best february concerts

Olivia Rodrigo, RodeoHouston's return, and The Eagles headline Houston's best February concerts

Photo via Olivia Rodrigo/Facebook

'90s-influenced pop star Olivia Rodrigo performs at Toyota Center on February 27.

The coldest days of winter seemingly behind us, the Houston live music scene is heating up in February with one sold-old world tour, the kickoff of RodeoHouston, and a number of acclaimed national acts hitting stages across the city.

Although ticket prices are as burning hot as the shows that are coming to Houston this month, they haven’t seemed to put a damper on the appetites of concertgoers, with a huge slate of 2024 show being announced seemingly every week – see Dave Matthews Band, Alice Cooper & Rob Zombie, Bush, and Third Eye Blind this month alone.

Consider these shows appetizers to the entrees on the concert schedule in the months ahead.

Portugal. The Man, February 10, Bayou Mustic Center

Formed in Alaska, alt-rock act Portugal. The Man found a dedicated fan base in Houston early into its career, so much so that Jagi Katial, co-founder of the local venue White Oak Music Hall, appeared in the video for the 2017 Grammy Award winning hit, “Feel It Still.” Woodstock, the album that featured that song, catapulted the band to festival mainstays. The quintet is back in H-town touring last year’s Chris Black Changed My Life – you might have heard lead single, “Dummy,” in a recent Taco Bell commercial. Snacktime opens.

Eagles & Steely Dan, February 16, Toyota Center

Long after hell froze over and seemingly endless final tours, the Eagles – minus deceased original members Glenn Frey and Randy Meisner – are still going strong, almost as if their career is stuck in a “Hotel California” they can never leave. But really, this is it, folks, as this Toyota Center appearance is part of “Long Goodbye” Final Tour with jazzy dad rock legends Steely Dan opening.

No longer the “New Kid in Town,” it feels like the ‘70s hitmakers that sold 200 million albums worldwide are back in Houston almost annually on a tour touted as the end of the line. Maybe this is the tour they “Take It to the Limit.” Plan accordingly.

Cold War Kids, February 16, House of Blues

Indie-rock vets Cold War Kids are on the road following a 2023 opening slot for ’80s New Wave stars Tear for Fears, now headlining shows behind their latest, self-titled release. The Long Beach, California group rose to prominence on alt-rock radio with their hits “First,” “Love is Mystical,” and “Hang Me Up to Dry,” that draws comparisons to later-day Modest Mouse or a poppier version of The Black Keys. To celebrate the start of the tour, they’re releasing their new single, “Heaven In Your Hands.”

Black Violin, February 17, 713 Music Hall

Classical and hip-hop meets with Fort Lauderdale duo Black Violin, comprised of Kev Marcus on violin and Wil B. on viola. First gaining acclaim on the Fox talent competition show, Showtime at the Apollo, which they won, they captured the imagination of string afficionados and rap diehards with their unique take on hip-hop covers. Since the early 2000s, they’ve appeared on stage with Alicia Keys and Wu-Tang Clan and guested on records by Tom Petty and Aerosmith.

Yo La Tengo, February 23, The Heights Theater

For fans of melancholy, melodic indie music heavily indebted to the Velvet Underground, the Kinks, twee and shoegaze, the appearance of Yo La Tengo at the intimate confines of The Heights Theater is a must-attend event. One would be hard-pressed to find an act that has been as consistently great and as influential as the Hoboken, New Jersey trio since they released their debut album in 1986, laying the groundwork for so many independent acts to come. Add 2023’s This Stupid World to the list of listenable gems.

Gov’t Mule, February 25, Bayou Music Center

The hard-touring Gov’t Mule is practically an institution in jam band circles and continues its run with 2023’s Peace…Like a River. Gov’t Mule specializes in easy-going blues riffs as evidenced in their biggest songs, “Thorazine Shuffle” and “Soulshine,” a bit of a throwback to the ‘70s classic rock heyday, not surprising for an act co-founded by Allman Brother Band guitarist Warren Haynes and bassist Allen Woody. Expect a lot of guitar solos and hazy sightlines.

Olivia Rodrigo, February 27, Toyota Center

One of the biggest pop stars going right now, Olivia Rodrigo’s first tour in 2022 saw her selling out 713 Music Hall in mere minutes due to her massive, Grammy Award-winning breakthrough debut, Sour. Three No. 1 songs later, the “Drivers License” songwriter will perform a sell-out show at the much larger Toyota Center as part of her insane, 77-show, globetrotting Guts tour. The ‘90s alt-pop-punk influenced trendsetter will bring songs from that similarly huge second No. 1 album, which features her hella-good, fourth chart-topping song, “Vampire.” The fantastic Chappell Roan opens.

RodeoHouston, February 27-March 17, NRG Stadium

The annual Bayou City tradition is back! RodeoHouston kicks off its 2024 slate of diverse musical acts doing what it does best: showcasing country stars and a final installment of Bun B’s historic Takeovers. Chart-topping country singer and former judge on The Voice, Blake Shelton, will serve as the season opener on February 27, making his sixth appearance and the first since his wife, Gwen Stefani, put on a RodeoHouston show for the ages in 2022. No pressure, Blake.

Fast-rising female artist, the Kentucky-born Carly Pearce, brings her classic Faith Hill sound to her first appearance on the star-shaped stage on February 29, hot off releasing her single, “We Don’t Fight Anymore” with another repeat RodeoHouston performer, Chris Stapleton. The month is capped off by the Australian duo King & Country, which made history as the first Christian pop band to play on the NRG Stadium dirt and dust in 2022, drawing a praise-worthy 50,000+ ticket holders.

††† (Crosses), February 27, House of Blues

The decidedly non-Christian but Christian-monikered ††† (Crosses) is the cult-act side project of Deftones lead singer Chino Moreno and multi-instrumentalist Shaun Lopez. Whereas Deftones offers a more straight-ahead approach to hard rock and melodic metal, Crosses dives hard into the synths with a delicious mix of dark wave and goth soundscapes. They are currently promoting the 2023 release, Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete which featured contributions from the Cure's Robert Smith.

Movie Review

Michelle Pfeiffer visits Houston in new Christmas movie Oh. What. Fun.

Photo courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios

Michelle Pfeiffer in Oh. What. Fun.

Of all the formulaic movie genres, Christmas/holiday movies are among the most predictable. No matter what the problem is that arises between family members, friends, or potential romantic partners, the stories in holiday movies are designed to give viewers a feel-good ending even if the majority of the movie makes you feel pretty bad.

That’s certainly the case in Oh. What. Fun., in which Michelle Pfeiffer plays Claire, an underappreciated mom living in Houston with her inattentive husband, Nick (Denis Leary). As the film begins, her three children are arriving back home for Christmas: The high-strung Channing (Felicity Jones) is married to the milquetoast Doug (Jason Schwartzman); the aloof Taylor (Chloë Grace Moretz) brings home yet another new girlfriend; and the perpetual child Sammy (Dominic Sessa) has just broken up with his girlfriend.

Each of the family members seems to be oblivious to everything Claire does for them, especially when it comes to what she really wants: For them to nominate her to win a trip to see a talk show in L.A. hosted by Zazzy Tims (Eva Longoria). When she accidentally gets left behind on a planned outing to see a show, Claire reaches her breaking point and — in a kind of Home Alone in reverse — she decides to drive across the country to get to the show herself.

Written and directed by Michael Showalter (The Idea of You), and co-written by Chandler Baker (who wrote the short story on which the film is based), the movie never establishes any kind of enjoyable rhythm. Each of the characters, including competitive neighbor Jeanne (Joan Chen), is assigned a character trait that becomes their entire personality, with none of them allowed to evolve into something deeper.

The filmmakers lean hard into the idea that Claire is a person who always puts her family first and receives very little in return, but the evidence presented in the story is sketchy at best. Every situation shown in the film is so superficial that tension barely exists, and the (over)reactions by Claire give her family members few opportunities to make up for their failings.

The most interesting part of the movie comes when Claire actually makes it to the Zazzy Sims show. Even though what happens there is just as unbelievable as anything else presented in the story, Showalter and Baker concoct a scene that allows Claire and others to fully express the central theme of the film, and for a few minutes the movie actually lives up to its title.

Pfeiffer, given her first leading role since 2020’s French Exit, is a somewhat manic presence, and her thick Texas accent and unnecessary voiceover don’t do her any favors. It seems weird to have such a strong supporting cast with almost nothing of substance to do, but almost all of them are wasted, including Danielle Brooks in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo. The lone exception is Longoria, who is a blast in the few scenes she gets.

Oh. What. Fun. is far from the first movie to try and fail at becoming a new holiday classic, but the pedigree of Showalter and the cast make this dismal viewing experience extra disappointing. Ironically, overworked and underappreciated moms deserve a much better story than the one this movie delivers.

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Oh. What. Fun. is now streaming on Prime Video.

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