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    Live Music Now

    These are the 6 best concerts in Houston this week

    Johnston Farrow
    Johnston Farrow
    Jul 9, 2019 | 3:25 pm

    A potential storm in the Gulf may wreak havoc with the live music schedule this week, but should Houston audiences be spared, last week's mainstream music schedule gives way to a strong lineup of critically acclaimed touring acts featuring diverse sounds including rock, R&B, soul, adult contemporary, hip-hop, and EDM.

     

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

     

     New Found Glory at HOB
    It appears there are plenty of emo fans in Houston as yet another band partial to punk hooks and lyrics not afraid to express all the feels visits the Bayou City. New Found Glory rode the wave of early-2000s pop-punk up the charts next to such luminaries as Good Charlotte and Saves the Day but with a much more playful and, some might say, goofier sensibility.

     

    One of the few true survivors of the era, NFG reached as high as No. 3 on the charts with 2004's Catalyst on the back of high energy performances and headlining slots on the Vans Warped tour. The band comes into town as part of its From the Screen to Your Stereo to Your Town tour, an obvious tongue-in-cheek reference to their beginnings on MTV, back when that station played actual music videos.

     

     New Found Glory is at House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Wednesday, July 10. Real Friends and The Real November open. Tickets start at $24.50, plus fees. Doors open at 6 pm.

     

     Free show of the week: The Song + Story Series
    Call it VH1 Storytellers for local bands. The Hines Center for Spirituality and Prayer in downtown Houston is now hosting the Song + Story Series every Friday through August 16, featuring local acts breaking down their songs in an intimate setting. This Friday will feature electro-soul act The Hue, followed by Ben Jerrad on July 19, Chase Jordan on 7/26, Franchelle Lucas "Fre Wuhn" on August 2, Gio Chamba on August 9, and Max Flinn on August 16. The best part might be the free samples Saint Arnold Brewery will provide to attendees, which makes for a great way to discover local acts and a cheap night out on the town.

     

     The Song + Story Series takes place at the Hines Center, located at 500 Prairie St., on Fridays through August 16. Friday’s event features The Hue. Admission is free. Show starts at 7 pm.

     

     21 Savage at WOMH
    Let's send positive vibes and a prayer to the weather gods ahead of the 21 Savage show on the lawn at White Oak Music Hall this Friday. No other venue has struggled more with cancellations over the past few months due to the chaotic nature of Houston climate (MGMT) or band break-ups (Turnpike Troubadours), which is a real shame, because the White Oak lawn has the distinction of being one of the best places to catch a show in Houston.

     

    A tropical depression forming in the Gulf makes this date a toss-up, so check your weather forecast before you head out. In the event that it does go down, fans will see one of the hottest rappers in the world right now, the Atlanta-based rapper appearing on tracks by Cardi B and Post Malone, all the while dealing with his own issues centering around his citizenship in one of the more high-profile ICE crackdowns.

     

     21 Savage plays the White Oak Music Hall lawn, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Friday, July 12. Young Nudy and Calboy open. Tickets start at $18, plus fees. Gates open at 6:30 pm.

     

     Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan
    This Cynthia Woods bill is a bit of a head-scratcher. Michael McDonald is the definition of adult contemporary rock, rising to fame as the voice of the Doobie Brothers before embarking on a successful solo career with numerous radio hits your dad swears by. His middle-of-the-road style is so distinct, it became a hilarious running joke in the Steve Carrell film The 40-Year-Old Virgin. The main reason to head out to this one is 2019 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chaka Khan, who has experienced a career renaissance based on an electric live show and four decades of hits, including those from her time in funk band Rufus ("Tell Me Something Good") and her solo career ("I Feel for You," "Through the Fire").

     

     Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan perform at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Dr. in The Woodlands, on Friday, July 12. Devon Gilfillian opens. Tickets start at $49.50, plus fees. Gates open at 6 pm.

     

     CultureMap show of the week: Diplo
    If Michael McDonald is the definition of adult contemporary, Diplo is the face of the excess of EDM. Even if many don't know his music, his over-the-top personality, constant social media posts, and ties to many hot, young stars in the entertainment industry have made him a very rich man. But when it comes down to it, it's his dub and Caribbean-influenced beats that make him a performer too hard to ignore, playing the Svengali to the buzziest artists in the world (M.I.A., Skrillex, Justin Bieber).

     

    His persona has been so central to his success, that it even spawned a spoof series, What Would Diplo Do?, starring James Van Der Beek as the man himself. If you're a fan of the beats, this is your chance to see one of the biggest performers in the world inside and outside the genre.

     

     Diplo takes over Stereo Live, located at 6400 Richmond Ave., on Saturday, July 13. Tickets are $69, plus a $17.33 service fee. Show starts at 10 pm.

     

     CultureMap recommends: The Head and the Heart
    Seattle group The Head and the Heart came around at the perfect time when acoustic folk-rock bands became all the rage (thanks, Mumford and Sons), shooting up the charts and becoming a touring mainstay in the process. They built their cred with smart business decisions, including signing to the interminably cool Sub Pop records before hitting the big leagues on a major label. First gaining traction with "Lost in My Mind" from their debut 2010 self-titled album, the band has consistently found radio success with hits such as "All We Ever Knew" and "Missed Connection." They back that up with a driving live show, a must-see for anyone who enjoys woods and wires over a rock foundation.

     

     The Head and the Heart are at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Saturday, July 13. Hippo Campus opens. Tickets start at $44, plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

    The Head and the Heart are at White Oak Music Hall on Saturday, July 13.

    The Head and the Heart
      
    Photo courtesy Sub Pop Records
    The Head and the Heart are at White Oak Music Hall on Saturday, July 13.
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    Movie review

    New movie Eddington confronts the chaos of early pandemic life

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 18, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington
    Photo courtesy of A24
    Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal in Eddington.

    The coronavirus pandemic had a profound impact on the entire world, one that has been shown in various ways by movies and TV shows. However, even though a number of productions have attempted to show what life was like during the early days of the pandemic, few have tried to truly reckon with the way lockdowns and restrictions changed people.

    Filmmaker provocateur Ari Aster does just that in Eddington, set in a fictional small town in New Mexico in early 2020 that proves to be a microcosm of the debates taking place worldwide at that time. Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix) is not a fan of mask mandates or other restrictions imposed by the government, while mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) tries to lead by example in an effort to keep his community safe.

    The men butt heads not just on how to deal with the pandemic, but also over a personal history involving Joe’s wife, Louise (Emma Stone). When news of the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota makes its way to town, it starts a slow simmer among the town’s youth population, putting even more stress on Joe and his small department. Conspiracy theories, white guilt, partisan politics, cults, and more combine to make the community into a powder keg that threatens to explode at the slightest provocation.

    Aster (Midsommar, Beau is Afraid) takes aim at all sides in a film that’s part satire and part thriller. No matter how each viewer reacted to the pandemic, the film offers at least a character or two that will come close to representing their viewpoint. Although opinions may differ, it seems clear that Aster is not portraying one side as “right” or more righteous than the other. What he is doing is demonstrating just how much was happening in a short period of time, and how those things could negatively affect anyone.

    On the flip side, the film also challenges viewers with viewpoints that may not match their own, which can make for an uncomfortable experience at times. The reactions various characters have to certain events range from rational to wholly unexpected, and Aster seems to delight in keeping the audience on their toes the entire time. This is especially true when violence rears its ugly head, resulting in some intense and upsetting scenes.

    Not everything in the film lands, though. A subplot involving Louise and Vernon (Austin Butler), a cult leader who preys on her fears, feels tacked on, with no relation to the film as a whole. In fact, the character of Louise is a misfire in general, one whose purpose makes little sense. Aster also lets (asks?) some actors speak in almost inaudible tones at various points in the film, a frustrating experience in a film as dialogue-heavy as this one.

    Phoenix loves to dig into off-kilter characters, and this one ranks high on that scale. Even if you don’t enjoy what his character does, it’s hard to fault the performance that brings him to life. Most of Pascal’s scenes are with Phoenix, and while he matches Phoenix’s energy, the lower key nature of his character leaves him overshadowed. The nature of the film means few others make an impact, although Deidre O’Connell as Joe’s passive-aggressive mother-in-law and William Belleau as Officer Jiminiz Butterfly stand out in their scenes.

    Few of us would volunteer to go back to the baffling days of early 2020, but Eddington does a great job of examining what was happening at the time and how events united some and divided others. It’s not a feel-good film, but it is one that will make viewers re-examine their reactions at the time and how those influenced the current reality.

    ---

    Eddington is now playing in theaters.

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