Concert News

Rock gods Mötley Crüe roll into Houston on nostalgic 2026 tour

Mötley Crüe will play The Woodlands on September 11, 2026.

Photo by Ross Halfin

Iconic rock band Mötley Crüe will celebrate a couple of key anniversaries on their upcoming 2026 tour, The Return of the Carnival of Sins, which will include a stop at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands on Friday, September 11.

The two milestones being remembered are the 20th anniversary of their 2005-2006 Carnival of Sins tour, which marked the reunion of the band's original four members, and the 45th anniversary of the band itself, which was formed in 1981.

It's also the 12th anniversary of Mötley Crüe's "retirement" from touring, but that retirement was shelved in 2022 when they started the first of two tours with Def Leppard.

Calling the tour The Return of the Carnival of Sins isn't just trying to make fans nostalgic; it's Mötley Crüe saying that they're going to try to emulate the elaborate staging and a sense of chaos that came with the original tour.

The tour will stop in 33 cities across North America, starting on July 17 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania. In addition to Houston, they will play Dallas on September 10.

They'll be joined by special guests Tesla and Extreme on all dates.

The heavy metal band was at their peak in the 1980s and '90s, when they had a string of top 10 albums and hits like "Smokin' in the Boys Room," "Dr. Feelgood," and "Without You."

They've released nine albums in their career, most recently Saints of Los Angeles in 2008.

In conjunction with the tour announcement, the band is releasing the Theatre Of Pain 40th Anniversary Deluxe box set, featuring a newly remastered version of the 1985 album on color vinyl, a never-before-released 1985 Long Beach live concert, and more.

The general on-sale for the tour begins on Friday, November 21 at 9 AM at motley.com.

THE RETURN OF THE CARNIVAL OF SINS - 2026 TOUR DATES

Fri, Jul 17, 2026 — Burgettstown, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake
Sat, Jul 18, 2026 — Buffalo, NY — Darien Lake Amphitheater
Mon, Jul 20, 2026 — Clarkson, MI — Pine Knob Music Theatre
Wed, Jul 22, 2026 — Toronto, ON — RBC Amphitheatre
Fri, Jul 24, 2026 — Gilford, NH — BankNH Pavilion
Sat, Jul 25, 2026 — Bangor, ME — Maine Savings Amphitheater
Mon, Jul 27, 2026 — Camden, NJ — Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
Wed, Jul 29, 2026 — Saratoga Springs, NY — Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Fri, Jul 31, 2026 — Holmdel, NJ — PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat, Aug 1, 2026 — Mansfield, MA — Xfinity Center
Mon, Aug 3, 2026 — Bristow, VA — Jiffy Lube Live
Wed, Aug 12, 2026 — Alpharetta, GA — Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Fri, Aug 14, 2026 — West Palm Beach, FL — iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sat, Aug 15, 2026 — Tampa, FL — MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Mon, Aug 17, 2026 — Charlotte, NC — PNC Music Pavilion
Wed, Aug 19, 2026 — St. Louis, MO — Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Fri, Aug 21, 2026 — Shakopee, MN — Mystic Lake Amphitheater
Sat, Aug 22, 2026 — Tinley Park, IL — Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Mon, Aug 24, 2026 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH — Blossom Music Center
Tue, Aug 25, 2026 — Cincinnati, OH — Riverbend Music Center
Thu, Aug 27, 2026 — Grand Rapids, MI — Acrisure Amphitheater
Fri, Aug 28, 2026 — Noblesville, IN — Ruoff Music Center
Tue, Sep 8, 2026 — Kansas City, MO — Morton Amphitheater
Thu, Sep 10, 2026 — Dallas, TX — Dos Equis Pavilion
Fri, Sep 11, 2026 — The Woodlands, TX — The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Sun, Sep 13, 2026 — Albuquerque, NM — Isleta Amphitheater
Wed, Sep 16, 2026 — Phoenix, AZ — Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Fri, Sep 18, 2026 — Chula Vista, CA — North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sat, Sep 19, 2026 — Long Beach, CA — Long Beach Amphitheater
Mon, Sep 21, 2026 — Salt Lake City, UT — Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Wed, Sep 23, 2026 — Wheatland, CA — Toyota Amphitheatre
Thu, Sep 24, 2026 — Mountain View, CA — Shoreline Amphitheater
Sat, Sep 26, 2026 — Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater

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Movie Review

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple enhances the zombie franchise

Photo by Miya Mizuno

Ralph Fiennes in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.

It’s not often that a return to a franchise after years of no activity results in an actual good movie, but 2025’s 28 Years Later proved successful by reuniting director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland, who made the original 28 Days Later. Another sequel, The Bone Temple, was filmed back-to-back with last year’s film, with Nia DaCosta taking over for Boyle in the directing chair.

The movie picks up soon after the end of the first film, with the young Spike (Alfie Williams) now an unwilling member of a group called the Jimmies, which are led by a man who calls himself Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). Unlike the main group in the first film that was just looking to survive the zombie apocalypse, the Jimmies are a bloodthirsty bunch who gleefully attack any zombies they find and brutalize other survivors they come across.

The story also returns to Dr. Kelson (Ralph Fiennes), whose solitary time at his self-built bone temple is interrupted by a massive zombie he has dubbed Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry). Against the odds — and with the help of some morphine — Kelson is able to bond with Samson, giving Kelson some strange but welcome companionship. But with the Jimmies lurking nearby, any peace he’s found may soon be shattered.

DaCosta, working from a script by Garland, ably steps into Boyle’s shoes, putting the emphasis on the story rather than trying for lots of stylistic flourishes. That’s not to say that she doesn’t do great work, however. The creepiness and sadistic nature of the Jimmies comes through loud and clear under her direction, and she brings out the campy comedy that comes from the unexpected pairing of Kelson and Samson.

Like the first 28 Years Later, the story is somewhat of a slow burn. The film doesn’t have many plot developments over its 109 minutes, and so DaCosta must get by on mood rather than action for the most part. But when things do get ramped up, they can get very uncomfortable as the film does not shy away from extreme gore. The damage inflicted by Samson and other zombies is one thing, but when it’s sentient humans going savage, it becomes even more difficult to look at the screen.

The juxtaposition between the chaos of the Jimmies and the quiet existence of Dr. Kelson works well for the film. Their separation for the bulk of the story gives them plenty of time to have the characters come into their own. Sir Jimmy Crystal is the ringleader, but Jimmy Ink (Erin Kellyman) gets her own showcase. Samson was already a (literally) big presence from the first film, but this film gives him a degree of humanity that gives the story more depth.

O’Connell made a big impression as the lead vampire in Sinners, and he’s just as interesting/intimidating here. Fiennes plays a character where being over-the-top is the natural reaction, and yet he keeps Kelson grounded in a number of ways that make him much more than one-note. Lewis-Parry was likely cast for his physique, but he brings out more from a zombie than you’d ever expect. Williams fades into the background a bit after his starring role in the first film, but he’s still strong.

Releasing The Bone Temple in January was not a great sign given the month’s reputation as a dumping ground for bad movies, but it actually proves to be a great choice. With most other releases being Oscar hopefuls or truly awful films, it stands out for being another compelling entry for the franchise, one that will make anticipation high for whenever the third film in the 28 Years Later series comes out.

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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple opens in theaters on January 16.

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Movie Review

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple enhances the zombie franchise