REVIEW: The Miller experiences Kiefer Sutherland’s ‘Reckless’ tour

Contributed by Deb Menconi Clark, associate professor of communication

The Miller Outdoor Theatre in Hermann Park offers Houstonians, and most especially students, free quality concerts, films and events in a safe and friendly environment. “The Miller,” as it is referred to, is located within the Museum District of Downtown Houston at 6000 Hermann Park Dr.

On Aug. 11, 2018, actor Kiefer Sutherland, of the infamous “Brat Pack” of the 70s and 80s performed at The Miller with his band. Sutherland, who is the son of actor Donald Sutherland, is more recently known for several hit television shows including “24” and “Designated Survivor.” He also starred in numerous movies, most notably “Young Guns,” which coincidently is a western, just like most of his music. 

Now, Sutherland adds to his repartee a mix of original country music along with, as he explained, some of his favorite blues-rock hits thrown in for fun. As with all songs, he told a story of his personal connection to the ones his band played. 

Kiefer Sutherland Band played to a full house of exuberant fans that through the entire show yelled out his real and stage names to gain his attention. Prior to every song he sang, Sutherland began with a story that tied to his process of writing lyrics and producing music with his long-time friend, fellow musician and Ironworks Music business partner, Jude Cole.  Ironworks is the independent record label that produces Sutherland’s albums. 

Sutherland’s debut album, “Down in a Hole” was released in 2016. His forthcoming album, “Reckless,” includes his new single, “This is How it’s Done” and is available via several social music media services such as Spotify and iTunes, among others.

Sutherland gave a dramatic performance with his mix of storytelling and music. Some of his own songs were from his previous recordings, while others were yet to be released. He explained that most of his songs were autobiographical and proceeded to relate stories about his youth, his first bar experience, his parents and his children. His vocals were gritty and he sang with a bit of a Southern twang. He danced and interacted with his band and the audience equally.

This concert experience was unique in that Sutherland connected with his audience via his engaging storytelling and then playing his music. It was obvious his acting experience prepared him for this role as both storyteller and musician. He kept the audience fully engaged with a 90-minute set and one encore song. While The Miller does not allow video or visual recordings, by the end of Sutherland’s set, many fans had come to the front taking numerous selfies and pictures—with no interference from the well-staffed Houston police force and Miller security staff watching closely.

The Miller experience

When the audience was not sitting and listening to the music, they were slowly moving forward to take seats that had been given up mostly by families with young children. This is actually a part of “The Miller experience.”

Every event at Miller Outdoor Theatre is free. The day of the performance you can go to the Miller Box Office and reserve up to four free tickets per person. Then an hour before each show, the box office releases the rest of the tickets. The hard and fast rule is that all event-goers be in their seats 15 minutes before show time. After this time frame, any unclaimed seats are available to anyone who wants to move forward for a better view or different selection. This process occurs throughout the show and due to the theatre’s layout and design, is not disruptive to the actual show.

Additionally, while The Miller has refreshments and treats, all guests are encouraged to bring picnics for lawn seating, which are not subject to time or place, and beverages and snacks for seated patrons. The city of Houston even allows alcoholic drinks, as long as they are contained in thermoses or plastic containers. Therefore, for those on a budget, the only cost is getting to the show. 

Upcoming performances can be found by week or month on Miller’s website at www.milleroutdoortheatre.com. A sample of upcoming 2018 events for August include: “Remember When Rock Was Young: Elton John Tribute” Aug. 24; “Shinyribs” Aug. 25; “The Greatest Love: A Tribute to Whitney Houston” Aug. 26; and “The Legend of Drums-Drumming the Sky and the Earth” Aug. 31.

Also published on Medium.