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These are the 7 best concerts in Houston this week

Before we get to the concerts of the week, let's talk about concert etiquette for a minute and how Houston audiences are often guilty of the worst behaviors at a show.

On Saturday, March 9, Aaron Lewis of heavy rock act Staind made news by storming off stage before the end of his performance in Oklahoma City because people couldn't stop talking during the show. Yeah, we get it, Staind isn't the best act in the world, and this show was a Lewis acoustic solo showcase, which demanded even more attention. But the crazy fact is people paid good money to see him perform in the price range of $33-$168 and decided they'd rather gab than rock out.

Houston, sadly, also carries a reputation for talkative crowds. At the album release show for The Suffers last year, lead singer Kam Franklin had to stop mid-performance to remind folks to save the chit-chat for after the show ends. More recently, both the LP and Trampled by Turtles shows at White Oak Music Hall suffered from the same issues.

The rule is simple: if someone is on stage playing an instrument (that isn't a roadie), don't talk. It ruins it for the rest of those paying customers that want to enjoy the creative talents of those on display.

Hopefully these shows won't befall the same fate. CultureMap's biggest, best, and most notable shows of the week are:

Last lap for RodeoHouston
It's the final countdown for RodeoHouston after another record-setting week. After Cardi B broke attendance numbers on March 1, besting the seemingly immortal Garth Brooks, Los Tigres del Norte squeezed six more people into NRG Stadium for Go Tejano Day. Can anyone top that? We're honestly not sure where they're squeezing in bodies at this point.

Country will be featured heavily this week with only Latin guitar legend, Santana, on Wednesday, March 13 standing out from the boots and buckles crowd; country rebel, Chris Stapleton, performs on Thursday, March 14; wholesome C&W crooner Cody Johnson is featured on Friday, March 15; Nationwide insurance pitchman Brad Paisley is on the calendar for Saturday, March 16; with festivities closing out on March 17 with our show of the week below.

All RodeoHouston shows take place at NRG Stadium, located at 1 NRG Pkwy. Tickets start at $20 plus fees. Weekday concerts start around 8:45 pm. Weekend concerts around 5:45 pm.

CultureMap recommends: The Avett Brothers
North Carolina folk-rock/Americana act The Avett Brothers return to Houston. Comprised of two brothers, Scott Avett and Seth Avett along with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon, the group achieved more mainstream popularity with each successive album, reaching as high as No. 3 on the Billboard chart with their last LP, True Sadness.

Their melancholy storytelling, recalling Bob Dylan, sounds much like the wave of talent coming out of the folk-rock scene, such as Jason Isbell. No album follow-up has been announced, but they continue to release new music, including the recent singles, "Roses & Sacrifice," "Trouble Letting Go," and "Neapolitan Sky."

The Avett Brothers are at Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Thursday, March 14. Tickets start at $55 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

Ice Cube at House of Blues
Last time Ice Cube rolled into town it was to hype up the crowd prior to his BIG3 basketball league event. He's back, and this time he'll play a full set at the House of Blues behind promotion for 2018's Everythangs Corrupt. The multi-talented Cube is better known to younger fans for his movie career, but, no doubt, he's in the top pantheon of rappers, thanks to his untouchable career in N.W.A. and as a solo artist.

Ice Cube is at the House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Thursday, March 14. Tickets start at $50 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

Celebr8tion of Beer at 8th Wonder
It’s the perfect time to be outside with a brew and music. The weather is not too hot, not too cold, humidity at a decent level. In other words, it’s the perfect time for local craft brewery 8th Wonder’s 6th annual Celebr8tion of Beer. Austin psych-rockers The Bright Light Social Hour, fresh off the release of new album, Jude Vol. 1, will headline. Eclectic North Carolina band The Nude Party, up-and-coming Houston act Swimwear Department, and more will play throughout the day.

The 6th annual Celebr8tion of Beer takes place at 8th Wonder brewery, located at 2202 Dallas St. on Saturday, March 16. Tickets start at $35 plus fees. Doors open at 2 pm.

Mountain Man
Before she blew up as the vocal half of Sylvan Esso, Amelia Meath was in folk trio Mountain Man, founded with college friends Molly Earle Sarle and Alexandra Sauser-Monnig. Meath is seemingly a machine, because fresh off touring with her other band, she managed to record Mountain Man's latest, 2018's Magic Ship. She's joined her girls on the road for a round of shows, and if her charisma is any indication of what Earle Sarle and Sauser-Monnig bring to the table, this'll be a great concert.

Mountain Man headlines Heights Theater, located at 339 W 19th St, on Saturday, March 16. Jake Xerxes Fussell open. Tickets start at $22 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap show of the week: George Strait at RodeoHouston
The man, the myth, the legend. The second-highest seller of albums by a country artist, George Strait, comes out of retirement from his home in the Texas Hill Country to close out RodeoHouston. This will be a celebration of Texas country music as Strait will be joined by Lone Star state cult faves Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen. But ultimately, Strait will fill NRG to capacity behind the songs every country fan knows, including “Amarillo by Morning,” “I Cross My Heart,” “Check Yes or No,” and “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.” If anyone can break the newly minted attendance record, it’ll be Strait.

George Strait closes RodeoHouston, located at 1 NRG Pkwy. He will be joined by Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen. Tickets start at $20 plus fees. Show starts at 7 pm.

The Beths
The Beths are a gang of one-time Kiwi jazz students influenced by the power-pop of their youth to start a rock band. They produced one of the most fun albums of 2018, Future Me Hates Me, which is getting decent airplay on alternative and college radio. The group is playing a Houston show after nine gigs on the schedule at South By Southwest this week, so who knows what’ll happen at the Satellite Bar. Even if it’s at 25 percent energy of their output, it’ll still be worth checking out.

The Beths play Satellite Bar, located at 6922 Harrisburg Blvd., on Sunday, March 17. Bad Bad Hats and Dollie Barnes open. Tickets start at $12 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

Country legend George Strait closes out RodeoHouston 2019 on Sunday, March 17 at NRG Stadium.

Courtesy Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Country legend George Strait closes out RodeoHouston 2019 on Sunday, March 17 at NRG Stadium.

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Movie Review

Over-the-top acting and incoherent plot drag down Her Private Hell

Photo courtesy of Neon

Sophie Thatcher in Her Private Hell.

Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn is not someone who plays nice with the general film world. His 2011 film Drive introduced him to American audiences in a big way, but that pulsating thriller was followed up with artier films like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon that eschewed coherent plots in favor of moody, atmospheric pieces.

Winding Refn, who hasn’t made a feature film in 10 years, has gone fully down the rabbit hole with Her Private Hell. Taking place in a liminal space that kind of resembles Earth but also feels like someone’s dreams/nightmares, the film focuses on Elle (Sophie Thatcher), an actor currently starring in a sci-fi film. Staying at a hotel with newcomer Hunter (Kristine Froseth), the two bond over their shared passion and the legend of Elle’s father, Johnny Thunders (Dougray Scott), who’s now married to Elle’s friend Dominique (Havana Rose Liu).

After spending a good amount of (mostly incomprehensible) time with that group, Refn introduces Private K (Charles Melton), who seems to be living in post-World War II Japan. He is looking for his daughter, who might have been taken by a mysterious figure known as “Leatherman,” and he will stop at nothing to find her, fighting whoever stands in his way.

It becomes clear almost right away that Winding Refn has no desire to engage in traditional storytelling in this film. The main characters wander through neon-drenched streets and buildings, which are often surrounded by a mist that is referred to on multiple occasions but never explained. Everyone speaks as if in a constant state of wonderment, and there are many moments where it’s unclear if events are actually happening, part of a movie-within-a-movie, or something else entirely.

Unlike his previous films, Winding Refn has taken the characters in this film completely out of the real world, with every scene taking place in a sparsely decorated room or street that is obviously a movie set. While there are moments where this decision really works, especially the striking first shot of a human-like figure mixed in with a cityscape and clouds, most of the time it only adds to the stilted nature of the film as a whole.

In fact, the entire movie has the feel of an avant-garde theater exercise. Every actor seems to be trying to outdo the others with awkward performances and out-sized reactions. Two very specific characters make appearances in both sides of the story for seemingly no reason other than to inject their weirdness into both spaces. The shocking violence that crops up on occasion would have more of an impact if it was related to anything intelligible.

Thatcher (Companion) and Liu (Tuner) are among the young stars who have had breakout moments in recent years, but neither of them is served well by this hot mess of a movie. They, along with Melton, still demonstrate the talent they possess, but the oddity of the film weighs them down. Scott makes an impression for all the wrong reasons, while Froseth is called upon to play a character who might as well not be there at all.

If there’s any kind of message that Winding Refn was trying to convey with Her Private Hell, it’s lost among the flashing lights, overload of pink, and jewel-like structures. Filmmakers who try to make art for art’s sake have a place in the world, but this film too often feels like people are making things up as they go, with no real goal in mind.

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Her Private Hell opens in theaters on July 24.

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