just like heaven — in houston

Goth rock gods The Cure head to Houston on first Texas stop of new summer 2023 tour

Robert Smith and The Cure will play Toyota Center.

The Cure/Facebook

Legendary English rock band The Cure is coming to Houston, part of a North American tour that makes its first Texas stop at Toyota Center on Friday, May 12.

Called Shows of a Lost World, the tour launches on May 10 in New Orleans, and including two other dates in Texas: Dallas on May 13 and Austin on May 14.

The tour also includes two 3-night stands — at Madison Square Garden in New York and the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles — before wrapping up in Miami on July 1. The majority of the venues will be outdoor, including the Dallas date at Dos Equis Pavilion.

The tour supports a new album that has been in the works since 2019, called Songs of a Lost World, which is forecast to come out sometime this spring.

This year marks The Cure's 45th anniversary after their formation in 1978. They rose to fame in the late '80s/early '90s with top-selling albums Disintegration and Wish, featuring indelible hits like "Lullaby," "Lovesong," and "Never Enough."

The last time The Cure came to this side of the pond was 2016, when they played the same three Texas cities. Their last visit before that was in 2008, giving fans precious few opportunities to see them play live.

The touring lineup includes frontman Robert Smith, the band's only original member, plus guitarist Reeves Gabrels, bassist Simon Gallup, drummer Jason Cooper, keyboardist Roger O’Donnell, and drummer Jason Cooper, plus the surprise return of guitarist/keyboardist Perry Bamonte, who played in the band from 1990-2005.

Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, March 15 via Ticketmaster Verified Fan Sale, which requires registration to access. Fans can register through March 13 at 10 am Pacific Time.

In an email sent out to fans, Smith stated that "The Cure have agreed all ticket prices, and apart from a few Hollywood Bowl charity seats, there will be no ‘platinum’ or ‘dynamically priced’ tickets on this tour."

The tour dates are as follows:

May 10 New Orleans, Smoothie King Center
May 12 Houston, Toyota Center
May 13 Dallas, Dos Equis Pavilion
May 14 Austin, Moody Center
May 16 Albuquerque, Isleta Amphitheater
May 18 Phoenix, Desert Diamond Arena
May 20 San Diego, Nicu Amphitheatre
May 23-24-25 Los Angeles, Hollywood Bowl
May 27 San Francisco, Shoreline Amphitheatre
June 1 Seattle, Climate Pledge Arena
June 2 Vancouver, Rogers Arena
June 4 Salt Lake City, Vivint Smart Home Arena
June 6 Denver, Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
June 8 Minneapolis St. Paul, Xcel Energy Center
June 10 Chicago, United Center
June 11 Cleveland, Blossom Music Center
June 13 Detroit, Pine Knob Music Theatre
June 14 Toronto, Budweiser Stage
June 16 Montreal, Bell Centre
June 18 Boston, Xfinity Center
June 20-21-22 New York, Madison Square Garden
June 24 Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center
June 25 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 27 Atlanta, State Farm Arena
June 29 Tampa, Amalie Arena
July 1 Miami, Miami-Dade Arena

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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.

obituary music country music

just like heaven — in houston

Goth rock gods The Cure head to Houston on first Texas stop of new summer 2023 tour

In Memoriam

Legendary Texas singer-songwriter Joe Ely dies at 78

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