Best Concerts of the Week | Houston Press

In anticipation of Missy Elliot’s performance at the Toyota Center on Saturday (see below), NASA beamed her song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus. Why? I guess the answer here would be “Why not?” or maybe “Because they can.” It seems NASA used its Deep Space Network to beam Elliot’s 1997 debut single across the vastness of space at the speed of light, but even so, the signal’s 158 trillion-mile journey took about 14 minutes before it reached Venus.

“The Rain” is only the second song to be beamed across the cosmos using the Deep Space Network. The first was the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” (of course), which was transmitted in 2008 and aimed at Polaris, the North Star. At the time, Paul McCartney declared, “Send my love to the aliens.” Er, Sir Paul, yes We are those who go therewouldn’t that do? We aliens?

Ticket Alert
It’s going to be a night of blazing guitars on Thursday, September 12, when Walter Trout and Carolyn Wonderland take the stage at the Heights Theater. Talk about stage heaven. Because knowledge is power: Trout and Wonderland both spent time (though not simultaneously) in blues legend John Mayall’s band, following in the footsteps of six-string heavyweights Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor.

The Houston Blues Society has announced that its annual Christmas festival will be held on Sunday, December 8, at the former Rockefeller’s on Washington Avenue. Shemekia Copeland will headline a concert that will include the winner of the Houston Blues Challenge, which will be held this fall. Early Bird tickets are on sale online and the society said there will be no tickets sold at the door this year, so feel free to click away.

Concerts this week
This week, a few local acts will be performing at Mucky Duck. On Thursday, guitarist Sue Foley and her pink paisley Telecaster will be performing, along with her new band, The Pistolas. On Saturday, two concerts, one early evening and one late evening, will be performed by singer-songwriter James McMurtry. Tickets for both concerts are selling fast, but if you can’t get in, a livestream will be available.
The Isley Brothers have been an American musical institution since 1959, with their hit single “Shout” being a huge hit. In the ’70s, “It’s Your Thing,” “Who’s That Lady?” (featuring a fuzz-laden guitar solo from brother Ernie Isley) and “Fight the Power” kept the band atop the charts. Today, Ronnie and Ernie Isley continue to carry the flame, which will shine brightly Friday at the Smart Financial Centre.
The Queen of Rap? The Queen of Hip-Hop? “Misdemeanor”? Missy Elliot has been called all of these things, as well as—as of last year—“Rock and Roll Hall of Famer.” That last one is another story, so let’s leave it for now. You can catch Elliot, along with Ciara, Busta Rhymes and Timbaland, at the Toyota Center on Saturday. Also, don’t forget that there are a variety of VIP options available, including the popular “Get Your Freak On Premium Ticket Package.”
If you’re looking for the best heavy metal in Houston, head to 713 Music Hall on Sunday to see Lamb of God and Mastodon, as well as former Slayer member Kerry King and Malevolence. Is this lineup metal enough for you? It’s not metal anymore, man. It’s not metal anymore. Pro tip: Don’t tell the leather-clad guy sitting next to you how much you enjoyed last week’s Totally Tubular Festival. He’s probably not a Wang Chung fan.