Best Concerts of the Week | Houston Press

It’s not a subject that classic rock fans like to dwell on, but members of our favorite bands are getting older and dealing with situations where the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain is a perfect example. After suffering partial paralysis from a stroke last year, McBrain was able to return to the drums after extensive physical therapy. A victory, to be sure, but according to the drummer, he was at about 70 percent of his previous level of ability.

Since then, McBrain has continued to improve, though there are still some songs in Iron Maiden’s repertoire that he struggles with. Fortunately, his bandmates have assured him that if he can’t comfortably play a certain song, the band won’t do it. In other cases, such as when a complicated drum fill proves too difficult, McBrain simply plays that part without the fancy stuff. McBrain is optimistic about this recent development, telling fans via Wire“I’m sure 90% of you don’t care either way!”

Ticket Alert
In the interest of journalistic integrity, we won’t take the easy, cheap way out. We won’t talk about the fact that Nick Cannon fathered 12 children. Nor will we speculate about why one of his sons is named Legendary Love Cannon. No, we’ll just point out that tickets are on sale for his concert at the Toyota Center on Saturday, October 5. That wasn’t so hard, was it?

Renowned musician and producer (Los Lobos, Elvis Costello, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss) T-Bone Burnett will perform Saturday, November 16 at the Heights Theater. It’s been 20 years since Burnett last released a solo album, but his new album, The other sideis receiving excellent reviews. Tickets are on sale now and will go quickly.

Concerts this week
If the sound of a Hammond B3 makes your head spin, head to Under the Volcano tonight to hear McLemore Avenue, a band celebrating the organ sound of Booker T. and the MG’s, the band that produced classic instrumentals like “Green Onions” and “Time is Tight.” So is there a real McLemore Avenue? I’m glad you asked. This particular stretch of road is in Memphis, and McLemore Avenue in the ’60s was the headquarters of Stax Records, the label that was home to Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, and, yes, Booker T. and the MG’s. Order one of the Volcano’s famous frozen screwdrivers and get ready to shake it!
Most bands aspire to create something unique, a sound that is all their own. If that was their goal, Houston’s Los Skarnales certainly achieved it. The “vatos rudos” have been honing their pachuco boogie stage style for 30 years now, with no signs of slowing down. Don’t miss the band’s next pachanga, Saturday at the Heights Theater, with Opie Hendrix and Tropicana Joe opening.
Koe Wetzel is no wannabe. As Clint Hale Houston Press interview with the singer, Wetzel spent a lot of time reveling in his rough and tumble ways, creating an image that fits neatly into the pantheon of troublemakers that includes Hank Williams (senior, of course), George Jones, Johnny Paycheck and David Allen Coe. With a new album to promote (9 lives), Wetzel is on the road, stopping at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Saturday, with Pecos and the Rooftops and Kolton Moore and the Clever Few opening. He says he’s calmed down a bit in the last couple of years, but we’ll see.
Zach Bryan will bring his “Quittin’ Time” tour to NRG Stadium on Saturday, featuring Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit and Levi Turner. Bryan has been on a roll lately, with his brand new album The Great American Bar Scene reaching first place on several Billboard Rumors swirled last week about an alleged breakup between Bryan and pop singer Noah Kahan, reportedly stemming from Bryan reportedly dropping out of a scheduled appearance at Kahan’s recent show in Boston. Bryan debunked the rumors with a succinct, if largely unpunctuation-laden, message: “Can you guys stop being weird on the internet, Noah is a brother to me and always will be, dammit, man?”