Live Music Now

Here are the 6 best concerts in Houston this week

For those who are willing to take a break from watching musical disasters in the form of televised documentaries, there is plenty to catch in the real world in this week of live music.

Then again, it's pretty tough to look away from the train wrecks that are Surviving R. Kelly series and both Fyre Festival docs — one on Netflix and the other on Hulu.

Perhaps these shows will be a nice palate cleanser, showcasing artists performing music the way it was intended — with limited-to-no controversy and the utmost professionalism.

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

CultureMap recommends: Joan Osborne at Heights Theater
Yes, you'll probably remember her from the '90s VH1 smash hit "One of Us," but the one thing that has made Joan Osborne's career is her killer set of pipes. She's on the road, showcasing her critically acclaimed "Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan" series she garnered critical acclaim for in New York City in 2016. That might seem like a weird dichotomy with Dylan known for his gravelly voice, but if anyone can shed new light on classics like "Tangled Up in Blue," or "Highway 61 Revisited," it's the Grammy Award-nominated, multi-platinum selling artist.

Joan Osborne sings the best songs of Bob Dylan at Heights Theater, located at 339 W 19th St., on Friday, February 1. Sherita Perez opens. Tickets start at $24 plus a $6 service charge. Doors open at 7 pm.

Eric Johnson Electric Band
Fans of guitar riffage will be drawn to the Eric Johnson Electric Band at House of Blues on Friday. Widely considered one of the best guitarists on the planet, Johnson spent his early years as a session musician for songwriters such as Cat Stevens and Carole King before striking a chord with audiences for his intricate fretwork in the early '90s, especially on the 1990 platinum album, Via Musicom, which earned him a Grammy award. Anyone who is a devotee to the six-string or just admires those with technical fortitude on the axe, this is a must-see show.

Eric Johnson Electric Band delivers the riffs to House of Blues, located at 1204 Caroline St., on Friday, February 1. Filmore opens. Tickets start at $25 plus fees. Doors open at 7:00 pm.

Rachael Yamagata
Alternative pop chanteuse Rachael Yamagata make songs perfect for late nights after the chaos of the nightclub or for lazy Sunday afternoons. Her ethereal hushed voice has won her fans, including Ryan Adams, Conor Oberst, and Rhett Miller of the Old '97s. Based on that list alone, it's no wonder her work is critically acclaimed, including her new EP, Porch Songs. Fans of quieter, soul-bearing pop music will find something to love here.

Rachel Yamagata is at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 North Main St., on Friday, February 1. Radnor and Lee opens. Tickets start at $25 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

CultureMap show of the week: Peter Murphy and David J of Bauhaus
It's hard to overstate the importance of Bauhaus in the annals of music history. Named after the German art school, Bauhaus formed in the fertile post-punk years of the late-'70s in Northampton, UK. The original line-up only lasted five years, but their impact was huge, influencing countless goth, new wave, and industrial acts through their most well known songs, "Bela Legosi's Dead" and "The Passion of Lovers." Inter-band discord ultimately led to their demise, but they've lived on with lead singer Peter Murphy and bassist David J touring their songs. Without them, there would be no Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Smashing Pumpkins, and countless other beloved rock acts. Consider this show a musical history lesson of the highest order.

Peter Murphy and David J of Bauhaus are at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 North Main St., on Saturday, February 2. Tickets start at $35 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

Rebelution at Revention
For those who still bust out those Sublime albums on the regular, Rebelution is here to fill in the hole in your Bradley Nowell missing heart. The California band has recently built an audience looking for easy-going roots rock that goes well with herbal refreshment, topping the Billboard Top 200 with their Live at Red Rocks album in 2016. They followed up that hit with their latest, Free Rein.

Rebelution play Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Saturday, February 2. Tickets start at $29.50 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

CultureMap free show of the week: '90s Night at The Rustic
Check out one of the city's best new venues — The Rustic — when it hosts '90s Night with DJ Gracie Chavez on Saturday night, playing your fave hits from the decade of plaid flannel, wallet-chains, and baggy jeans. The best part? It's free.

‘90s Night featuring DJ Gracie Chavez goes down at The Rustic, located at 1836 Polk St., on Saturday, February 2. Admission is free. Show starts at 9:30 pm.

Joan Osborne will sing the best of Bob Dylan at the Heights Theater on Friday, February 1.

Photo by Jeff Fasano

Joan Osborne will sing the best of Bob Dylan at the Heights Theater on Friday, February 1.

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In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

Joe Ely/Facebook

Joe Ely was a major figure in Texas' progressive country scene.

Joe Ely, the legendary songwriter, singer and storyteller whose career spanned more than five decades, has died from complications related to Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and pneumonia. He was 78.

In a statement posted to his Facebook page, Ely died at his home in Taos, New Mexico, with his wife, Sharon, and daughter, Marie, at his side.

Born February 9, 1947, in Amarillo, Texas, Ely was raised in Lubbock and became a central figure among a generation of influential West Texas musicians. He later settled in Austin, helping shape the city’s reputation as a hub for live music.

As with many local legends, it's hard to tease out what specifically made Ely's time in Austin so great; Austin treasures its live music staples, so being around and staying authentic from the early days is often the most important thing an artist can do.

Ely got his local start at One Knight Tavern, which later became Stubb's BBQ — the artist and the famous venue share a hometown of Lubbock. He alternated nights with emerging guitar great Stevie Ray Vaughn. He built his own recording studio in Dripping Springs, and kept close relationships with other Texas musicians. Later in his career, Ely brought fans into the live music experience, publishing excerpts from his journal and musings on the road in Bonfire of Roadmaps (2010), and was inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame in 2022. Austin blues icon Marcia Ball was among Ely's friends who played the induction show.

"Joe Ely performed American roots music with the fervor of a true believer who knew music could transport souls," said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

In the 1970s, Ely signed with MCA Records, launching a career that included decades of recording and touring around the world. His work and performances left a lasting impact on the music scene and influenced a wide range of artists, including the Clash and Bruce Springsteen, according to Rolling Stone.

"His distinctive musical style could only have emerged from Texas, with its southwestern blend of honky-tonk, rock & roll, roadhouse blues, western swing, and conjunto. He began his career in the Flatlanders, with fellow Lubbock natives Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, and he would mix their songs with his through 50 years of critically acclaimed recordings. [...]"

Read the full story at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added two paragraphs of context about the Austin portion of Ely's career.

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