RodeoHouston takes center stage this week after opening with an electrifying performance by Kacey Musgraves. Shows are on tap every night through March 17 with a variety of genres to please almost every type of fan.
It's hard to believe, but there are those out there that don't do RodeoHouston. They might be too cool for school or aren't into mainstream pop or country acts, and that's just fine. We get it. Thankfully for them, there are a few good options outside of NRG Stadium this week to satiate their live music fix, including some big name talent.
CultureMap's best shows of the week are as follows:
RodeoHouston rundown
RodeoHouston welcomes a run of name-brand acts to the star-shaped center stage this week. Country vets Brooks and Dunnare back after an 11-year absence on Wednesday, February 27, followed by megastar, country heartthrob and American Idol judge, Luke Bryan, on Thursday, February 28. Friday night brings the CultureMap show of the week, which can be read below. Satruday, March 2 features the wood and wire country of Turnpike Troubadours. Emo-rockers Panic! at the Disco perform for the younger demographic on Sunday, March 3. C&W favorites, Old Dominion, takes a star turn on Monday, March 4.
RodeoHouston runs every night through March 17, located at 1 NRG Pkwy. Tickets start at $20 plus fees. Shows start at approximately 8:45 p.m. on weeknights, 5:45 on weekends.
Car Seat Headrest at White Oak
We heartily recommend the LP show on Friday night at White Oak, but her show is rightly sold out, so we recommend checking out one of the better indie acts today in Car Seat Headrest. Started as a bedroom project by Will Toledo, he eventually signed to the indie watermark label, Merge Records, releasing two critically acclaimed albums, 2015's Teens of Style and 2016's Teens of Denial, both which feature smart lyrics set to a Guided By Voices influenced soundtrack.
Car Seat Headrest is at White Oak Music Hall, located at 2915 North Main St., on Wednesday, February 27. Naked Giants open. Tickets start at $23 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees The Zombies
It's not every day one gets to see a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominated band play an intimate venue like Heights Theater. Rescheduled from an earlier, cancelled date, this show is now sold out, definitely helped by the fact that the classic '60s British group The Zombies will be inducted into the Hall along with bands like Radiohead and The Cure. They made their name with the hits, "She's Not There," "Tell Her No," and "Time of the Season," up against The Beach Boys as one of the most melodic acts of their time. For true classic rock fans, this may be one show worth hitting up the resale market for tickets.
The Zombies perform at Heights Theater, located at 339 W 19th St., on Wednesday, February 27. Liz Brasher opens. Tickets are available on the resale market only. Doors open at 7 pm.
CultureMap recommends: Metric at Revention
Easily one of the best bands from north of the border, Metric makes spiky, synth-driven alt-rock with a bite, fronted by a star in Emily Haines, whose acerbic lyrics tackle subjects as diverse as sexism in the music industry to the constant struggle to connect in a world consumed with technology. Started in the early-2000s between Haines and guitarist Jimmy Shaw (both members of Broken Social Scene) in New York before moving back to their hometown Toronto, the four-piece is completed on bass by El Paso native Joshua Winstead and on drums by Joules Scott-Key.
Metric hasn't put out a bad album, and their latest, Art of Doubt, is one of their best - their version of Radiohead's In Rainbows, a perfect symbiosis of their early guitar-driven work with their later synth heavy records. They are also a killer live band, as evidenced when they out-performed Smashing Pumpkins as an opening act for that band at Toyota Center this past summer. This will be a killer show, with Grammy Award winners Zoé plus July Talk on the bill.
Metric are at Revention Music Center, located at 520 Texas Ave., on Thursday, February 28. Tickets start at $40.50 plus fees. Doors open at 8 pm.
CultureMap show of the week: Cardi B
Good luck getting a ticket to this show. But those who do find a ticket to Cardi B's performance at RodeoHouston will no doubt witness what will be one of the most talked about shows of the year. Whether it will be her outfits, or whether she lip syncs, or keeps it clean for the family-friendly rodeo audience, the biggest hip-hop artist in the world not named Drake will put on a show. This is easily the hottest show in Houston in recent memory. Will you be there to witness Cardi B in all her glory?
Cardi B will do lord knows what at RodeoHouston, located at 1 NRG Pkwy, on Friday, March 1. Tickets, if available, start at $20 plus fees. Shows starts at approximately 8:45 p.m.
Mariah Carey at Smart Financial
Those who prefer their divas with stellar vocal chords will want to be in Sugar Land this Friday to see the queen herself, Mariah Carey. To put it in perspective, Carey boasts 200 million albums worldwide and is the highest selling female artist all-time in the U.S. Her hits are countless and a part of the fabric of modern music, including "Hero," "Fantasy," "Honey," and "One Sweet Day." She is touring behind her comeback album, Caution, released last year. It will be interesting to see how well this show does up against Cardi B at NRG Stadium, but no doubt, it will draw a big crowd that grew up on her hits.
Mariah Carey performs in eight octaves at Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land, located at 18111 Lexington Blvd. in Sugar Land, on Friday, March 1. Tickets start at $64.95 plus fees. Doors open at 7 pm.
Cardi B makes her first RodeoHouston appearance this Friday, March 1.
