A big welcome back is in order to one of H-towns best bands, The Tontons.
The local five-piece recently released new single, "Sychophant," featuring the airy, sultry vocals of charismatic singer Asli Omar over the chiming guitar jangle and melodic rhythym section we've come to love (concluding with a killer guitar solo). It is rumored the group is working on new music for a potential full-length to follow-up 2014's acclaimed Make Out King and Other Stories of Love. The song is available to listen to on Spotify and other streaming services. It's about time.
The Tontons just announced a December 28 show at the Heights Theater with psych-soul Austin band Black Pumas. Tickets are on sale now.
Meanwhile, here are CultureMap's best, biggest, and most notable shows for the week ahead.
Manchester Orchestra at HOB
Manchester Orchestra is neither from Manchester, nor an orchestra. (Discuss.) The Atlanta-based group fills the same sphere as War on Drugs, Cloud Nothings, and Gaslight Anthem in that they make sonically pleasing music that critics adore and sound great at festivals, but don't necessarily make a huge impact on the mainstream. That said, their latest, 2017's A Black Mile to the Surface, was darkly majestic alt-rock at its finest, one of last year's best offerings.
Manchester Orchestra is at House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Tuesday, November 27. The Front Bottoms and Brother Bird open. Tickets start at $30. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
CultureMap show of the week: Cat Power
Cat Power aka Chan Marshall rolls into town and offers up a live performance of songs from of one of the best albums of 2018 in the gorgeous Wanderer, which harkens back to her earlier creative peak. Marshall started her career suffering from crippling stage fright, but she's since overcome it to become one of the better performers on the indie circuit. She's attracted collaborators among some of the most famous musicians in the world, including Lana Del Rey and Dave Grohl. In other words, she's a gem, producing some of the most compelling music of the last 20 years. Don't miss this one.
Cat Power headlines White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Wednesday, November 28. Tickets start at $32 plus service fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
Travis Tritt and Charlie Daniels Band
Those who like their country music gritty and as Southern fried will want to be sat around the rotating Arena Theatre stage this Thursday when country legends Travis Tritt and the Charlie Daniels Band team-up to bring their long line of hit C&W songs to what will surely be receptive Houston audience. Tritt and Daniels can both be described as flag bearers for the rebel country movement, replete with conservative values that neither are shy to share up-and-front through their song lyrics. In other words, there's a lot to like here for those of a particular side of the political spectrum or those who appreciate a dose of rock riffs and astute storytelling with their country music.
Travis Tritt and The Charlie Daniels Band co-headline Arena Theatre, located at 7326 Southwest Fwy. on Thursday, November 29. Tickets start at $49.50. Show starts at 8:30 pm.
CultureMap recommends: Gary Clark Jr. at Revention
The ghost of Stevie Ray Vaughn lives on in Austin performer Gary Clark Jr., one of the most respected guitarists in the game right now. Anyone who saw him tear it up at his Super Bowl Live performace in early 2017 knows the guy can wail on the six-string and fill a big space. His show at Revention will feel positively intimate compared to that gig, but fans will all be better for it as he'll likely be playing new cuts from his yet-to-be-named new album, set for release in 2019. Clark has been on the verge of blowing up nationally in a big way - this might be his smallest concert in Houston for some time to come.
Gary Clark Jr. performs at Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Friday, November 30. Tickets start at $45. Doors open at 7 pm.
Gregory Porter at Cullen Theater
Known for his distinctive headwear, the ultra-talented jazz vocalist Gregory Porter brings his entrancing voice and sound to Cullen Hall. Porter is a two-time Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy Award winner for Liquid Spirit (2014) and 2017's Take Me to the Alley (2017). His rich baritone and merging of jazz, gospel, soul, and R&B has earned him fans around the world. Porter will be a part of KPVU's Holiday Jazz and Gospel Fest alongside co-headliner Avery Sunshine.
Gregory Porter is at Cullen Theater at the Wortham Center, located at 501 Texas St., on Sunday, December 2. Tickets start at $90. The show starts at 5 pm.
Gary Clark Jr. headlines Revention Music Center on Friday, November 30.
