Live Music Now

These are the 5 best concerts to catch in Houston this week

Now's the time we all return to the daily grind — following the last holiday until the Thanksgiving season. But what feels like a downer is the turning point for the live music scene, as concert activity picks up in the fall months. This week features some big names making their return to Houston venues, a respite for those who need to momentarily forget the return to cubicle life.

These are the biggest and best shows of the week in Houston:

Ben Harper and Charlie Musslewhite at White Oak
Cult singer-songwriter Ben Harper's impeccable cool and affinity for working with some of the most skilled musicians in the industry led him to join forces with blues harmonica player and vocalist Charlie Musslewhite for 2013 collaboration, Get Up!, which won the pair a Grammy for Blues Album of the Year.

They decided to pair up again for this year's gritty, No Mercy In this Land, featuring songs of American struggle and survival. Musslewhite, a veteran of the Chicago blues scene, and Harper, an acclaimed guitarist and vocalist, mesh well together, making this pairing a great opportunity for fans of blues, roots rock, and folk music.

Ben Harper and Charilie Musslewhite perform at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N. Main St., on Wednesday, September 5. Tickets start at $43 plus a $15.31 service fee. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap recommends: Alice in Chains
Give it up to Seattle's grunge legends Alice in Chains — they are survivors. Following the death of lead singer Layne Staley in 2002 to drug addiction, the band took some time off and added singer William DuVall, who brought his own fierce vision of Staley's early vocal work, perfectly connecting with excellent guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell.

The new-look act released 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue, featuring hits "Check Your Brain," and "Your Decision," both which sounded like peak-era Chains. Following 2013's The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, the band is back with this year's acclaimed Rainier Fog, which serves as a tribute to the scene that birthed them, that they helped bring to the masses.

Alice in Chains brings their Seattle sound to the Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Friday, September 7. Tickets are $55 plus service fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap show of the week: Luke Bryan
Everyone's favorite cowboy bro, Luke Bryan, brings his new country party to Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, aiming to keep the summer celebrations going as long as possible. Bryan's profile couldn't be any bigger with a spot on the panel of hit TV show, American Idol, next to Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. A featured performer at RodeoHouston this past season, he's now on the road with his What Makes You Country tour, behind the No. 1 album of the same name released last year.

Expect to hear a number of his 14 No. 1 hits, including "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)," "Drink a Beer," "Drunk on You," and an assortment of other country songs that involve partying with pretty girls.

Luke Bryan headlines the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, located at 2005 Lake Robbins Dr. in The Woodlands, on Friday, September 7. Jon Pardi and Carly Pearce open. Tickets start at $29 plus service fees for lawn seating, $90.75 plus service fees for reserved seating. Gates open at 6 pm.

The life and times of late-'90s R&B: Dru Hill and Sisqo
Let's talk about thongs for a minute. Back in the late-'90s, Dru Hill's most visible member, Sisqo, embarked on a solo career, launched by the pre-#MeToo movement ode to beachwear, 1999's hit of the summer, "Thong Song," a cut that would have little to no place in the current socio-political climate. Even then, the huge hit was seen as utterly ridiculous and a punchline of an era of oversaturated MTV excess.

No wonder, then, that Sisqo did the best thing for his quickly descending career by rejoining with Dru Hill. They'll be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their multi-platinum album, Enter the Dru, bringing back an era where Boyz II Men vocal theatrics were met with gaudy fashion choices. It should be an ironically good time.

Dru Hill and Sisqo bring back a simpler time to House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Friday, September 7. Rising Over Envy opens. Tickets start at $30 plus service charges. Doors open at 7 pm.

Miguel at RMC
Following a sold out show back in the spring at Warehouse Live and a headlining spot at the Majic 102.1 Summer Block Party earlier this summer, Grammy Award-winning R&B star Miguel returns to Houston to the much larger Revention Music Center for yet another Houston appearance in 2018 as part of his Ascension tour.

He’s still touring behind the popularity of 2017’s War & Leisure, which features Houston's Travis Scott on single "Skywalker," so if you haven’t had enough of seeing the Los Angeles native, this will be your chance to take in his Prince and Stevie Wonder indebted sounds.

Miguel headlines Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Monday, September 10. DVSN and Nonchalant Savant open. Tickets start at $45 plus service fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

Charlie Musslewhite and Ben Harper perform at White Oak Music Hall this Wednesday, September 5.

Courtesy Facebook

Charlie Musslewhite and Ben Harper perform at White Oak Music Hall this Wednesday, September 5.

nightlife concerts music lists column

Movie Review

Twin sisters set out for revenge in Tarantino-esque film 'Is God Is'

Photo by Patti Perret

Kara Young and Mallori Johnson in Is God Is.

The revenge story is one of the most enduring in all of cinema as it can be adapted to multiple different genres. It most naturally fits in the action/thriller genre, but comedies, dramas, Westerns, and more have made good use of characters seeking revenge. The new film Is God Is demonstrates that malleability by detailing an intensely personal story that turns into something bigger.

Twins Racine (Kara Young) and Anaia (Mallori Johnson) have lived a difficult life, going in and out of foster care and forced to endure stares and taunts because each bears burn scars from a childhood attack. Racine, whose scars are “only” on her left arm, has developed into the protector of Anaia, who suffered burns over much of her face.

An unexpected call from their mother, Ruby (Vivica A. Fox), who was burned almost beyond recognition in the attack, gives them a purpose: Seeking revenge on the man who ruined their lives. Setting out in a barely working car and with only a small amount of direction, the sisters attempt to fulfill the mission without losing their souls.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Aleasha Harris, the film may remind some viewers of Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, and not just because Fox has small roles in both films. Harris has a knack for dialogue, especially between the twins, that ably gets across the story exposition and entertains at the same time. There are many instances where she has the sisters hold silent conversations told on screen via subtitles to convey twin-speak, a method that deepens their connection and draws the viewer in.

Harris also has her characters engage in the type of shocking violence that Tarantino has used to great effect. The difference here, though, is that even though the story is heightened to a certain degree, the egregious nature of the crime perpetrated upon the girls and their mother makes the whole thing feel bracingly real. This revenge plot is not meant to merely entertain; it’s designed to put the audience in Racine and Anaia’s shoes and fully embrace the call for justice.

There are a few times when the lack of experience by Harris shows up, especially in the climactic sequence where the stunt work could have used some more precision. But overall, it’s a self-assured filmmaking debut for the playwright-turned-director, who’s adapted her own play with a richness and depth that is not often found from someone stepping behind the camera for the first time.

Young and Johnson don’t especially look alike, but they embody the essence of twin sisters, and it’s their chemistry together that makes the story as impactful as it is. They’re joined by other strong female performances by Fox, Erika Alexander, and Janelle Monáe, each of whom brings a different vibe. And anyone who loves This is Us or Paradise should prepare themselves for a completely different kind of role for Sterling K. Brown.

Is God Is uses a variety of inspirations for its storytelling, but in the end it becomes its own thing. The filmmaking world can always stand to have another strong Black voice, and Harris has made an auspicious debut, one that should have cinephiles wondering what she’ll do next.

---

Is God Is opens in theaters on May 15.

movies film