Houston's Weekend Planning Guide Weekend Sundays Weekend of July 24th, 2022

(From All Music.com - Bekki Bemrose) With his fusion of dancehall, reggae, Afrobeat, and pop, Burna Boy emerged in the early part of the 2010s as one of Nigeria's fastest-rising stars. The LeriQ-produced 2012 single "Like to Party" proved to be his breakout track and paved the way for his full-length debut, L.I.F.E, a year later. Over the next five years, Burna released two more albums and collaborated with a variety of artists, from J Hus and Skales to Fall Out Boy and Lilly Allen. His international exposure widened with 2018's Outside, which hit number three on the Billboard Reggae chart and won the Nigeria Entertainment Award for Album of the Year. 2019's African Giant and 2020's Twice as Tall were both widely acclaimed and charted in several countries. After becoming the first Nigerian to headline a show at Madison Square Garden, he released his sixth album, Love, Damini, in 2022.

Burna Boy was born Damini Ogulu in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria, in 1991. He began making music at just ten years old when a fellow classmate at school gave him a copy of the production software FruityLoops. Armed with these means, he began to create his own beats on an old computer. After he graduated, he moved to London to attend university, but he dropped out after two years and moved back to Nigeria. In 2010, the 19-year-old Ogulu traveled to Nigeria's southern coast, where a mutual acquaintance, producer LeriQ, had some studio space. This marked a period when he began to connect to the music of his native country, having spent most of his youth immersed in American acts like DMX. He delved into the dancehall and reggae music his father listened to and explored the Afro-beat music preferred by his grandfather (who had also been Fela Kuti's first manager). As a result of his new discoveries, Ogulu created a confluence of genres that would become his signature sound. (Read more @All Music.com Click Here)

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Danny pushes authenticity and love as he aims to inspire those who come across his artistry to be themselves and embrace their imperfections. The recent college graduate garnered the attention of crowds in 2019, putting out records with Xuitcasecity, Cam Meekins, and even hitting the studio with Gym Class Heroes front man, Travie McCoy. Since then Danny has built an audience who cherish his outlook on life and rely on the community around his brand for support.

During the pandemic, Danny took to TikTok and built a following across several accounts of over 700,000. Fans flock to Danny for sports skits, music, and general humor. Since launch, Danny has garnered over 2 Million streams, hundreds of thousands of followers, and has been written about in Forbes, Lyrical Lemonade, AdWeek, Complex, and more.

“if music is the drug then i guess drugs are something different, if music’s my escape then i’m escaping to my vision, if records are my worth i guess i’m worth a couple minutes, if this is me then art’s my definition” danny G

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(From All Music.com - Greg Prato) Three bands were the undisputed arena rock kings of the early '80s -- Styx, Journey, and REO Speedwagon -- yet all weren't overnight success stories (in fact, each group began pursuing different musical styles originally -- prog rock, fusion, and straight-ahead hard rock, respectively, before transforming slowly into chart-topping mainstream rockers). REO Speedwagon first formed in 1968 via a pair of University of Illinois students, keyboardist Neal Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer. After graduation, the group signed on with then-unknown manager Irving Azoff (who would later guide the careers of such multi-platinum acts as the Eagles and Steely Dan), which led to the outfit building a devoted following in the Midwest due to nonstop touring. By the early '70s, Doughty and Gratzer had welcomed aboard guitarist Gary Richrath, who would soon prove to be the group's spark plug (and one of rock's more underrated players), in addition to bassist Gregg Philbin and singer Terry Luttrell. This is the lineup featured on the quintet's 1971 self-titled debut recording for Epic Records.

The debut failed to break REO through to the mainstream, and the band's future was thrust into uncertainty shortly thereafter when Luttrell left the group. Newcomer Kevin Cronin got the gig; he was a folksinger/guitarist beforehand, with little to no experience fronting a loud rock & roll outfit. The Cronin-led lineup appeared to be headed in the right direction though, judging from 1972's R.E.O. T.W.O., but the other members grew impatient with their slow progress toward a commercial breakthrough, and gave Cronin his walking papers. Up next as REO's frontman was Mike Murphy, whose debut with the band, 1974's Ridin' the Storm Out, was their first album to chart on Billboard and spawned a concert standard with the rocking title track. Murphy stayed onboard for a couple of more releases -- 1974's Lost in a Dream and 1975's This Time We Mean It -- but neither managed to push REO to the next level. (Read more @All Music.com (Click here)

Styx

(From All Music.com - Greg Prato) Although they began as a progressive art-rock band, Chicago's Styx would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late '70s and early '80s due to a fondness for bombastic rockers and soaring power ballads. Known for penning classic rock staples like "Lady," "Renegade," "Foolish Young Man," and "Come Sail Away," the band has issued 17 studio albums, including the triple-platinum-selling Grand Illusion, Pieces of Eight, and Paradise Theater.

The seeds for the band were planted in another Chicago band during the late '60s, the Tradewinds, which featured brothers Chuck and John Panozzo (who played bass and drums, respectively), as well as acquaintance Dennis DeYoung (vocals, keyboards). By the dawn of the '70s, the group had changed its name to TW4, and welcomed aboard a pair of guitarists/vocalists, James "JY" Young and John Curulewski -- securing a recording contract in 1972 with Wooden Nickel Records (a subsidiary of RCA). Soon after, the group opted to change its name once more, this time to Styx, named after a river from Greek mythology that ran through "the land of the dead" in the underworld. (Read more @All Music.com)

This is weekend number 25 as we move into mid-summer with July 4th, 2022, around the corner. Houston is experiencing record temps this weekend of at least 99 degrees or more. That is hot everybody! Hey parents with infants and toddlers be especially careful not to get distracted and forget the little ones in the car. Its already happened in our Bayou City (Houston) to a five-year-old.

The big news this week was The Supreme Court on Friday overruled Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion after almost 50 years in a decision that will transform American life, reshape the nation’s politics and lead to all but total bans on the procedure in about half of the states. (More information click here)

We are big listeners to public media, back in the day we called them public radio or television, but since many public radio outlets operate more than one medium (radio, television, websites) many of them (if not all) opted to start calling themselves media.

Anyway, Friday the outlets seemed to accelerate their storytelling on LBGTQ now plus, news and storytelling. It's the end of the month with their community celebrating their recognition.
The University of Houston's station was no exception. So, this weekend its "Pride" parades all over the place. (Click here for KHOU TV's listings)

WOW, how politics and entertainment blends so mush nowadays. It started with former President Bill Clinton appearing on the old "Arsino Hall Show" in 1992, not just being interviewed by Hall, but playing the alto sax on the show, like perhaps he did in high school. We were all so impressed because we had never seen a presidential candidate entertain us on television. It worked. It was reported Clinton's favor-ability scores jumped significantly.

Okay, it started before Clinton it was the corrupt President Richard M. Nixon in 1968, making a cameo on the popular television show "Laugh In", that started this in modern television times. See Republicans did it too.

Which leads me to say many are truly swayed by "political celebrity". No matter what the candidate "says".

The country's Electoral College was taken in by "political celebrity" personality that was famous for firing people. The producers of the show made firing someone entertaining.

Now come on, entrepreneurs and business people, we all know, when we fire someone we take the hit too. It tells everybody we have poor leadership judgement and had to change some of the team. But eventually it catches up with us. The boss is eventually "fired" when it is discovered they have poor judgement in hiring team members of the tribe.

Oh, that was entertainment. But he did it in government too. We all knew what the stakes were.

He said and demonstrated who he was. Look where that has gotten us.

I have a buddy and many years ago I persuaded him to check-out with me the Juneteenth holiday celebration at Miller Outdoor Theatre. I was new to Houston and had only been to Miller a couple times. I admitted to him I was not a big Juneteenth fan, frankly, growing up in New Orleans, La. I didn't hear about it. It was not taught in history lessons in Louisiana. Let’s face it Juneteenth for a long time was celebrated only in Texas.

The concert featured Louisiana's Rockin' Dopsie. Dopsie plays music for dancing while assimilating R&B influences into zydeco and sometimes covering R&B hits in a zydeco style.

This buddy who happened to be Latino who really liked old school R&B music, had never experienced zydeco and immediately fell for the performance of this zydeco singer and accordion player. I told him Dopsie was part of Louisiana's Creole French culture. He started calling his friends to tell them of his excitement for this music man. And since then every year this buddy usually calls to see if I am going to Juneteenth at Miller Outdoor Theatre.

On another note, I think the agony of this holiday, yes I said "agony" is "essential". Are African-Americans really "free"? Systemic racism has not been eradicated and when we think systemic racism has been resolved something else takes its place.

This year, the University of Houston’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion (CDI) will begin its Juneteenth celebration a few days early in the Student Center. A gallery with historical facts and information on Juneteenth will be set up just outside of CDI (Suite B12 in the Student Center) starting June 16 and will remain on display through June 19. Commemorative Juneteenth shirts also will be handed out from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 16.

For Varselles Cummings, director of CDI, Juneteenth has always been a special day. As a child growing up in Fresno, California, he remembers the numerous events honoring this day. The upcoming gallery hosted by CDI will provide a platform to help members of the Cougar Community recognize the significance of this special day.

Linda Reed, director of UH’s African American Studies Program, agrees. She added that Juneteenth offers an opportunity to pause and contemplate the concept of freedom. Just as important, the day should also be observed with a festive spirit.

“Just because we still have work to do with regard to race and other issues, doesn’t mean we should not celebrate,” she said. “We, as a University community, celebrate diversity and each other. Juneteenth is an extension of that. It offers an opportunity to truly recognize and appreciate this moment in history and its impact on African Americans in our country.”

Reed, who also serves an associate professor of history, recommended a few ways to become more familiar with the story of Juneteenth. The book “On Juneteenth” by Annette Gordon-Reed is a must-read, she said. A number of books on the topic also are available through UH Libraries.

It is obvious in this 24-hour news cycle business the obsession with stories about “race and racism" are at top of the list for television producers and their assignment editors .

It was the murder of ten Black people for being Black in the Niagara-Buffalo area of New York state that has us all thinking. What the “#!*%”?

It’s still being determined if this young man was deranged or just a hate monger that wanted to be a catalyst for social unrest regarding race.

I have to note here, the planning guide is curated over a two-to-three-day period most of the time by me sitting in a Chic-fil-a, Starbucks or sometimes a Popeyes. (I grew up in New Orleans, La)

I review what is happening in the four-county area, check e-mails for event submissions and just curate and re-write.

During this process I occasionally talk to people at these locations about current events. I’m usually in Houston's “East End” of town a Latino section of our Bayou City.

If you haven't noticed yet, I put my picture at the end of the Home page (scroll down) of (Weekend Houston) Houston’s Weekend Planning Guide. I say this to tell you, I am "Black,” no not Latino with a name like Menendez---Black. Okay my grandfather’s dad was from Cuba.
My dad’s mother was “Black” from the Louisiana delta of Plaquemine Parish, Louisiana. I mean she had a very dark complexion. His dad, my grandfather was from a “creole” neighborhood of New Orleans, La. He looked “White.” They married.

I remember times complaining to my dad about being “Black” working in radio and television. He would say, “What you’re wining about? I had a Black and White one (his parents) and in school we (his three brothers) were teased about their mother and father many times. This was pre-WWII . The 40’s and 50’s. This was when it was illegal for “White people” and Black people” to marry in Louisiana. But was grandfather “White,” no he just looked it.

Race is a “bitch” huh!

But this is the rub everybody White and non-White, I am "Jeffery" first. Always Jeffery first. When I wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. I see Jeffery looking back at me. Oh, Jeffery is “Black.” Okay. I like that too.
Interestingly, when I was a talk radio producer I was “Jeffery” too. This was during the late 70’s and throughout the 80’s, being the only Black (Oh Jeffery) in charge of radio broadcasts was impressive.
Hell. I attended the University of New Orleans they well prepared me to take on the responsibilities as a producer. Thank you May Jones, PhD in the Mass Communications Department UNO!

Let me explain here. It was my co-workers who would remind me I was "Black". I would say in my head “okay.” I would also think sometimes. What does that mean when they would say this to me? Oh, it meant I was in the tribe, you know . . .”Black”, if I was with Black co-workers. If I were with White co-workers. I would think. Are they trying to complement me, since there were so few “Black” talk radio producer? Hmm…. It was exhausting. I “Jeffery”, just wanted to do good talk radio.
Let me move on to how exhausting it was to be “Jeffery.” Oh. “Black Jeffery.”
It was over 35-years ago I use to produce a popular talk magazine show in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "Mid-Day Magazine with Don Grady". I had to know everything to make this show work every weekday.

So, as we head into this weekend think about it everybody. Are we headed back to the 60's?

I used my mom's birth name during that time, "Jeff White" as the producer of the show. The Program Director, Dave Prince insisted the host of the show acknowledged on-air “Jeff White” produced the program. So, at the end of the two-hour broadcast every day the host of the show, would say, "Mid-Day Magazine is produced by Jeff White, Thank you Jeffery.” The host would occasionally talk to me in the control room, but like many producers, I would say "we" (producers) are not part of the on-air banter. As talk radio matured that changed. Every talk show host was talking to their producer on air with the producer responding.

He also insisted on introducing me to our listeners. He started before the "live" broadcast introducing the host with applause, then he said this is our show producer “Jeff White.” The audience all “White” just stop applauding. I don’t think they were being disrespect full; they were surprised I was a “Black” man. Hell, I most likely spoke to some of them on the phone when they called went I had to screen possible air calls. They were shocked not because I was Jeff White, because I was Black. But I have to say I was still Jeffery.

Race is a “bitch” huh!

When are some White people going to stop all this nonsense? We are all Americans. Lincoln said the south would never accept Black (slaves) people as equals. But have we not progressed since 1865? We have progressed since the 60's, remember the city's burning north and south of the Mason Dixon Line.
Why is it some White people think they are being discriminated? Why do some White people think they are going to be replaced?

So, as we head into this weekend think about it everybody. Are we headed back to the 60's? When George Floyd was killed two years ago I thought we were. Now ten Black people are dead because they were Black.

Is this a slow burning pot?

• Original introductions by President Obama and Bruce Springsteen
• Exclusive new material from the Renegades podcast recording sessions
• Obama’s never-before-seen annotated speeches, including his “Remarks at the 50th Anniversary of the Selma to Montgomery Marches”
• Springsteen’s handwritten lyrics for songs spanning his 50-year-long career
• Rare and exclusive photographs from the authors’ personal archives
• Historical photographs and documents that provide rich visual context for their conversation

Houston's Weekend Planning Guide

Sunday
July 24th, 2022

Burna Boy Presents
"Love Damini
Summer Tour"
@Toyota Center

Diljit Dosanjh
"Born to Shine World Tour"
@Smart Financial Center

Michael Wavves & Danny G
"The Content
Overload Tour"
@White Oak Music Hall
Upstairs

Danny G

REO Speedwagon and Styx
with Loverboy
@Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

It's The Weekend
of "This N That"

Weekend Commentary

Juneteenth America

“I think it’s great that Juneteenth is now more familiar to most Americans and that it is a federal holiday,”

Race Is A "Bitch"
HUH !!!

So, as we head into this weekend think about it everybody. Are we headed back to the 60's?

So, as we head into this weekend think about it everybody. Are we headed back to the 60's?

Weekend Reads Sponsored by Macy's and Amazon.com

The Last Thing
He Told Me
by Laura Dave

Renegades Born
in the USA

© 2010-2022 Menendez Media.com

Houston's Online Weekend Planning Entertainment Guide

Sunday July 24th, 2022

Burna Boy Presents "Love Damini Summer Tour"@Toyota Center

Diljit Dosanjh"Born to Shine World Tour"@Smart Financial Center

Michael Wavves & Danny G "The Content Overload Tour"@White Oak Music Hall Upstairs

Danny G

REO Speedwagon and Styxwith Loverboy@Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

It's The Weekend of "This N That"

Weekend Commentary

Juneteenth America

“I think it’s great that Juneteenth is now more familiar to most Americans and that it is a federal holiday,”

Race Is A "Bitch" HUH !!!

So, as we head into this weekend think about it everybody. Are we headed back to the 60's?

So, as we head into this weekend think about it everybody. Are we headed back to the 60's?

Weekend Reads Sponsored by Macy's and Amazon.com

The Last Thing He Told Meby Laura Dave

Renegades Born in the USA

© 2010-2022 Menendez Media.com

Houston's Online Weekend Planning Entertainment Guide

Sunday
July 24th, 2022

Burna Boy Presents
"Love Damini
Summer Tour"
@Toyota Center

Diljit Dosanjh
"Born to Shine World Tour"
@Smart Financial Center

Michael Wavves & Danny G
"The Content
Overload Tour"
@White Oak Music Hall
Upstairs

REO Speedwagon and Styx
with Loverboy
@Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

It's The Weekend
of "This N That"

Race Is A "Bitch"
HUH !!!

The Last Thing
He Told Me
by Laura Dave

Renegades Born
in the USA