I gotta be honest, Ottmar Liebert does not offer a lot in the way of one-liners for a smart-alec music writer angling to pen quirky quips about him.
There's something funny, or ironic, or something about the fact that Liebert is a German who was born to a Chinese-German father (huh?), and Hungarian mother and grew up to be one of the new masters of Spanish Flamenco music.
But as a writer, if you start poking fun at people's cultural heritage you're cruising for an e-mailbox full of letters charging you with hate crimes.
Liebert's also been ordained as a Zen monk which is also ripe for ribbing.
Religion, though. That's another sticky wicket with a lot of potential backlash.
Let's just leave it at this: Much like Yanni, Liebert is an internationally-renowned, Grammy-acknowledged artist and performer whose fame has not crossed-over as well in the United States as it has other places.
He has recorded with everyone from "Footloose" singer Kenny Loggins to blues guitarist Roy Rogers and his debut album, Nouveau Flamenco, has not only become one of the best world music albums ever, but is the basis for an entire musical genre of the same name.
No doubt Liebert's new album, Petals on a Path is yet another, flamenco delight down the path to enlightenment.
The chances of an award-winning, quirky-cultural, flamenco-strumming monk playing Houston again anytime soon are not good.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, don't miss it.
Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra, 8 tonight at House of Blues
Legendary rockers Styx and Kevin Cronin, lead singer of REO Speedwagon, will team up to co-headline the “Brotherhood of Rock” tour in 2025, which will include a stop at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Friday, June 6.
The large, 40-city tour will take place over three months, starting in Greenville, South Carolina on May 28, and wrapping up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 24.
In addition to Houston, the tour will go to Austin on June 4 and Dallas on August 1. It will include special guest Don Felder, former lead guitarist for the Eagles, at all dates.
Fans can expect some of the greatest rock anthems of all time, including “Renegade,” “Keep On Loving You,” “Come Sail Away,” “Can't Fight This Feeling,” and “Hotel California.”
Styx and Cronin (as part of REO Speedwagon) first toured together in 2000 and in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, coming together to form the Rock to the Rescue 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. This will mark their sixth time joining forces on the road.
2022 was the 50th anniversary of Styx's self-titled debut album, but they have yet to slow down. The band released their 17th album, Crash of the Crown, in 2021. Of course, not everyone is a fan, as this classic clip from The Simpsons illustrates.
REO Speedwagon's recording days appear to be done, with their last album coming out in 2009, but the main group of five has been together since 1989. On this tour, Cronin will be joined by REO's lead guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt.
General tickets for the tour will go on sale starting on Friday, December 13 at 10 am at LiveNation.com.
Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets in the U.S. beginning on December 9 at 10 am through the Citi Entertainment program.
Styx and Kevin Cronin will be offering VIP packages via their own exclusive pre-sales beginning on Tuesday, December 10 at 10 am, as well as at LiveNation.com.
