Live Music Now

These are the 7 best concerts in Houston this week

No, it wasn't an April Fool's joke at the Ultra Music Festival this past weekend when KFC paid to commandeer the main stage for a DJ set by none other than Colonel Sanders.

Well, it was more like it was a dude in a big mask of the late fried chicken restaurant spokesperson, dropping mediocre dance tracks, asking the perplexed crowd, "Any of y'all hungry for some beats?" We seriously can't make this stuff up. Unfortunately, it's a sign of the times that a corporate brand can infiltrate large scale events in such a blatant way that we are surprised this is the first time anyone has tried such a move.

Hopefully, this trend will stay far from the stages of Houston shows and festivals. Ronald McDonald, we see you.

CultureMap's biggest, best, and most notable shows of the week are as follows:

Kodak Black at Revention
Kodak Black aka Bill K. Kapri is evidence that bad boys still sell lots of records, as he rolls into Houston with a recent No. 1 album under his belt with Dying to Live. Black has been in and out of legal troubles over the last five years, a few jail stints, several initiated by social media posts, only serving to increase his profile in what can only be described as the Kardashian effect. Despite spending time behind bars, the rapper is part of the new wave of artists taking over the charts, including Houston native Travis Scott, who he teamed up with on the No. 2 2018 hit, "Zeze."

Kodak Black is at Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Tuesday, April 2. Featuring YNW Melly, Callboy. Tickets start at $39.50 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap recommends: Death Cab for Cutie
No other band working today has been producing acclaimed melancholy alt-rock longer than Death Cab for Cutie. The Washington-based act, led by Ben Gibbard, superseded its early cult status by continuing to release great albums, including their latest, Thank You for Today. For anyone that still busts out their copy of the watershed 2003 album Transatlanticism or Gibbard's still-great side-project, the Postal Service, this is a must-see show from these indie heroes.

Death Cab Cutie headlines the Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Wednesday, April 3. Tickets start at $35 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

Lee Ann Womack at Heights Theater
One of the more respected country singer-songwriters in the industry, Lee Ann Womack first burst onto the scene with hit No. 1 single "I Hope You Dance" in 2000. She went onto an award-winning and multi-platinum selling career, picking up Country Music Awards and Grammys for her work. The East Texas native has been invited to sing for presidents, and she's dueted with the biggest country legends, including Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Alan Jackson. Seeing her in such an intimate concert hall is a rare treat.

Lee Ann Womack performs at Heights Theater, located at 339 W 19th St., on Thursday, April 4. Tickets start at $28 plus a $7 service fee. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap free show alert: Da Camera Jam

There's no better way to kick off the weekend with the free Da Camera Jam on Discovery Green in the heart of downtown, fun for the whole family, especially while the weather is still nice. Bring a blanket and lawn chair, some snacks in a picnic basket, and enjoy some smooth jazz sounds. This Sunday's line-up includes José-Miguel Yamal and Friends, the Chilean-American pianist with Latin-inspired jazz; the Thomas Helton Quartet, a regular on the Houston jazz scene; and students from the Houston School of Performing and Visual Arts Jazz Combo.

Da Camera Jazz Jam takes place at Discovery Green, located at 1500 McKinney St., on Friday, April 5. Admission is free. Show starts at 6:15 pm.

Citizen Cope at HOB
Fans of roots-rock, folk, hip-hop, and reggae will be out in full force to see cult-act Citizen Cope when they appear at House of Blues on Friday night. Led by the Los Angeles-based Clarence Greenwood, he and his band are on the road with their latest, Heroin and Helicopters, carving out a niche audience since releasing their self-titled debut in 2002. Citizen Cope garnered their biggest hit in 2012 with the Top 40 One Lovely Day, which gained a fan in Ellen DeGeneres. This show is for those into Dave Matthews Band or Santana.

Citizen Cope is at House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Friday, April 5. Tickets start at $30 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

'90s Kickback Concert at Arena Theatre
This is how we do it. The '90s Kickback Concert, includes some of the best of old school R&B making a stop at Arena Theatre. Most notable on the lineup is Montell Jordan, whose single "This is How We Do It" is still a wedding and banquet staple and receives regular radio play after its impressive No. 1 placement for seven weeks back in 1995. He'll be joined by Next, the multi-platinum-selling Minnesota trio, which shot up the charts with "Too Close" in 1998. The New York City singer Case, who had ties to Mary J. Blige and Foxy Brown, and reached the top of the charts with "Missing You," will also appear. These acts will be joined by H-Town, Changing Faces, Kut Klose, and Shai.

‘90s Kickback Concert goes down at Arena Theatre, located at 7326 Southwest Fwy., on Friday, April 5. Tickets start at $75 plus fees. Doors open at 8.

CultureMap show of the week: Jenny Lewis
Who said all child actors are messed up? Los Angeles native Jenny Lewis went from starring in beloved '80s films — the Shelly Long-led Troop Beverly Hills and alongside Fred Savage in the Super Mario Bros. 3 video game flick, The Wizard — to fronting one of the more beloved late-'90s, early-2000s indie-rock acts, Rilo Kiley. After that band broke up, Lewis embarked on a successful solo career, producing four great albums, including her latest, and some say best, album with the recently released On the Line, incorporating a beautiful mix of Laurel Canyon pop, rock, and country, featuring appearances by the legendary Ringo Starr and Don Was. Her Hollywood and music connections mean her videos always draw some big names, all definitely worth checking out.

Jenny Lewis plays at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Sunday, April 7. The Watson Twins open. Tickets start at $25 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

Montell Jordan performs as part of the '90s Kickback Concert at Arena Theatre on Friday, April 5.

Photo courtesy of I Love the '90s Tour

Montell Jordan performs as part of the '90s Kickback Concert at Arena Theatre on Friday, April 5.

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Movie Review

Timothée Chalamet cements star status in new movie Marty Supreme

Courtesy

Timothée Chalamet

In a time when true movie stars seem to be going extinct, Timothée Chalamet has emerged as an exception to the rule. Since 2021 he has headlined blockbusters like the two Dune movies and Wonka, and also earned an Oscar nomination for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown (his second nomination following 2018’s Call Me By Your Name). Now, he’s almost assured to get his third nomination for the stellar new film, Marty Supreme.

Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a world-class table tennis player living in New York. But reducing Marty to his best skill doesn’t do him justice, as he’s also a motormouth schemer who will do almost anything to achieve his dreams. He doesn’t have any qualms about wooing married women like neighbor Rachel (Odessa A’zion) or actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), or hiding his true ping pong skills to win money in scams with friends like Wally (Tyler the Creator).

Marty is seemingly on the go the entire movie, whether it’s trying to convince Kay’s millionaire husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary) to fund his table tennis ambitions; or trying to track down the dog of Ezra (Abel Ferrara), a man he accidentally injures; or trying to avoid the ire of the boss at the shoe store where he works. Just when you think he might slow down, he’s off to the races on another plan or adventure.

Directed by Josh Safdie and written by Safdie and frequent co-writer Ronald Bronstein, the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives, and yet the throughline of Marty keeps everything tightly connected. His particular type of brash behavior turns much of the film into a comedy as he does and says things that are both shocking and thrilling.

Another thing that makes the movie sing is the fantastic characterization by Safdie and Bronstein. Almost every person who is given a speaking line in the film has a moment where they pop, which speaks to airtight dialogue that the writers have created. Characters will be introduced and then disappear for long stretches of time, and yet because they make such an impression the first time they’re on screen, it’s easy to pick up their thread right away.

Safdie, as he’s done previously with brother Bennie (Uncut Gems), calls on a host of well-known non-actors or people with interesting faces/vibes to inhabit supporting roles, and to a person they are crucial to the film’s success. O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame), rapper Tyler the Creator, director Ferrara, magician Penn Jillette, and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi each deliver knockout performances. The relative unknowns who play smaller roles are just as impressive, making each beat of the film feel naturalistic.

Leading the way is the powerhouse performance by Chalamet. For one person to believably play both the famously reserved Dylan and also a firecracker like Marty is astonishing, and this role cements Chalamet’s status as his generation’s movie star. A’zion is a rising star who gets great moments as Marty’s on-again/off-again love interest. Paltrow pops in and out of the film, lighting up the screen every time she appears. Fran Drescher as Marty’s mom and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor also pay dividends in small roles.

Josh Safdie’s first solo directorial effort is unlike any other movie this year, or maybe even this century. Thanks to its breakneck storytelling, a magnificent performance by Chalamet, and countless intangibles that Safdie employs expertly, the film smacks viewers in the face repeatedly and demands that they come back for more.

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Marty Supreme opens in theaters on December 25.

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