Positive reaction to that imitation led D’Elia to imitate Eminem’s rapping again in videos he posted online in September 2018 (in his car) and January 2019 (in his garage). In February 2019, Eminem posted the garage video on his Twitter account, writing, “This is INCREDIBLE!!! 4 a second I actually thought it WAS me!!” The May 2019 single “Homicide” by Logic featuring Eminem then included an audio clip from the car video at the end of the song. D’Elia said that it was a “huge honor” to be included in the song and that he did not ask for any royalties. D’Elia then had a substantial role in the music video for the song, released in June 2019, which had each rapper’s part performed/lip-synced by someone else: Logic’s part was performed by actor Chauncey Leopardi (in reference to a humorous internet meme that claimed that the two were the same person), Eminem’s part was performed by D’Elia, and D’Elia’s part was performed by Eminem, mimicking the appearance of D’Elia in the car video.

In August 2020, it was officially announced that D’Elia would be replaced by Tig Notaro in Army of the Dead (2021). Trailers for the film were released in April 2021 with Notaro in place of D’Elia.

On January 13, 2022, Brendan Schaub and Theo Von added D’Elia to their weekly podcast “King and the Sting”, renaming it to “King and the Sting and Wing”. On November 4, 2022, “King and the Sting and Wing” was officially renamed “The Golden Hour”, with Workaholics actor Erik Griffin Replacing Von.

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

This February at Leon’s Lounge

Wednesday, Feb. 1 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, February 2 - Industry Night!

Friday, February 3 - Scotty B.

Saturday, February 4 - Lush Life

Sunday, February 5 - The Lab with Arlo B - Comedy Open Mic Night

Monday, February 6 - Industry Night & Vinyl Night with DJ B Barrass

Tuesday, February 7 - Tackle Poetry Tuesday & Trivia

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

Thursday, February 9 - Bunch Of Hacks presents “Bombs Over Leon’s” Comedy Show

Friday, February 10 - G Nathan Mays

Saturday, February 11 - White Oak Bayou Band

Sunday, February 12 - Superbowl Party with The Lab with Arlo B - Comedy Open Mic Night after the game

Monday, February 13 - Pre-Valentines Industry Night & Vinyl Night with DJ B Barrass

Tuesday, February 14 - Valentine’s Day / Ladies Night with Eddie

Wednesday, Feb. 15 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, February 16 - Industry Night!

Friday, February 17 - Southern Soul Revival with Leonard “Low Down” Brown

Saturday, February 18 - Lush Life

Sunday, February 19 - The Lab with Arlo B - Comedy Open Mic Night and Sunday Night Live Comedy Show

Monday, February 20 - Industry Night

Tuesday, February 21 - “Phat Monday” Pre-Mardi Gras Industry Night

Wednesday, Feb. 22 - Randy Soffar Singer/Songwriter Song Swap and Open Mic @ 8:00 pm

Thursday, February 23 - Bunch Of Hacks presents “Bombs Over Leon’s” Comedy Show

Friday, February 24 - Suzanne Walker & Special Guest

Saturday, February 25 - The Lightnin’ Bros.

Sunday, February 26 - The Lab with Arlo B - Comedy Open Mic Night and Sunday Night Live Comedy Show

Monday, February 27 - Industry Night & Vinyl Night with DJ B Barrass

Tuesday, February 28 - Tackle Poetry Tuesday & Trivia

The Biker, The Blues & The Louisiana Prison Work Gang

If you’re going east on I-10 in Louisiana just about where Port Allen is located you run into a junction and the road going south is named Highway 1. Highway 1 follows the Mississippi River and it’s a nice ride on two wheels. On this day I took the exit as I was headed to a place I heard about named Roberto’s River Road Restaurant in a city named Sunshine. I had been told that on the outside Roberto’s wasn’t much to look at but once inside it’s the place to be for authentic Cajun cooking. So here I was tooling along at about 55, ok maybe 75 at most, but it was a nice day just right for scooting down the road. I kept glancing at the Mississippi every time I was close enough to get a good view and I noticed a state sign that read roadside rest ahead. Seemed like a good time to stretch the legs, use the facilities, and sit at a picnic table and watch the waters of Mississippi roll by. So this is what I did. Soon a white un-descript van pulled up and a man wearing a pistol got out. That’s always a curiosity of course so he got my attention and was definitely holding on to it. He opened the back door of the van and eight women wearing stripes got out. Each one had a gunny sack and a pole with a nail on one end. It didn’t take much to figure out that it was either a county or state prison work gang. They were either there to use the restroom or they were there to clean it up a bit. It turned out to be the latter. They all seemed rather relaxed including the man in charge. So they began doing their thing while the man with the side arm came walking toward me. I thought oh no here we go. He saw the bike and now who am I? I didn’t want to get rousted out the park so they could clean it or worse yet be harassed but true to form after the gentleman asked to sit at the table he then proceeded to ask the standard and usual set of questions. Nice enough guy but dead serious about his job. He stopped long enough to look closer at two

women talking to each other. He yelled out for one of them to come to us. She approached us and the officer asked her if she knew the rules and the young woman said yes. Then he told her to sit down with us which she complied immediately. It was about this time that a really cool good looking 69’ Corvette pulled up with two young women inside. This got everybody’s attention. It could have been the loud music that initially got everyone’s attention, I am not sure but the car’s presence sure caused a stir. I wondered if this was going to be a problem and I think the man in charge did too as He said excuse me and off he went leaving the young con sitting there with me. Hmm, I thought this conversation could get interesting really quick. Now I cannot tell you why but I can tell you that the next thing I did was fire up the cylindrical boom box I pack with me. I opened my phone to iTunes and chose Queen Latifah’s “Baby Get Lost”. A nice, sexy R&B number. Shame on me, shame on me, shame on me! She smiled and I asked how long you in for? She said six months with about four more to go, that’s why I am out here. Then she asked me, “Do

continued on next page

The Biker, The Blues & The Louisiana Prison Work Gang

I know you?” I immediately said no, I am not from around here. She said but you sure look like someone I know but I can’t quite remember where or when. The boss man was still over checking out the situation with the two visitors and hadn’t returned yet. The gal sitting across from me said they were a bit anxious to get out of there because the place is haunted. I said really? She said yep really. I said well I don’t see any ghosts and without missing a beat she said if you give me your wallet you can watch me disappear. We laughed, that was funny, and I don’t care who you are, a great sense of humor. I saw the boss man looking at us and soon he began to work his way back. He sat and down and asked, “What kind of BS did this one give you?” I said just something about this place being haunted. He looked dead straight into my eyes and said well that ain’t no BS, it is haunted. Everyone in these parts knows that. I asked him if he liked the blues and he said yes and asked what do you have with you? I said how about Sam Cooke doing “Working On The Chain Gang” he smiled and said well I think that song is more rock than blues and I said well not if you are a work detail maybe. He thought that was funny and barrel laughed out loud. I went to tell him that Cooke wrote the song after stopping for a smoke and a chain gang member asked him for a cigarette which is true. He passed them out to everybody that wanted one. The experience stayed with him long after he had met them. The song was released in 1960 and would go on to be Cooke’s second best seller of all time. The boss man looked up and told the inmate to go work with the others, she smiled at me and said yes sir and left immediately. I took the liberty of asking him what kind of apparitions had been reported at this road side rest. He said back when slavery was all through the south when some of the men would break free they would follow the Mississippi River north. Story goes that one of those men was shot dead over by the river bank. Since then many people have reported feeling a presence at sunset and on into the night especially truck drivers that pull in to rest. We talked a bit and then he went on with his business. As they packed up the gal that had been sitting with me smiled and waved goodbye. I did the same and sat there thinking about her quick smart ass comment regarding seeing her disappear. Odd how folks end up on the wrong side of the law and you can have this preconceived notion of what all cons are like. Then you meet one like this gal and that mental image is partially wiped out. Another song popped into my head and I looked it up and sure enough it was in my music library. The name is “I Fought The Law” sung by the Bobby Fuller Four, released in ‘66, however the song was actually written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and then popularized by the Bobby Fuller Four. A catchy upbeat tempo wit a lyric that announces “Breaking rocks in the hot sun, I fought the law and the law won.” The song seemed appropriate. Sort of a melancholy goodbye on this rather interesting day as I had already liked the song but now seeing what it might be like first hand but then again not cool in another.

continued on next page

The Biker, The Blues & The Louisiana Prison Work Gang

Interesting world. You meet all kinds of folks along the way. I thought if I don’t get my ass packed up I might meet a ghost that roams the park starting at sunset. That would be something else, wonder if it really does happen? My hunger alarm was going off and so it was time to move on. Checked the gas level and sure enough it would be time for some fuel shortly. Louisiana is an interesting state, it’s got every thing, what’s not to like? I finally made it to Roberto’s River Road Restaurant and it was indeed all that I had been told about. So I asked the waiter for the name of a motel with a bar close it and he obliged. I paid up and away I went. Found the motel and I found the bar too. You know a man has to have his priorities in life…. You parked around the rear of this bar and when I got back there I saw trucks, cars, bikes, and people smoking. I got a quick thumbs up from a guy by the door and a number of once overs from the others. You know joints can be deceiving. They look one way on the outside and completely different inside. This was one of those places. You talk about a nice stage area plus you can tell this place has it rockin’ big time. I walked straight into Alvin Lee’s “Bluest Blues” on the box. Nice way to discover a new place and build anticipation for what’s coming up. Alvin Lee of course was the consume’ of blues rock guitar and then you match his telling vocals with his fret movements and the man was shredding not only his axe but the audience too. Live it was captivating and the later they captured the man in stereo and today it’s on all the hot blues playlists around. So I walked into this and found an empty bar stool. Booze inside, cigarettes and cigars outside. I took my scotch out the back door and found a spot on the railing for it and then fired up an H. Upmann 50 ring Connecticut wrapper. Life was good. A band member stood next to me and shook my hand. He said he saw me pull up on my scooter and that the plates were out of state. I said yes, just passing through and looking to take in some good music tonight. He asked me who favorite blues artist was and I told him I have never been able to narrow it down to one or just a few but I do favor slow dirty blues. He raised his eyebrows a bit and just nodded. I was standing there thinking about how lucky I was to be able to have my health and the freedom to take in America. A person doesn’t have to leave home to be at peace with him or herself but in my case for some reason some shrink I suppose could define this is where it is for me. The blues touches your soul and it doesn’t matter if the performer is some well known artist or someone you never heard of, if they’ve got the fire inside it will come out. I am learning that the emotion is the same wherever you go just the accents and the style of food to some degree are the differences. People are people and the blues is the common denominator. You can put a pinky in and just briefly experience it but if you do eventually you will be back for more. The same goes for being up on two wheels. It has it’s moments in traffic for sure but as the song relays in “Easy Rider” “I wanna be a bird!” basically this is real freedom. Then there are degrees of getting into it, casually, a bit more, or in it all the way whether it’s the blues or bikes. It’s a way of life, it’s a culture. Nothing kicks ass more that blues rock and nothing can hit home more than traditional blues with its down to earth visualizations about life. Ever lost your keys and couldn’t find them? Ever lost a love and still can’t get over that feeling? The blues is written by those that feel it and because it is real it hits home big time. This place I was visiting was cool to the max and the cool thing is that there are hundreds of them all around the world. The blues knows no borders we all dig it. No ghosts this time but if you ever travel south on Highway 1 in Louisiana get your ass out of the roadside rests along the Mississippi by dusk. My mind is still on that sweetie that had four months to go - maybe I will come back...

John Mellencamp

John Mellecamp has announced his U.S. tour “Live and In Person 2023” is set to kick off in this month. The tour is presented by longtime promoter AEG Presents and sponsored by Turner Classic Movies. The tour will see 76 shows beginning with two nights in Bloomington, Indiana on February 5 and February 6 and concluding with two nights in South Bend, Indiana on June 23 and 24. The tour includes multiple nights in New York City, Chicago, Vancouver, Nashville, Clearwater, Minneapolis and more, as well as stops in TCM’s home of Atlanta, Los Angeles and other major cities across the U.S. Mellencamp’s “Live And In Person 2023” tour will hit the Houston area with a performance at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land on February 25th.

The partnership with TCM is a landmark collaboration and a first for Mellencamp, who has never previously had a tour promotional partner in all his years of performing live. Mellencamp is a member of the Rock and Roll and Songwriters Halls of Fame, a recipient of the John Steinbeck Award, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award, The Woody Guthrie Award, the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and most recently, the Founders Award, the top honor assigned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers.

Born October 7, 1951 in Seymour, Indiana, John Mellencamp fell in love with music at an early age and was gigging in local bars and fronting a soul band by the time he was 14. His professional music career began in earnest in 1976 when MCA Records released his first album, The Chestnut Street Incident. His manager dubbed him Johnny Cougar out of his belief that nobody would buy a record by anybody named Mellencamp. John protested but was overruled and eventually, of course, reclaimed his birth name as his public name.

John Mellencamp Brings His “Live And In Person 2023” Tour To Smart Financial Centre February 25th

“Crumblin Down,” “The Authority Song,” “Small Town,” “Rain On The Scarecrow,” “Lonely Ol Night,” “”R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A.,” “Paper In Fire,” “Check It Out,” “Cherry Bomb,” “Pop Singer,” and “Jackie Brown.”

After releasing a few albums, he broke out in 1979 with his first hit, “I Need A Lover” In 1982 his fifth album American Fool was the year’s bestselling album on the strength of two huge hits, “Hurts So Good,” and the number 1 single “Jack & Diane,” The albums that followed in the 80’s, UhHuh, Scarecrow, Lonesome Jubilee, and Big Daddy, were released under the name John Cougar Mellencamp. Hit singles during this period included continued on next page

Mellencamp took the music on the road with a band that many considered the best in the business, playing approxi-

mately 1,000 shows around the globe during the decade. In 1985, John’s concern for the plight of the American farmer, which had been voiced in the Scarecrow album, brought him together with Willie Nelson and Neil Young in launching Farm Aid. It became an annual event and has helped make people aware

John Mellencamp

(continued from previous page)

of the issues farmers face and how they affect on the entire nation.

By the early 1990’s “Cougar” was finally gone from John’s name and a string of successful albums as John Mellencamp—Whenever We Wanted, Human Wheels and Dance Naked (including the number 2 single “Wild Night”)—were released. In 1991 John made his film debut, starring in and directing Falling From Grace, a modest box office success that was well received by critics.

John suffered a mild heart attack while touring in 1994 in support of Dance Naked. This forced him to take a break from his music career, but he returned strong in 1996 and released Mr. Happy Go Lucky, which featured the hit “Key West Intermezzo” (I Saw You First). Healthier and happier, he returned to touring in 1997 and continued to write and record frequently. Releases included 1998’s John Mellencamp, 1999’s Rough Harvest, 2001’s Cuttin Heads, and 2003’s Trouble No More . Hit singles during that time ranged from “Your Life Is Now” to “I’m Not Running Anymore” to “Peaceful World.” John continued to tour throughout 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006.

Mellencamp was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He’s a Grammy-winner and the recipient of numerous awards including

The Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck Awards, ASCAP Foundation’s Champion Award and their highest honor the Founders Award, the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting and the Billboard Century Award, amongst a host of other honors.

Words & Music: John Mellencamp’s Greatest Hits was released in 2005. It was his first career-spanning collection and featured 35 of his biggest hits plus two new songs, one of which, “Walk Tall,” was backed with an awardwinning video that condemned discrimination. It was followed in January of 2007 by a new studio album, Freedom’s Road, which featured the hit song “Our Country.”

By summer of 2005, he had already begun working on his next album—a collaboration with producer T Bone Burnett, Life, Death, Love, and Freedom—which was released in July, 2008. No Better Than This was also produced by T Bone Burnett and was recorded at historic facilities in the American South: The First African Baptist Church in Savannah, Sun Studio in Memphis and Room 414 of the Gunter Hotel in San Antonio where Robert Johnson recorded more than 70 years earlier. For the record, Mellencamp’s songs were recorded on a 55 year-old mono tape recorder using just one microphone. The album was released in August of 2010 and the 2009 summer

tour of minor league baseball parks with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson that spawned it are documented in It’s About You, a documentary film by Kurt and Ian Markus that premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in March of 2010. That summer, John co-headlined shows with Bob Dylan and then started his No Better Than This theater tour in his hometown of Bloomington, IN showing It’s About You each night as the opening act.

The release of No Better Than This was preceded a few weeks by the fourCD box set, On The Rural Route 7609, made up mainly of versions of some of his classic songs. These included two tracks from iconic individuals: race relations expert Dr. Cornel West (who dramatically recited the lyrics to “Jim Crow”) and Academy Award-winning actress Joanne Woodward (John’s favorite actress) who provided an emotionally charged reading of the lyrics to “The Real Life.” Universal issued John Mellencamp 1978 – 2012, a 17-CD set that encompasses all of the key albums of his career, and in July, 2014 Mercury/UME released John Mellencamp Performs Trouble No More Live At Town Hall, a live album that comes from a July 31, 2003 New York City show at Town Hall, one of only two shows performed upon the release of Trouble No More.

In May, 2014 Republic Records announced an unprecedented “lifetime” recording contract with John. Mellencamp continued to evolve artistically with Plain Spoken, his 22nd full length album executive produced by T Bone Burnett, first release on Republic Records and first new music since 2010’s critically acclaimed No Better Than This. John went on to complete an 80 city North American Tour in 2016

John’s 2017 full-length album, Sad Clowns & Hillbillies, featuring Carlene Carter, is his 23rd over the course of a remarkable career. The album was followed by a tour with Carlene and marked a return to the musical eclecticism that is a reflection of John’s wideranging musings on life, showcasing a poet who has wisely used the years between youth and the present day to become an absolute master of songwriting and interpretation.

John’s self-narrated, musical

continued on next page

John Mellencamp

(continued from previous page)

journey Plain Spoken: From The Chicago Theatre premiered on Netflix in February 2018, and was released on DVD+CD and Blu-Ray+CD. The film presents John and his full band performing at the Chicago Theatre in October 2016, and blends performance footage with personal commentary from Mellencamp himself.

In 2018, a compilation album consisting of various handpicked cover songs titled Other People’s Stuff was released on Republic Records. The album landed Mellencamp at #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums Chart.

Most recently in 2019 John embarked on a tour of “The John Mellencamp Show,” which featured the icon’s classics plus new material.

The Good Samaritan Tour, a new live album and documentary, was released in July 2021. The documentary, which is narrated by Academy Awardwinner Matthew McConaughey, chronicles Mellencamp’s historic free tour in 2000 when he performed on street corners and in public parks across the country.

John recently confirmed a landmark collaboration with Turner Classic Movies, taking on the celebrated role of guest programmer for two nights on the network. He is continuing to work with TCM on numerous projects together, including a tour sponsorship—the first

sponsorship in all John’s years of touring.

A new, hardcover biography written by seasoned music writer Paul Rees, titled Mellencamp, was released this September and features exclusive interviews and never-before-told stories. In the fall of 2021 John came together with Bruce Springsteen to duet for the first time on the single and video “Wasted Days,” the first single from John’s forthcoming 2022 LP. The single was heralded by critics with NPR Music describing the song as “an implicit message about making the most of the years, months and minutes we’ve got left.”

John also continues to focus on another facet of his artistic expression: painting. His style has progressed over the years as evidenced by several museum, and gallery exhibits and published portfolios, and in recent years he has increased his output by completing over 300 new works. He has had

exhibitions with Miles Davis in LA, solo exhibitions at the famed Butler Museum in Youngstown, Ohio, and several at ACA Galleries in New York City including Binding Wires, the two-man exhibition featuring works by John and Robert Rauschenberg. John’s most recent exhibition, “John Mellencamp Paintings and Assemblages,” at the Museum of Art Deland, in Deland, Florida ends March 27th. Currently, John’s Gibson guitar with “Fuck Fascism” written on the front is on loan to the Woody Guthrie Museum for their exhibit “Folk the Vote, Music and Politics.”

The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a musical with music and lyrics by John Mellencamp, a libretto by author Stephen King. The musical saw two national tours, and has now partnered with Broadway Licensing. Mellencamp is resuming production and rehearsals of his original play Small Town Play, directed by Kathleen Marshall, written by Naomi Wallace and produced by Scott Landis and Federal Films.

The unique instrumentation of John’s band and his poignant songs about everyday life in the American heartland are widely credited with being the forbearer of the Americana/No Depression genre of rural-inflected music. Mellencamp continues his journey as the walking embodiment of heartland rock: passionate, plain-spoken and a self-proclaimed rebel.

John Mellencamp continues to live and work in Bloomington, Indiana. He is the father of three daughters, Michelle, Teddi Jo and Justice and two sons, Hud and Speck.

Morat Se Presenta En The Arena Theatre

El 5 De Febrero

Morat es un cuarteto de folk-pop colombiano de Bogotá con amigos de la infancia Juan Pablo Villamil Cortés (voz, banjo), Juan Pablo Isaza Piñeros (voz, guitarra), Alejandro Posada Carrasco (percusión) y Simón Vargas Morales (bajo). Su sonido combina instrumentos folclóricos y contemporáneos con una composición experta que recorre los límites de las canciones folclóricas tradicionales, el pop cargado de gancho, el punk, el rock & roll, los corridos, el mariachi, la cumbia, el vallenato y mucho más, como lo demuestra su debut en 2016. reproductor Sobre el Amor y Sus Efectos Secundarios. El álbum mostró un sonido de himno brillante y soleado completo con armonías de cuatro partes, ganchos pop, composición experta y una producción de sonido orgánico suave. Sus sencillos y álbumes se han posicionado en América Latina y han logrado avances reales en los EE. UU. Respaldaron a Alejandro Fernández en “Se Qwue Te Duele” y se colocaron dentro del Top 40. En cinco cortos años, lograron una nominación al Latin Grammy, ganaron cuatro Premios Cadena Dial, y ha sido certificado oro y platino en numerosas ocasiones. Su salida de segundo año, Balas Perdidas en 2017, se jactó del sencillo número uno y su colaboración con Juanes en el sencillo y el video de “Besos en Guerro” obtuvo más de 20 millones de visitas durante su primera semana de lanzamiento.

Morat se formó en 2015 por los amigos de la infancia Juan Pablo

Villamil Cortés (voz, banjo), Juan Pablo Isaza Piñeros (voz, guitarra), Alejandro Posada Carrasco (percusión) y Simón Vargas Morales (bajo). Su sonido combina lo que Billboard llamó “Pop de viaje de verano perfecto en español, con banjo agregando un toque estadounidense”. La banda se formó cuando estos amigos y compañeros de clase se graduaron de la escuela secundaria. Hicieron su debut discográfico con el sencillo de 2015 “Mi Nuevo Vicio”, cuya versión con Paulina Rubio alcanzó las listas no solo de Colombia sino también de España (número uno) y México, así como dentro del Top 20 en la lista Latin Songs Airplay. . Siguieron con el EP Grabado en Madera, que incluía el sencillo digital “Cómo Te Atreves”. Su debut de larga duración para Universal, Sobre el Amor y Sus Efectos Secundarios, no incluyó sencillos de seguimiento. Durante una

gira promocional, comenzaron a escribir su segundo álbum. Una gran cantidad de sencillos llegaron a las ondas y servicios de transmisión, incluidos “Del Estadio al Cielo”, “Amor con Hielo” y “Ladrona”. En abril de 2017, “Se Que Te Duele”, un sencillo colaborativo con Alejandro Fernández, alcanzó su punto máximo dentro del Top 50 en la lista Hot Latin Songs, seguido por el álbum de larga duración Sobre el Amor y Sus Efectos Secundario...Y Unas Cuantas. Cosas Más en junio. Alcanzó el puesto número cinco en las listas de álbumes de España y fue certificado oro y luego platino. Les valió una nominación al Grammy Latino y sus sencillos, incluido “Cómo te atreves”, fueron certificados cinco veces platino. Después de giras tremendamente exitosas por España, Colombia y Argentina, Morat volvió al estudio. A lo largo de 2017 y 2018 se lanzaron sencillos y videos, entre ellos “Amor con Hielo”, “Yo Contigo, Tú Conmigo” (feat. Alvaro Soler) y “Besos en Guerra” (feat. Juanes), y todos fueron certificados multi -platino y listado en América Latina.

En 2018, Morat lanzó su segundo largo, Balas Perdidas. Su sencillo principal alcanzó el número uno en México, seguido de certificaciones de oro y platino, giras por México, Estados Unidos y América Latina. También recibieron una nominación al Latin Grammy en la categoría Mejor Álbum Vocal Pop Contemporáneo. A lo largo de 2019, Morat entregó singles y videos que registraron en radio y en You Tube. Comenzaron el 2020 con “No Término” y siguieron con “Nunca Te Olvide”; ambos aterrizaron en las listas de reproducción al aire en España, Argentina y México. A principios de la primavera, justo cuando el coronavirus estaba cerrando el mundo, Morat lanzó el sencillo “Bajo La Mesa” (feat. Sebastian Yatra) y lo siguió en mayo con “La Bella y La Bestia” en colaboración con Reik.

RANDOM SHOTS

Chad Ware Performs At Katie’s Bar In Bacliff

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Barenuckle Ministry Perfor At The Concert Pub North

(Photos By Brian Lambert)

RANDOM SHOTS

Backdrop Violet Perform At The Wildcatter Saloon

Photos By Greg Holleman

RANDOM SHOTS

Hitch Perform At The Acadia Bar & Grill

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Reverb Cartel Perform At The Concert Pub North

Photos By Brian Lambert

RANDOM SHOTS

Riot The Witness Perform at The Wildcatter Saloon

(Photos By Greg Holleman)

RANDOM SHOTS

The Hates Perform At The 19th Hole

Houston’s oldest Punk band, The Hates put on a fantastic concert this past month at The 19th Hole. I love Punk music. Punk music is so energetic. You’ll rarely find any slow, sappy ballards in a show like this. The band was performing at their peak level tonight and the songs were amazing. The Hates performed some of their great old hits such as “Money Talks,” “I Won’t Back Down,” “I’m Not Dead,” “Nuclear War,” “Another War,” “No Talk In The 80’s,” as well as a couple or really rockin’ new songs titled “Weekend” and “I Can’t Get Enough Of You.” It really was spectacular. The Hates are Christian Kidd (guitar, vocals), Colin Wooten (drums), and Chi Chi Rodriguez (bass). You really need to check these guys out if you haven’t already.

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Darkside Oblivion Perform At The Concert Pub North

Photos By Brian Lambert

RANDOM SHOTS

Randy Soffar Hosts Open Mic Night At Leon’s Lounge

Wendesday Nights are becoming very popular at Leon’s Lounge in Midtown. This is quickly becoming the place to be for musicians to get out and do a little something on their own. The club has been attracting quite a group of musicians, songwriters, and people that are brushing up and putting the finishing touches on their solo act. Everytime we’ve been there we’ve seen a wide array of talented musicians performing there. This night the club was packed with musicians and fans of the open mic night.

On stage there we spotted Blind Uncle Charlie, Brennan Passion, Scott Byers & Billy Johnson, Dakota Stillwell, Jessica Ivins, Emissary, and George Ash, to name a few. And don’t worry, if you need someone to accompany you, Randy Soffar is usually ready to help. We spotted him on stage accompanying Jessica Ivins and Dakota Stillwell. They sounded great. And by the way, that’s Randy right here next to this article. C’mon, let’s party!

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

James Rivera’s Metalwave Performs At The Concert Pub North

Photos By Brian Lambert

RANDOM SHOTS

Santa Oscuridad Perform At The Concert Pub North

Photos By Brian Lambert

RANDOM SHOTS

Hold On Hollywood Perform At The Wildcatter

Saloon

Photos By Greg Holleman

RANDOM SHOTS

Potroast Perform At The Shady Acres Saloon In The Heights

Potroast was in fine form this night at The Shady Acres Saloon in The Houston Heights. I’ve been listening to these guys for years and they alway are a delight to take in. This night their set really varied as they performed songs from Pink Floyd (“Another Brick In The Wall” and “Money”), The Beatles (“Come Together”), Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (“Ohio”), Stealer Wheel (“Stuck In The Middle With You”), Humble Pie (“I Don’t Need No Doctor”), Ray Charles (“What’d I Say”), The Band (“The Shape I’m In”) and a whole lot more. It was a blast of an evening and I can’t wait to go see them again when they return to The Shady Acres Saloon... who by the way, has the best backyard party scene in Houston!

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Mathias Lattin Band Perform at The Green Oaks Tavern

Tonight we dropped by The Green Oaks Tavern in Humble to check out Houston’s newest Blues Sensation, the Mathias Lattin Band. Now here’s a guitarist you need to keep an eye on. He’s simply phenomenal... but don’t ask us, ask the folks in Memphis, Tennessee. Mathias and his band have just returned from there where they won The International Blues Competition for Best Band, and Best Guitarist. These guys are just taking off. After seeing their performance at The Green Oaks Tavern, we’re not surprised. When it comes to The Blues, this band just explodes with it. Their show at Green Oaks was nothing short of fantastic. This is definitely one band you need to put on your ‘bucket list’ to see. I know that we’ll be back to see them really soon. Looking for The Blues? We’ve found it. It’s the Mathias Lattin Band. It’s also The Green Oaks Tavern. This fine club in Houston is bringing in some of the best Blues Talent that exists. Check out their calendar in this issue to see who some of the great performers are that they are bringing in this month.

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

Mike Morgan And The Crawl Perform At The Big Easy

This night, Mike Morgan and his band, The Crawl made the trip from Dallas down to Houston’s Big Easy to perform songs from his vast catalog of over eight albums, along with songs from his newest M.C. Records release, The Lights Went Out In Dallas. The Lights Went Out In Dallas is the first recording by Mike Morgan and The Crawl in 15 years It was released just last September 23. The Texas bluesman got some help on the recording from guitarists Anson Funderburgh and Shawn Pittman. The record features 13 songs, 10 of which are original compositions. The Lights Went Out In Dallas is what Mike Morgan has been about for over 30 years, delivering deep Texas Blues with a touch of soul, R&B, and Americana. His guitar playing is as fiery as ever and makes you take notice. Guitar World Magazine called Morgan “a genuine blues guitar hero!!” Mike Morgan’s first release came out in 1990 and he has recorded eight albums for Black Top Records and Severn Records. This marks the first release for M.C. Records and his 10th overall. His show at The Big Easy was simply fantastic. This guy really knows how to perform. Every song performed this night was a definte tour-de-force. We can’t wait to see him back on The Big Easy stage.

Photos By Kevin Wildman

RANDOM SHOTS

The Mighty Orq and The Mathias Lattin Band Perform At The Big Easy For The Mark May Benefit

It was great to see the Houston Music Community come together this past month for the Benefit Of Mark May. Mark had been diagnosed with cancer and the Houston Music Community and The Big Easy put on an epic benefit in his honor. Several bands participated at the event, there were donations in his honor, and a huge silent auction was held in order to help Mark with his expenses since he is unable to work at this time. Our thanks go out to The Big Easy and everybody that helped make this a success. We managed to get there just in time to see The Mighty Orq and The Mathias Lattin Band perform there. It’s an occasion like this that makes one proud to be involved in the music business in Houston.

Photos By Kevin Wildman