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There was a lot going on in the music business in the autumn of 1975. Bruce Springsteen was on tour promoting his breakthrough album Born to Run, meanwhile appearing on the covers of both Newsweek and Time in the same week. The Who released the raggedy but still appealing record The Who by Numbers. Bob Dylan kicked off his “Rolling Thunder Review” tour. And the Sex Pistols played their first show, at St. Martin’s School of Art in London.
But in the midst of all this, Pink Floyd released Wish You Were Here, the band’s follow up to the mega-platinum The Dark Side of the Moon. Sales figures aside, Wish You Were Here is the superior album. Both are tremendous, but Wish You Were Here is an album that appeals to so many.
Who cannot identify with the album’s themes of absence and loss that the lyrics and music portray? Who does not think of people now missing from life who once occupied such a significant position? Wish You Were Here contains Pink Floyd’s most universal message, so I encourage you to give it a spin this week, maybe also raising a glass to someone whose journey is now over, but whose trip you were part of for a while. Haven’t we all known a crazy diamond?
Ticket Alert
Look at you, Colter Wall! Two nights (Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22) at the Bayou Music Center! His forthcoming album, Memories and Empties, will be released in November, which means that fans will be fully familiar with the new material by the time the Canadian singer-songwriter arrives in Houston.
Kelly Willis has been a fixture on the Texas music scene for many years, and she is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of her landmark album What I Deserve. The album was begun with recording sessions in San Francisco, but after a parting with her record company, Willis brought the tapes to Austin and finished the record there, resulting in an album that still resonates today. Catch Willis on Thursday, February 14, at the Mucky Duck.
When Opeth comes to town, get ready for some heavy-duty prog metal, with notes (as wine connoisseurs would say) of blues, classical and jazz. The band will play the Bayou Music Center on Sunday, February 15, but I don’t know that it’s really a Valentine’s Day-weekend-appropriate show. Unless your significant other is totally into this stuff, in which case, let ‘er rip!
So what to say about Raye? In the singer-songwriter / record producer’s catalog, the listener will find influences ranging from R&B to jazz to soul and pop. That’s a lot going on. Fortunately, Raye manages to corral these musical styles into a coherent, consistently grooving sound. She will perform on Friday, May 1, at the 713 Music Hall.
Concerts This Week
Blues guitarist Davey Knowles grew up on the Isle of Man, which is about 30 miles from Ireland. Which explains the presence of a Celtic vibe and a major Rory Gallagher influence in his playing. Check him out on Thursday at the Big Top, right next door to the Continental Club.
And speaking of talented blues-based guitarists, Tab Benoit will perform on Friday at the Heights Theater. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: Benoit founded Voice of the Wetlands (VOW), a conservation organization that promotes the preservation of the Louisiana wetlands and the accompanying culture.
If you have ever said to yourself, “Man, if only there were a rock and roll band fronted by three bagpipe players,” then you are in luck, as the Red Hot Chilli Pipers will bring their unique act to the Dosey Doe Big Barn on Saturday. The band performs a mix of traditional Scottish music and classic rock covers such as “Smoke on the Water,” “We Will Rock You” and “Don’t Stop Believing.” This is one of those “dinner and a show” affairs that the Dosey Doe is known for, but no word yet on whether haggis will be on the menu.
Jon Batiste can do it all. Well, if not “all,” then most of it. Batiste gained celebrity as the bandleader on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show, later winning an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy for his score for the Pixar film Soul. He has also composed a symphony and found time to do some acting last year, appearing as Billy Preston in the film Saturday Night. Oh, and he composed the score for that movie too. Batiste’s “Big Money” tour makes a stop at the Smart Financial Centre on Saturday.
Like many young artists, Junior H first entered the public consciousness via videos that he posted on YouTube. His songs helped to establish the corridos tumbados (aka trap corridos) genre, which combines influences from narcocorridos and rap music. Considering that Junior H has sold tens of millions of records in a period of just a few years, it’s no wonder that he can play two nights, this Saturday and Sunday, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
Cage the Elephant began its existence in Bowling Green, KY and then moved across the pond to London, where the band began to consolidate its sound. ‘Cause Knowledge is Power: The band’s name resulted from an encounter with a man (probably mentally ill) who repeatedly told lead singer Matt Shultz, “You got to cage the elephant!” I suppose we can consider the elephant caged, as the band will perform on Monday at the 713 Music Hall.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
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Tom Richards
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