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These are the 6 best concerts Houston this week

Those who were at The Rolling Stones concert are probably still recovering from one of the biggest shows of the year, but for those still up for a thrilling live experience will have plenty to take in with a monster roster of talented and beloved (albeit less talented) acts rolling through Houston this week.

It's clear that our fair city is now a destination for the best in the industry, a place that is circled on the itineraries of the largest bands and performers of the world when just 15 years ago, one would be lucky to see bigger acts on a less-than-desirable weeknight as they made their way to more favorable numbers in Austin or Dallas.

Now, these acts are playing big-time shows on weekends here, knowing they'll draw a large crowd. The reasons for this shift are too complex to delve into here, but they include a growing population; younger, more-educated workers moving to the city with more money to spend; as well as the expansion of the suburbs, making places like The Woodlands and Sugar Land viable locations for huge venues.

The fact is, we are living in a golden age for music in the Bayou City, which not only supports a strong local scene comprised of many genres, but also internationally acclaimed tours. In other words, it's a good time to be a concert-goer, and we should all be thankful that we live in such a diverse city that gifts us these wonderful opportunities.

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

The Suffers come home
Gulf Coast soul act, The Suffers, has had a tough year. They had a bunch of gear stolen from their van, and they lost a founding band member in bass player and all-around good guy Adam Castaneda, who sought to spend more time closer to home. But they've also been steadily working, touring North American and beyond, spreading the gospel of their eclectic mix of Houston sounds to countless crowds following the release of their second album, Everything Here, released last year.

So, no wonder that when the band announced their first hometown show in what seems like ages, at the Secret Room, it promptly sold out. And deservedly so. The Suffers are one of the best bands to come out Houston (in a long line of great bands) and are one that anyone with a tune in their heart should champion. It's just too bad they couldn't play a bigger venue so more of us could share the love.

The Suffers play a sold-out show at The Secret Group, located at 2101 Polk St., on Wednesday, July 31. Tickets are sold out. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap recommends: Carly Rae Jepsen at HOB
Somewhere along the way, Carly Rae Jepsen turned a top-three finish on Canadian Idol into an influential career as one of today's best pop stars, not just in her native land (True North, strong and free) but in the world. Of course, it would all be for naught if she hadn't released one of the most memorable songs of the decade in the catchy as all get-out, No. 1 hit "Call Me Maybe."

What could have been a one-hit wonder fading into oblivion gave way to a smart and talented songwriter embracing her best instincts and building a name as a trendsetter, nowhere as apparent as on her latest album, Dedicated. Simply put, the world needs more pop stars like Jepsen, who really deserves to be playing Toyota Center instead of House of Blues just down the street.

Carly Rae Jepsen is at House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Friday, August 2. Tickets start at $36, plus service fees. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Punk meets hip-hop: Blink-182 and Lil' Wayne
The road makes strange bedfellows. Maybe not as weird as former Blink-182 guitarist Tom DeLonge's obsession with aliens, but the tour combining the talents of the "What's My Age Again?" pop-punk band and eccentric hip-hop star Lil' Wayne is certainly up there for wow factor.

What probably sounded good at the time when his managers pitched it to him, Wayne has come to the conclusion that perhaps the audiences might be turning up for the very popular Blink-182, who played a great set at RodeoHouston back in 2017. Still, the entertainment value of having these two very different acts on the same bill makes it almost worth standing outside in the heat of The Woodlands in August.

Blink-182 and Lil’ Wayne are at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Dr. in The Woodlands, on Wednesday, July 31. Tickets start at $37.50, plus fees. Gates open at 6 pm.

CultureMap show of the week: The pride of NYC: Mary J. Blige and Nas
Now this is a bill to get behind. The reigning queen of hip-hop soul joins forces with one of the best rappers in the history of the genre when NYC natives Mary J. Blige and Nas perform at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.

One of the classiest and best performers in music since her groundbreaking debut, What's the 411?, came out in 1992, Blige has sold millions of albums and racked up countless awards for her strong female voice and genius-level talents, laying the groundwork for countless stars. Cardi B and Nicki Minaj owe this legend a debt of gratitude.

Nas, real name Nasir Jones, is one of the best lyricists in the history of the rap game, immediately taking over the hip-hop world with 1994's Illmatic, largely considered one of the best rap albums ever. Nas' quality of output remained high, and he maintained a loyal fanbase throughout the last 25 years. His latest is 2018's Nasir. Along with Blige, this will be a greatest hits-laden show, one that diehards for either performer won't be disappointed to see.

Mary J. Blige and Nas are at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Dr. in The Woodlands, on Friday, August 2. Tickets start at $29.99, plus fees. Gates open at 7 pm.

Sublime with Rome and Michael Franti & Spearhead
It would have been easy to write off California natives Sublime with Rome following the death of former frontman Bradley Nowell due to drug overdose in 1996, then at the height of their popularity. But the band soldiered on, teaming up with vocalist Rome Ramirez, and has maintained a decent career, playing old hits from Nowell's days, such as "What I Got," "Wrong Way," and "Santeria," with new material. They are back on the road with 2019's Blessings.

They'll be joined by one of the more eclectic and cool performers these days, Michael Franti and Spearhead, the San Francisco-born cult act that combines multiple genres with a forward-thinking message that has endeared the band to a good audience despite little-to-no radio airplay. They are on the road to promote Stay Human, Vol. 2.

Sublime with Rome and Michael Franti & Spearhead play the White Oak Music Hall lawn, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Saturday, August 3. Common Kings and Seranation open. Tickets start at $42, plus fees. Gates open at 6 pm.

2 Legit 2 Quit: Hammer's House Party
It's been so long, it's hard to remember how popular MC Hammer aka Stanley Kirk Burrell was when he first rose to fame in the late '80s, early '90s. His third album, Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em spent a incredible 21 weeks at No.1, largely thanks to the seemingly untouchable "U Can't Touch This," with it's Rick James "Super Freak" bassline and catchy hook that took the music world by storm, even influencing kids to wear what is affectionately and cringingly remembered as the baggy Hammer pants.

By the time music tastes had moved on to harder-edged hip-hop, he had lost millions of dollars due to bad financial decisions.

Thankfully, Hammer survived and is now back on the nostalgia circuit, bringing a handful of legends from his heyday, including "Baby Got Back" star Sir Mix-A-Lot, Doug E. Fresh, former movie and '80s hip-hop stars Kid N Play, and "Funky Cold Medina" luminary Tone Loc. In other words, this one will be a feel-good, hit-driven show that anyone who grew up 30 years ago will find some pleasure in witnessing.

Hammer’s House Party, starring MC Hammer, is at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Dr. in The Woodlands, on Saturday, August 3. Sir Mix-A-Lot, Doug E. Fresh, Kid N Play, Rob Base, and Tone Loc also appear. Tickets start at $29.50, plus fees. Gates open at 5 pm.

Blink-182 and Lil' Wayne are at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Wednesday, July 31.

Photo by Randall Slavin

Blink-182 and Lil' Wayne are at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Wednesday, July 31.

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Movie Review

Glen Powell stumbles in remake of sci-fi classic The Running Man

Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

Glen Powell in The Running Man.

For all its cheesy ‘80s greatness, the original version of The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was a very loose adaptation of the novel by Stephen King. For the new remake, writer/director Edgar Wright has tried to hue much closer to the story laid out in the book, a decision that has both its positive and negative aspects.

Glen Powell takes over for Schwarzenegger as Ben Richards, a family man/hothead who can’t seem to hold a job in the dystopian America in which he lives. Desperate to take care of his family, he applies to be on one of the many game shows fed to the masses that promise riches in exchange for humiliation or worse. Thanks to his temper, Ben is chosen for the most popular one of all, The Running Man, in which contestants must survive 30 days while hunters, as well as the general population, track them down.

Given a 12-hour head start, Ben earns money for every day he survives, as well as every hunter he eliminates. Since he only has a relatively small amount of money to use as he pleases, Ben must rely on friendly citizens who are willing to put their own lives on the line to help him. That’s a task made even more difficult as the gamemakers, led by Dan Killian (Josh Brolin), use advanced AI to manipulate footage of Ben to make him seem like a guy for which no one should root.

Co-written by Michael Bacall, the film is shockingly uninteresting, working neither as an exciting action film, a fun quippy comedy, or social commentary. The biggest problem is that Wright seems to have no interest in developing any of his characters, starting with Ben. Our introduction to the protagonist is him trying to get his job back, a situation for which there is little context even after we’re beaten over the head with exposition.

The situation in which Ben finds himself should be easy to make sympathetic, but Wright and Bacall speed through scenes that might have emphasized that aspect in favor of ones that make the story less personal. The filmmakers really want to showcase the supposed antagonistic relationship between Ben and Dan (and the system which Dan represents), but all that effort results in little drama.

Ben has a number of close calls, and while those scenes are full of action and violence, almost every one of them feels emotionally inert, as if there was nothing at stake. It doesn’t help that Wright doesn’t set the scene well, making it unclear how far Ben has traveled or who/what he’s up against. There are times when Ben feels surrounded and others when he can walk freely, weird for a society that’s supposed to be under almost complete surveillance.

Powell has been touted as a movie star in the making for several years following his turn in Top Gun: Maverick, but he does little here to make that label stick. With no consistent co-star thanks to the structure of the story, he’s required to carry the film, and he just doesn’t have the juice that a true movie star is supposed to have. Nobody else is served well by the scattershot film, including normally reliable people like Brolin, Colman Domingo, Michael Cera, and Lee Pace.

The Running Man is a big misfire by Wright and a blow to Powell’s star power. On the surface, it has all the hallmarks of an action thriller with a side of social commentary, but nothing it does or says lands in any meaningful way. Schwarzenegger’s one-liners in the original film may have been goofy and over-the-top, but at least they made the movie memorable, which is way more than can be said of the remake.

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The Running Man opens in theaters on November 14.

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