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These are the 6 best concerts in Houston this week

Most mainstream acts aren't anywhere near Texas right now after Lollapalooza drew hundreds of thousands of fans. Thankfully, where alt-rock, pop, and contemporary hip-hop may be lacking, Houston concerts make up for it this week in established country acts, '90s rockers, and rap acts (a common theme this summer), and just-below-the-radar up-and-comers.

CultureMap's biggest, best, and most notable shows of the week include:

311 and The Dirty Heads at WOMH
Formed in Omaha, Nebraska, of all places, 311 has had a prolific run as a good-time, bro-friendly, reggae-inflected, rap-rock band. They scored some major hits in the the mid-'90s hits with "Down" and "All Mixed Up," and while audiences moved onto harder-edged, toxic male variations of their sound (Limp Bizkit and Korn), the band soldiered on through some miserably bad music (see the travesty that is the 2004 cover of The Cure's "Love Song") with their core fan base intact. Heck, they even produced some critically acclaimed albums the last couple of years with 2017's Mosaic and this year's Voyager.

They'll be joined on the White Oak lawn by Southern California's The Dirty Heads, a group that picked up where Sublime left off, building on a grassroots following with their similar blend of reggae, rap, and punk rock as evidenced on "Spread Way Too Thin." They'll be celebrating their newest release, Super Moon, out this week. True to form, the gates will open at 4:20 pm. Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

311 and Dirty Heads get down, down at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Tuesday, August 6. The Interrupters, Dreamers, and Bikini Trill open. Tickets start at $49.50, plus fees. Gates open at 4:20 pm.

CultureMap recommends: Clint Black and Trace Adkins
The tour’s tagline is the very apt “Hats. Hits. History.” Two modern country legends will co-headline the Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land in what might be one of the strongest C&W lineups outside of RodeoHouston this year. Katy native Clint Black rose to fame in the '80s, pointing the way to the mass popularity of country artists in the '90s.

In other words, Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and Brooks and Dunn all owe the man a debt of gratitude for infusing a traditional honky-tonk sound with pop sensibilities. Fun fact: Black signed a deal in Nashville after a cassette of his songs made it into the hands of ZZ Top's manager, Billy Ham. No. 1 singles, the stardom-declaring "A Better Man," "Killin' Time," and "Walkin' Away" followed.

He'll be joined by Trace Adkins, who followed a different path to stardom, looking to the past to build his future, holding onto the sounds of yesteryear to make his name in Nashville. A former Louisiana oil rig worker, Adkins made it to No. 1 on the country charts with "(This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing," and numerous other big hits, including "I'm Tryin'" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk." Any fan of CMT over the last 30 years will be in high heaven at this one.

Clint Black and Trace Adkins co-headline the Smart Financial Centre, located at 18111 Lexington Blvd. in Sugar Land, on Thursday, August 8. Terri Clark opens. Tickets start at $25, plus fees. Show starts at 8 pm.

CultureMap show of the week: The Growlers
The Growlers took a while to find their sound, calling themselves "beach goth," but experimented with classic rock, dub, and indie-folk too. But then they got focused, bringing on The Strokes' frontman Julian Casablancas to produce 2016's City Club.

They took a major step with one of 2018's best, Casual Acquaintances, mixing the sound of their former producers' band alongside post-punk synths, releasing their strongest songs to date, including "Pavement and the Boot," "Problems III," and straight-from-Is This It? "Orgasm of Death," the exciting melange of sounds perfectly complimenting lead singer Brooks Nielsen's purposefully lackadaisical delivery. Drop your plans and go see this thrilling act before they sign to a major label, play major festivals, before succumbing to the inevitable intra-band conflicts and crippling rock star addictions. This is what bands are supposed to be.

The Growlers play White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Thursday, August 8. Special guests Video Age also appear. Tickets start at $32.50, plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

Cody Johnson at Toyota Center
Make no mistake, Houston loves Cody Johnson, practically a hometown kid that grew up near Lake Livingston and went on to play the biggest stage at RodeoHouston three times. He played the 2019 edition fresh off a No. 1 album, Ain't Nothin' to It. He'll take a victory lap by headlining Toyota Center, no doubt to a packed audience. And keeping with his humble beginnings, he'll be bringing fast-rising country acts trying to building their audiences in Gretchen Wilson, Cory Morrow, and Jesse Raub Jr. In case anyone is wondering, the new generation of country is here.

Cody Johnson is at Toyota Center, located at 1510 Polk St., on Saturday, August 10. Gretchen Wilson, Cory Morrow, and Jesse Raub Jr. open. Tickets start at $32.48, plus service fees. Doors open at 6:30 pm.

Hibou at WOMH
Who is Hibou? The Seattle-based Peter Michel plies his trade in dream-pop, recalling the ethereal jangle of '80s greats, the Cocteau Twins, the more modern Wild Nothing and Beach House, and riffs straight from a B-side of The Smiths. He's toured with the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Phantogram, and has put out three great albums, the latest perhaps the best in this year's Halve, out on the cooler-than-thou Barsuk Records. Fans of the dream-pop genre along with shoegaze will also get a dose of local talent in the equally worthy Camera Cult and Astragal.

Hibou is at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Saturday, August 10. Camera Cult and Astragal also appear. Tickets start at $10, plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony at HOB
Like '90s rock, '90s hip-hop is hot on the nostalgia circuit right now. Last week, we had MC Hammer at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, and this week we welcome back Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, the Cleveland group first signed by N.W.A.'s MC Eazy-E in the early '90s, which catapulted them to multi-platinum status, thanks to an ultra-tight flow and soul inflected sound, including "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," "Tha Crossroads," and the best song ever about social assistance, "1st of tha Month."

They played a much smaller show last November, but they'll be at the much-bigger House of Blues this weekend, proof that established acts of yesteryear still have plenty of clout among die-hard fans and a new generation discovering the greatness that is the golden age of rap.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony meet at the crossroads that is House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Saturday, August 10. Tickets start at $30, plus fees. Doors open at 9 pm.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony perform at the House of Blues on Saturday, August 10.

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Photo by Travis Shinn

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony perform at the House of Blues on Saturday, August 10.

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Movie Review

Sheriff Bob Odenkirk is back in over-the-top new action movie 'Normal'

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Bob Odenkirk in Normal.

Screenwriter Derek Kolstad, who wrote the first three John Wick movies, has essentially had a blank check to do what he wants in the movie landscape since 2014. In recent years that has meant writing the action series Nobody for Bob Odenkirk, who has turned from a comedian into an unlikely action star in his sixties. Kolstad and Odenkirk are teaming up again in Normal.

A film that tries to evoke Fargo in multiple ways, Normal finds Ulysses Richardson (Odenkirk) serving as a temporary sheriff for the small town of Normal, Minnesota after the previous sheriff died. Knowing he’s just a steward until a new sheriff is elected, Ulysses takes a live-and-let-live approach to the job, letting the deputies (Ryan Allen and Billy MacLellan) do the grunt work and trying to stay out of everyone’s way, including Mayor Kibner (Henry Winkler).

A bank robbery attempt by two non-citizens upsets his best-laid plans in more ways than he can imagine. Not only is he forced to confront a crime not often seen in a town like Normal, but the robbery uncovers secrets that turn the film into an all-out bloodbath. Soon, almost everyone in town becomes involved in what comes to resemble a war, along with — you guessed it — Yakuza henchmen from Japan.

Directed by Ben Wheatley and written by Kolstad, the film is a slight twist on the everyman-turned-hero character Odenkirk played in the two Nobody films. While Ulysses is in law enforcement, he prefers to use words instead of weapons, and it’s only when he’s pushed to the brink that he crosses that line. Naturally, his skills are beyond what anyone would expect of him, allowing him to match up well with people half his age.

The film is not a comedy in the traditional sense, but instead aims for laughs by catching the audience off-guard with its ultraviolence. Some characters are dispatched in shockingly unexpected ways, with one of the only natural reactions to the jarring nature of their deaths being laughter. That’s not necessarily the case for other killings, which range from blasé to sadistic, and the only reason they count as entertainment is because the filmmakers have primed the audience to accept them as such.

After a relatively solid setup, where Wheatley and Kolstad seem to take their time getting to know the main characters, the second half of the film is pure action that dispenses with good storytelling. Like many action movies, there are double crosses, surprise revelations, and more, but the filmmakers don’t seem to care about making sense of any character arcs. All they care about is delivering mayhem, and they succeed on that front.

Odenkirk has perfected the mild-yet-intimidating nature of his action characters, and it is satisfying to see him get the better of those who have done him wrong. He doesn’t run or jump like fellow 63-year-old Tom Cruise, but — with the help of fast-paced editing — he still makes for a credible action hero. The only other actors of any note in the film are Winkler, who’s a nice presence with his sardonic personality, and Lena Headey, whose small role doesn't match up with her experience.

You have to have a certain mindset to enjoy a film like Normal, but if you can abide its over-the-top bloodiness, it’s a serviceable action film. Few would have expected Odenkirk to take on these kinds of roles at this late stage of his career, but he’s making the most of his opportunities.

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Normal opens in theaters on April 17.

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