RodeoHouston hangover is in full effect. Not many big name acts are clamoring to play the city's largest venues knowing full well that many casual fans will be staying home for a bit to rest and recover from the biggest music event of the year.
Then again, with the Deer Park smoke plume hanging above our heads, maybe it's better we don't poison the opinions of any major act on the city, especially if we'd like to see them again.
Thankfully, a handful of mid-sized shows will ease the comedown from those lofty heights achieved over the last three weeks.
CultureMap's biggest, best, and most noteworthy shows are as follows:
CultureMap show of the week: A Bowie Celebration at Heights Theater
David Bowie's passing left a huge hole in music. One of the most storied and influential artists of all time has been sorely missed, but a group of musicians that made up his backing bands carry his vision on with A Bowie Celebration — A David Bowie Alumni Tour.
Mike Garson, Earl Slick, Gerry Leonard, and Carmine Rojas all played with Bowie at some point in his career, and they'll be joined by several guest musicians, including Corey Glover, singer with Living Colour. Relive the magic of Bowie's major hits in what will be as close as many of us will get to seeing the legend in person.
A Bowie Celebration is at Heights Theater, located at 339 W. 19th St., on Wednesday, March 20. Tickets start at $32 plus a $7 service charge. Doors open at 7 pm.
Amos Lee at Revention
Philadelphia singer-songwriter Amos Lee hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 with Mission Bell in 2011 behind the strength of his song "Windows Are Rolled Down," but he's been recording and performing professionally since 2004. Tabbed by Rolling Stone early on as an artist to watch, Amos incorporates rock, soul, jazz, and folk music into his songs. He's toured with some major acts, including Norah Jones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, and Paul Simon. He's on tour behind the acclaimed 2018 album My New Moon.
Amos Lee headlines Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Wednesday, March 20. Ethan Gruska opens. Tickets start at $15 plus fees. Doors open at 6:30 pm.
CultureMap recommends: Tiësto
Make no mistake, Dutch DJ and producer Tiësto is one of the biggest names in the EDM world, making RodeoHouston star Zedd look like Harry Potter to his Dumbledore. The 50-year-old is considered by many to be the Godfather of EDM, rising to fame in the late '90s, when electronic music moved from the clubs to warehouse raves and festivals, eventually garnering mainstream acceptance.
He won Grammys, he played opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and performs at the biggest nightclubs in the world, including as a resident in Las Vegas. In other words, if you like anything that resembles a beat, dish out the cash to see this guy in action behind the 1s and 2s.
Tiesto is at Spire Nightclub, located at 1720 Main St., on Friday, March 22. Justin Caruso opens. Tickets start at $70 plus $10.91 fees. Doors open at 10 pm. He is also at Clé on Saturday, March 23. Tickets start at $80.91 plus fees. Doors open at 2 pm.
Mudhoney at WOMH
Seattle act Mudhoney gained a brief burst of notoriety in the early '90s. They were major influences on an up-and-coming act named Nirvana. When Kurt Cobain and co. hit the big time, the band was offered a major label contract. Unfortunately, their brand of grunge was a little too arty, and they didn't make much of an impact other than on the alternative charts.
Still, they were the first band to reach a wider audience with the cooler-than-thou Sub Pop label, which opened the door to other grunge acts to get signed, making them an extremely important band in the annals of music history. They are touring behind last year's Digital Garbage.
Mudhoney plays White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Friday, March 22. Cherubs and Frog Hair open. Tickets start at $27 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.
Lords of Acid at Scout Bar
Holy crap, Lords of Acid scared the bejesus out of suburban parents when they came out in the early '90s. The industrial/electronic act was always provocative, overtly sexual, fetishistic, and generally embraced all forms of hedonism. In other words, if you're an out and proud conservative, you might want to avoid this show. But if you're into songs with titles like "Sex Cam Girl," "Drink My Honey," and "Spank My Booty," you'll find some guilty pleasure in seeing this over-the-top, never boring Belgian band.
Lords of Acid will wreck Scout Bar, located at 18307 Egret Bay Blvd., on Friday, March 22. Orgy, Genitorturers, Little Miss Nasty, Gabriel & the Apocalypse open. Tickets start at $26 plus fees. Doors start at 7 pm.
Taking Back Sunday at HOB
When did Houston become the emo city? Recent appearances by a number of emo-rock bands such as Panic! at the Disco and Cursive had all of us busting out our mascara and Hot Topic tees. Many of these acts are back in a big way, including New York band Taking Back Sunday.
The group is making a two-night stop at the House of Blues, showcasing their new greatest hits package, Twenty, 20 years after they started playing together. Expect to hear plenty of their biggest tunes, including "MakeDamnSure" and "Cute with the 'E'." (Now, where did our wallet chain go?)
Taking Back Sunday is at House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Monday, March 25, and Tuesday, March 26. Frank Iero opens. Tickets start at $35 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
Singer-songwriter Amos Lee is at Revention Music Center on Wednesday, March 20.
Benson will auction off custom guitars, classic cars, and more on October 15.Photo by Mike Shore