Get out those wallets and credit cards. This might be the biggest month for live music in Houston in years.
Massive shows at Minute Maid Park, a handful of Toyota Center headliners, and plenty of high-selling acts at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion makes one wonder how much local concert-goers are paying for tickets or simply whether the market is too saturated to support all of the performances.
For instance, The Killers just postponed their September 8 concert at Toyota Center to March 2023 due to "scheduling conflicts," which suspiciously sounds like cover for low ticket sales. No doubt that might have to do with the huge list of massive artists playing in H-Town this month, forcing the buying pubic to make some hard choices.
That also makes it difficult to choose those that would be featured in this concert round-up (sorry, Alicia Keys, Stereolab, and Rufus Wainwright: we love you, read below). With that in mind, we stuck to the major shows at the largest venues in the city.
These are the biggest, best, and most notable shows of the month.
Bad Bunny with Alesso
Friday, September 2
Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford St.
Fans of red-hot Puerto Rican hip-hop star Bad Bunny got a taste of Ticketmaster's newest pricing model that upsells tickets based on demand. For instance, after a sold-out Bunny show on Thursday night, tickets are going as high as $1,100 for Friday night's show and the remaining lowest-priced tickets are going for $435.
The lesson: When you're one of the biggest stars on la playa, it appears people will pay anything to see you perform on a baseball field.
Tickets for Thursday show sold out; Friday tickets start at $242 plus fees. Show starts at 7 pm.
Jack Harlow with City Girls
Saturday, September 10
713 Music Hall, 401 Franklin St. Suite 1600
Currently Gen Z's hottest rapper, Jack Harlow is seemingly everywhere since he blew up from the underground Louisville hip-hop scene. By the time he released a proper album, he had gained the attention of Lil Wayne, DaBaby and Big Sean, who all guested on his mega-selling debut, That's What They All Say.
Despite getting lambasted by critics for this year's Come Home the Kids Miss You, Harlow's visibility remains high, regularly photographed out and about with the most notable names in the entertainment industry, including Drake (love that Kentucky Derby appearance!) and Pete Davidson.
Tickets start at $56.92 plus fees on the resale market. Show starts at 8 pm.
Panic! At the Disco with Beach Bunny and Jake Wesley Rogers
Saturday, September 10
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.
Emerging to become the most successful emo-rock band of their era, Panic! at the Disco and their unnecessary exclamation point are now arena headliners, thanks in part to lead-singer Brandon Urie booting out all of the original members. Since then, he's amped up the theatricality of the music and has scored some major hits, including the No. 4 smash, "High Hopes," elevating his band's status to RodeoHouston headliners. Panic! is currently promoting this year's album, Viva Las Vengeance.
Tickets start at $30.50 plus fees. Doors open at 6 pm.
Pitbull with Iggy Azalea
Sunday, September 11
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands
Suburban moms and Bud Light aficionados will come together to get the party going on a Sunday night when Latin rumpshaker, Pitbull, comes to The Woodlands. The guy is a behemoth in the Latin music industry. With 25 million albums sold, 35 Billboard Latin Music Awards, and chart-topping songs like "Give Me Everything," the man also known as Armando Christian Pérez brings the heat to his live performances, even if he looks like your dad's work friend.
Michael Bublé
Tuesday, September 13
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.
Is Michael Bublé cool? Millions across the world think so. The Canadian crooner who covers songs from your grandmother's favorite artists and hilariously edits sparkling water brand names is charming as all get out — and, puts on a hell of a show, as we previously noted. Simply put, the man who sold 75 million albums has a ton of charisma, his singing chops are hard to beat, and he always brings a full orchestra on the road with him.
Yeah, he may not have hipster cred, but the four-time Grammy winner — on the road with his latest album, Higher — has been keeping alive an era of music when a performer's pipes were the main attraction, where dressing in a sharp suit was required, and a bright smile and quick quip printed money.
Tickets start at $65 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
CultureMap Show of the Month: Lady Gaga
Tuesday, September 13
Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford St.
Next up in a string of major shows at Minute Maid Park, Lady Gaga brings her acclaimed Chromatica tour to Houston. The multi-No. 1 songwriter has been awarded almost all the trophies that can be given to an artist of her caliber. Channeling the best of Madonna mixed with Millennial ambition and an massive level of talent, Gaga is one of our brightest stars, bringing insane visuals and setpieces to her shows (remember when she "jumped off" NRG Stadium during her half-time Super Bowl performance?).
She's on the road touting her latest album, Chromatica, but expect to hear the hits, "Shallow," "Paparazzi," "Poker Face," and "Just Dance" in what will surely be in the running for best show of the year.
Tickets start at $56 plus fees. Show starts at 7:30 pm.
Houston Blues & Jazz Festival
September 17, 18, 24, and 25
Various Locations
Drawing on the rich history of blues and jazz in the 713, the Houston Blues & Jazz Festival returns with a mix of free and paid shows that will showcase some of the best musicians the city has to offer and beyond. This year's event will feature four nights of shows, including The Cookers and Nellie McKay playing a free show at Miller Outdoor Theater on September 17 and Frank Lacy and Bayou City Funk throwing down at Axelrad for another free show on September 18.
The second weekend features Mono Neon, James Frances, and Andy Timmons at 713 Music Hall on September 24 and Eric Gales and Diunna Greenleaf on September 25 at The Rustic Downtown.
Tickets are free for Miller Outdoor Theater and Aelxrad performances, $35 plus fees for shows at 713 Music Hall and The Rustic. Shows start at various times.
Billy Joel
Friday, September 23
Minute Maid Park, 501 Crawford St.
The 73-year-old piano man is performing his biggest shows in years, sharing his numerous hit songs in Minute Maid Park. Gaining fame from the seedy '70s piano bars of New York City, Joel went on to have one of the most successful solo careers by a musician, racking up 150 million albums sold, and becoming a household name in the '70s and '80s with "Piano Man," "My Life," "Uptown Girl," and the Boomer anthem, "We Didn't Start the Fire."
This might be the last chance to catch the talented ivory tickler, the massive venue serving as a fitting setting for a storied career.
Tickets start at $35 plus fees. Show starts at 7:30 pm.
Wu-Tang Clan and Nas with Busta Rhymes
Saturday, September 24
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.
Fans of '90s hip-hop won't want to miss this team-up between two of the most critically acclaimed New York City acts to ever spit bars. The Wu-Tang Clan, a collective of Staten Island rappers, evolved East Coast hip-hop by adding dark mysticism and Asian pop culture influences along with next level lyrical flow on their 1993 classic, Enter Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).
Meanwhile, the Brooklyn native Nas has been revered as one of the best rappers of all-time, turning hip-hop into a storytelling artform later embraced by Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, most notably on 1994's Illmatic.
Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
Jack White
Saturday, September 24
Bayou Music Center, 520 Texas Ave.
Formerly of the red-and-white peppermint cosplayers The White Stripes, Jack White has been nothing but prolific as a solo artist. Besides his turn in the decent bands, The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, White has become known as one of the finest guitarists of his generation, highlighted on his good-to-great solo albums. That includes the two he's released this year, including Fear of the Dawn and Entering Heaven Alive.
Tickets start at $55 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
ZZ Top with Jeff Beck and Ann Wilson
Sunday, September 25
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands
Despite recently losing founding bassist Dusty Hill (and enduring serious disrespect after his passing), Houston's very own blues-rockers ZZ Top continue to perform with guitarist Billy Gibbons and drummer Frank Beard alongside Hill's replacement, Elwood Francis. That's because the Hill instructed his bandmates to carry on without him before his passing.
The show goes on, thankfully, with the Top still able to impress with their electric musicianship. It's still hard to resist the scorching, Texas-born hits, "Gimme All Your Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "Legs" that made the trio MTV stars in the '80s.
Tickets start at $29.50 plus fees. Gates open at 5:30 pm.
My Chemical Romance with Midtown and Devil Master
Tuesday, September 27
Toyota Center, 1510 Polk St.
Starting as a modest emo act, My Chemical Romance struck a chord with angsty teens everywhere in the 2000s, incorporating gothic undertones and over-the-top delivery to their music, eventually leading them to perform large theaters and arenas worldwide. The Black Parade, released in 2006, still remains one of the high watermarks for emo-rock, hitting No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200 and its corresponding epic single "Welcome to the Black Parade" becoming an improbable Top 10 hit.
Newly reunited, grown up emo kids will relive their youth with plenty of dark clothing and mascara.
Tickets start at $149.50 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
The Flaming Lips
Wednesday, September 28
House of Blues, 1406 Caroline St.
The weird, the wonderful, and always colorful Oklahoma-based band, The Flaming Lips, are usually used to playing festival sets but find themselves getting intimate at the House of Blues. Led by Wayne Coyne, the Lips first earned mainstream notoriety with the off-kilter alt-radio hit, "She Don't Use Jelly," before becoming legit artistes with the one-two classic punch of 1999's The Soft Bulletin and 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
But, it was their creative and psychedelic live show is what catapulted them to headliner status and always makes for an unpredictable night out.
Tickets start at $45 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
CultureMap Recommends: Metric
Thursday, September 29
House of Blues, 1406 Caroline St.
Frontwoman extraordinaire Emily Haines and company are back with one of the albums of the year. With new offering Formentera, Canadian indie-rock heroes Metric stake their claim not only as a consistently great band, but a progressively artistic one, taking its angular indie guitar and synth-heavy sound in surprising new directions.
Even so, the Toronto-based quartet never loses sight of what fans have come to celebrate over a two-decade career on what might be their the best-sounding album in their impressive catalog.
Tickets start at $36 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
The Cult with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and King Woman
Friday, September 30
713 Music Hall, 401 Franklin St. Suite 1600
A lineup of tragically underrated rock acts, The Cult are on the road with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, both tasting initial success before settling into a groove as dependable concert draws. The Cult made a name for themselves with the hyper-charged, hook-filled "Fire Woman," "She Sells Sanctuary," and "Rain," crashing onto '80s radio airwaves way ahead of their time.
Meanwhile, B.R.M.C. put out two excellent albums at the turn of the century, B.R.M.C. and Take Them On, On Your Own, influenced by Jesus & Mary Chain and The Stooges. Both bands kick serious ass and are worth the price of admission.
Tickets start at $45 plus fees. Show starts at 8 pm.
Honorable mention/don't miss
Stereolab at White Oak Music Hall, September 10
Alicia Keys at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, September 13
Twenty One Pilots at Toyota Center, September 14
Rufus Wainwright at Heights Theater, September 17
Dinosaur Jr. at White Oak Music Hall, September 17
Collective Soul at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, September 21
Thundercat at House of Blues, September 22
“I Love the '90s Tour” at The Bar at the Frio, September 23
The Cult headlines a great lineup at 713 Music Hall on Friday, September 30.
