Live Music Now

Here are the 6 best concerts in Houston this week

The concert season is slowing down ahead of Thanksgiving next week and the cold weather, but that doesn't mean plans aren't being made for sunnier and warmer days.

This week, British trio and arguably the biggest rock band in the world, Muse, announced they would kick off their Simulation Theory world tour in earnest right here in in Houston. The fact that they will place the more intimate confines of the Toyota Center, as opposed to a music festival or ampitheater, will make this one of the hottest tickets of the 2019. Tickets are on sale now and come with a copy of their latest album and tour namesake, Simulation Theory.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of shows to warm up with this week in the Bayou City. Here are CultureMap's biggest, best, and most notable shows of the week:

Ben Rector
Want to know how fast Americana/pop-rock singer-songwriter Ben Rector's star is rising? His latest album, Magic, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Americana/Folk album chart, dethroning Chris Stapleton's 111-week run in that position. That's impressive. The Nashville-based piano player is on his biggest tour yet, Rector's new album isn't really Americana. It's more in line with the more upbeat odes by Coldplay or OneRepublic, so it's no surprise he's catching on in a big way.

Ben Rector performs at the Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Wednesday, November 14. The Band Camino opens. Tickets start at $30 plus service fees. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap recommends: Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles
Considered one of the the best Hammond organ players in the game right now, Cory Henry rolls into town with his band, the Funk Apostles, a collective of top-rate players. The two-time Grammy award winner is a master at mixing genres, including jazz, soul, R&B, and pop, meaning it'll be necessary to do some stretching before this show at the intimate Heights Theater as the grooves are set to commence. The group is touring behind their debut album, Love Will Find a Way.

Cory Henry and the Funk Apostles hit the Heights Theater, located at 339 W. 19th St., on Friday, November 16. Tickets start at $22 plus a $6 service fee. Doors open at 7 pm.

CultureMap show of the week: AstroWorld Festival
The biggest question on everyone's lips in the local music scene is who is going to play the AstroWorld Festival this weekend at NRG Park? We all know Houston's own Travis Scott will headline, promoting the album of the same name, and his partner, Kylie Jenner will be selling make-up. But organizers thus far abstained from revealing any other performers.

Inside sources told CultureMap that Post Malone, Lil' Wayne, and Rae Sremmurd will make appearances with a potential surprise guest, but take that with a grain of salt until the official word comes down. That hasn't stopped fans from snatching up all the tickets to this thing that no one really knows much about. Maybe the mystery is the point (insert chin-scratching emoji here)? Although we're not sure what point organizers were trying to make in keeping it a secret.

AstroWorld Festival takes place at NRG Park, located at 1 NRG Pwky, on Saturday, November 17. Tickets start at $119 (but may have to be purchased on the re-sale market). Gates open at noon. An after-party will go down at Spire Nightclub, located at 1720 Main St. Tickets are $50 plus service fees. Doors open at 10 pm.

Glo-stick nation: DJ Irene
Raver kids, time to pull out those phat pants, pacifiers, and candy necklaces. Houston had a pretty thriving underground rave scene in the late-'90s/early-2000s and very few DJs were more popular than house master DJ Irene. The Los Angeles-based producer has been a mainstay on the dance music circuit for 20 years and widely beloved by fans for her hard and funky beats and melodic, progressive interludes. There's no doubt that EDM wouldn't have blown up in the U.S. without her influence. This set will be a real treat for those who love to put their dancing shoes to the test.

DJ Irene comes to Gravity Nightclub, located at 2401 South Main St., on Saturday, November 17. Tickets start at $10 plus service fees. Doors open at 9 pm.

Iceage and The Black Lips
Danish post-punk band Iceage rolls into town for its second show of the year, this time at the bigger White Oak stage, largely based on the reception of one of the best albums of the year, Beyondless. Mixing the throwaway vocal stylings that recall The Strokes, fierce melodic punk of The Clash and The Ramones, with a dash of Joy Division, Iceage is one of the most exciting alt-rock acts going right now. They'll be joined by Atlanta garage-rock act, The Black Lips, meaning lots of bang for your buck when purchasing a ticket.

Iceage and The Black Lips co-headline at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 N Main St., on Sunday, November 18. Surfbort opens. Tickets start at $20 plus a $8.53 service fee. Doors open at 7 pm.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
"Wake up, wake up, wake up — it's the first of the month..." With that opening refrain from "1st of tha Month," Bone Thugs-N-Harmony blasted on the the radar of hip-hop fans everywhere, combining mind-blowing lyrical prowess with impressivly layered, well, harmonies into a multi-platinum selling package that made the group one of the most popular acts of the '90s with huge hits such as "Tha Crossroads," "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," and "Young Thugs." This show in the tiny space that is Scout Bar should make a certain subset of '90s kids very happy.

Bone Thugs-N-Harmony meet you at the crossroads that is Scout Bar, located at 18307 Egret Bay Blvd., on Monday, November 19. Tickets start at $35 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.

Americana singer Ben Rector performs at Revention Music Center on Thursday, November 15.

Cameron Powell

Americana singer Ben Rector performs at Revention Music Center on Thursday, November 15.

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Movie Review

Timothée Chalamet cements star status in new movie Marty Supreme

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Timothée Chalamet

In a time when true movie stars seem to be going extinct, Timothée Chalamet has emerged as an exception to the rule. Since 2021 he has headlined blockbusters like the two Dune movies and Wonka, and also earned an Oscar nomination for playing Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown (his second nomination following 2018’s Call Me By Your Name). Now, he’s almost assured to get his third nomination for the stellar new film, Marty Supreme.

Chalamet plays Marty Mauser, a world-class table tennis player living in New York. But reducing Marty to his best skill doesn’t do him justice, as he’s also a motormouth schemer who will do almost anything to achieve his dreams. He doesn’t have any qualms about wooing married women like neighbor Rachel (Odessa A’zion) or actress Kay Stone (Gwyneth Paltrow), or hiding his true ping pong skills to win money in scams with friends like Wally (Tyler the Creator).

Marty is seemingly on the go the entire movie, whether it’s trying to convince Kay’s millionaire husband Milton Rockwell (Kevin O’Leary) to fund his table tennis ambitions; or trying to track down the dog of Ezra (Abel Ferrara), a man he accidentally injures; or trying to avoid the ire of the boss at the shoe store where he works. Just when you think he might slow down, he’s off to the races on another plan or adventure.

Directed by Josh Safdie and written by Safdie and frequent co-writer Ronald Bronstein, the film is an almost continuous blast of pure energy for 2 ½ hours. So many different things happen over the course of the film that the story defies conventional narratives, and yet the throughline of Marty keeps everything tightly connected. His particular type of brash behavior turns much of the film into a comedy as he does and says things that are both shocking and thrilling.

Another thing that makes the movie sing is the fantastic characterization by Safdie and Bronstein. Almost every person who is given a speaking line in the film has a moment where they pop, which speaks to airtight dialogue that the writers have created. Characters will be introduced and then disappear for long stretches of time, and yet because they make such an impression the first time they’re on screen, it’s easy to pick up their thread right away.

Safdie, as he’s done previously with brother Bennie (Uncut Gems), calls on a host of well-known non-actors or people with interesting faces/vibes to inhabit supporting roles, and to a person they are crucial to the film’s success. O’Leary (of Shark Tank fame), rapper Tyler the Creator, director Ferrara, magician Penn Jillette, and fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi each deliver knockout performances. The relative unknowns who play smaller roles are just as impressive, making each beat of the film feel naturalistic.

Leading the way is the powerhouse performance by Chalamet. For one person to believably play both the famously reserved Dylan and also a firecracker like Marty is astonishing, and this role cements Chalamet’s status as his generation’s movie star. A’zion is a rising star who gets great moments as Marty’s on-again/off-again love interest. Paltrow pops in and out of the film, lighting up the screen every time she appears. Fran Drescher as Marty’s mom and Sandra Bernhard as a neighbor also pay dividends in small roles.

Josh Safdie’s first solo directorial effort is unlike any other movie this year, or maybe even this century. Thanks to its breakneck storytelling, a magnificent performance by Chalamet, and countless intangibles that Safdie employs expertly, the film smacks viewers in the face repeatedly and demands that they come back for more.

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Marty Supreme opens in theaters on December 25.

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