Sound Menu April 18 2007

THURS/19

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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Energetic Norwegian-born conductor Arild Remmereit makes his ASO debut, opening the program with incidental music for Henrick Ibsen’s play “Peer Gynt” composed by fellow Norwegian Edward Grieg. Then ASO concertmaster Cecylia Arzewski is the featured soloist for W.A. Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 5, K. 219.” An audience favorite, the “Polovotsian Dances” from the opera “Prince Igor” by Russian chemist/composer Alexander Borodin closes the show. $28-$63. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m. Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center. 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — Mark Gresham

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BILLY JOE SHAVER, LARRY JON WILSON Lord have mercy, Texas songwriter extraordinaire Billy Joe’s done got himself in trouble again, this time poppin’ a cap in a drunk with a knife. If he’s out of jail in time for this gig, he may already have a song about the incident, and it will be a good one. Wilson could carry the gig on his own if Shaver doesn’t make it. Yeah, he’s that good. $20-$25. 8 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — James Kelly

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BRANDI CARLILE, ARI HEST The young Seattle-based folk-rocker is a frequent Atlanta visitor who went from playing free shows at local coffeehouses to opening slots at Chastain all on the strength of a surprisingly successful rootsy debut. Her new T-Bone Burnett-produced sequel ups the ante with a marginally more anthemic approach centered around Carlile’s powerful vocals and emotionally trenchant songs that smoothly shift from sensitive to soaring. Opening singer/songwriter Hest also arrives promoting a solid sophomore release. $15-$17.50. 8 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — Hal Horowitz

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DE LA SOUL Where is De La Soul? Since its 2005 effort The Grind Date, one of the best groups of the past three decades has mostly kept silent, save for a mix CD (Impossible: Mission) released last fall. While the world awaits another album, the Long Island trio is playing a free show at the Loft, courtesy of Scion’s monthly Live Metro series. The group will perform with L.A.’s Rhythm Roots All-Stars. DJ Hier opens. Free. RSVP at www.scion.com/livemetro. 9 p.m. The Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com. — Mosi Reeves

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FRI/20

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AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA An ensemble of young soloists from “Down Under,” the ACO, led by violinist Richard Tognetti, plays a variety of works on both modern and historical period instruments. The program opens with two Italian Baroque works, the “Concerto Grosso in F major, Op. 6 No. 2” by Archangelo Corelli and “Concerto for Four Violins & Orchestra in B minor, Op. 3 No. 10” by Antonio Vivaldi. Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey is soloist for the “Cello Concerto in C major” by Franz Joseph Haydn, and the program concludes with Peter I. Tchaikovsky’s lyrical “Souvenir de Florence.” $45. 8:15 p.m. Spivey Hall. 678-466-4200. www.spiveyhall.org. — MG

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BUTCH WALKER Whether the busy producer/singer/songwriter is backed by the Let’s Go Out Tonights, members of the Marvelous 3 or just an all-star gaggle of friends and collaborators, one thing is for certain, Walker will take the proceedings waaaay over the top. Not too many artists can get away with the shameless rock posturing of Walker’s extremes, yet he always seems to pull it off, with a sly grin and a wink to let us know that he’s in on the joke, too. Good fun, good songs and a stage show that deftly blends elements of all of his obvious influences (KISS, Cheap Trick, early New Wave and ’70s glam). Just relax and enjoy it. $22.50. 8 p.m. The Tabernacle. 404-659-9022. www.ticketmaster.com. — Lee Valentine Smith

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CLIPD BEAKS, AFRICAN GREYS Oakland, Calif.’s Clipd Beaks are the West Coast equivalent of our beloved Deerhunter. (Bradford, please don’t get mad at me for writing that.) The group wields bizarre sound effects, manipulated vocals and totemic drumming a la Liars to produce “distortion paintings” that are strangely hypnotic. To date, Clipd Beaks has only released an EP, Preyers, on Tigerbeat 6; a full-length, Hoarse Lords, is forthcoming. Atlanta trio African Greys opens with a dose of fragmented incantations. Call for ticket price. 9 p.m. YoYo Boutique. 404-389-0912. — MR

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LITTLE COUNTRY GIANTS, NO RIVER CITY, BLAKE RAINEY, GEORGIA FIREFLIES Little Country Giants play slow, country-tinged folk songs that tussle between dreamy and death-afflicted tones that billow in dark clouds of resonance, where the space between each note tells a sad and bucolic story. Lonesome art-country/Americana act No River City celebrates the release of its latest full-length, Wolves and Fishes. Blake Rainey and Georgia Fireflies also perform. $12. 7 p.m. Red Light Café. 404-874-7828. www.redlightcafe.com. — Chad Radford

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TERRI CLARK Loretta may be the original honky tonk girl, but Canadian Terri Clark does all she can to keep things as country as they can be. Having established herself as a legitimate and sincere performer, she gives good entertainment. Her radio-friendly material is honest and fun, and you have to dig a chick in a cowboy hat. $14-$100. 9 p.m. Wild Bill’s. 678-473-1000. www.wildbillsatlanta.com. — JK

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SAT/21

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BIKE SPECTACLE II Billed as the “Petroleum Funeral Procession,” this event is a carnival that celebrates bicycle culture and raises awareness about the global impact of petroleum dependency. Bands performing include: This Bike Is A Pipe Bomb, Anna Kramer, Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? and the Spooks. Sideshow events include: puppetry, burlesque, face painting and displays of anti-petroleum activist information. Cyclists receive a discount at the door. $12. 9 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org. — CR

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THE MIGHTY HANNIBAL W/ DELIA GARTRELL, HERMON HITSON & THE BUCKBOARD EXPRESS, KINGSIZED The Mighty Hannibal is an artifact from the 1960s-’70s Atlanta soul scene. His songs embrace humorous though socially conscious themes, touching on religion, drug addiction and politics. Hannibal is joined by Georgia songstress Delia Gartrell and veteran soul man Hermon Hitson & the Buckboard Express. Kingsized also performs, guaranteeing a spectacle of soulful sights and sounds. $15. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR

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TYRONE WELLS, LEIGH NASH, ERNIE HALTER Wells and Halter work a similar easy-grooving, blue-eyed-soul vibe on their recent debuts. The former has benefited from a ubiquitous radio hit in the funk lite of “What Are We Fighting For?” but Halter’s music is just as impressive and his indie disc doesn’t sand off the raw edges. Both aim for John Mayer-sized crossover success. Someone tell People magazine. Nash hails from one-time minor CCM sensation Sixpence None the Richer and supports her latest roots-pop solo release. $12. 9 p.m. The Loft. 404-875-1522. www.theloftatl.com. — HH

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SUN/22

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CHRISTIAN TETZLAFF 40-year-old German violinist Christian Tetzlaff (Musical America’s 2005 “Instrumentalist of the Year”) is equally at home with baroque, romantic, and contemporary repertoire, but has become especially noted for performances of the music in this recital: Unaccompanied violin sonatas (nos. 2 and 3 in this show) and partitas (also nos. 2 and 3) by Johann Sebastian Bach. All performed without a net. $30. 3 p.m. Spivey Hall. 678-466-4200. www.spiveyhall.org. — MG

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KATE CAMPBELL, STORYHILL Tonight, legendary singer/songwriter Campbell’s set will draw from her impressive catalog and her fairly recent CD, For the Living of These Days, an excellent collection of moody Southern Gothic folk. But be sure to get there early to enjoy the opening set. Chris Cunningham and Johnny Hermanson are a clever and prolific Montana-bred duo called Storyhill, currently on tour to support their 14th release, a self-titled CD produced by Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Dixie Chicks). $18. 6:30 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — LVS

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SOLAS It’s tough to do something new with a musical style that’s more than 1,000 years old, but Solas manages to make traditional Irish reels and jigs sound fresh. Led by Seamus Egan, the 3/5 Irish band is the real deal, and plays its music with a level of skill and love that’s rare these days. Leprechauns get in free. $20. 7:30 p.m. Red Light Café. 404-874-7828. www.redlightcafe.com. — JK

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MON/23

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BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT, THE WHITE LODGE This Alabama combo is built around Rachael Hughes’ Rhodes organ and Nathan Shineywater’s low, grooving guitar. Part jam band, part drone enthusiasts, they and their varying comrades lope along at paint-drying speed, like a rootsified slowcore act — think Mark Kozelek working a narcotic soul boogie or maybe Widespread Panic on the nod. White Lodge’s spacey, acoustic folk blends bubbling ambient texture with gently mutating, vaguely psychedelic guitar-driven soundscapes. $10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chris Parker

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TUES/24

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MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, MUSE There will be no shortage of pomp. Muse may only be a trio but it constructs towering edifices to rival ELP, with an emphasis on rock over art. Always rockers at heart, the band members never lose the thunder in the cinematic blend of electronic thrum and prog bombast. My Chemical Romance consists of high school drama geeks with a fascination for costumes and makeup. Their baroque punk-popera, The Black Parade, is equal parts Queen and Alkaline Trio — anguished, anthemic and ambitious. $30.25. 7:30 p.m. Gwinnett Center. 770-813-7500. www.gwinnettcenter.com. — CP

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SUSAN TEDESCHI, SCRAPOMATIC Tedeschi’s last album of captivating covers shifts the singer from guitar-slinging band leader to bluesy soul and R&B belter. Time out of the spotlight tending to motherly duties helped focus her impressive vocal abilities, but when she picks up the guitar, she can still burn, albeit not quite as intensely as husband Derek Trucks. The Trucks connection extends to scrappy folk/gospel/blues openers Scrapomatic, whose charismatic lead singer Mike Mattison provides a similar frontman role in the guitarist’s band. $25. 7:30 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — HH

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WED/25

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BALKAN BEAT BOX Displaying their multicultural musical polyglot like a quilted cape, Balkan Beat Box bounds the rooftops with the evasive fun-loving spirit of gypsy spring breakers. Its dub and hip-hop beats are layered with a mélange of sounds from the Arabian, horn-fueled sway of “Bulgarian Chicks,” to the snake-charming chanting of “Ya Man.” Its Ellis Island sound is as infectious as Gogol Bordello, and particularly winning live. It’s joined by high-energy klezmer kids Golem. $12. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — CP

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THU/26

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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Two prim “Pomp and Circumstance” marches by Sir Edward Elgar (nos. 4 and 1, respectively) open and close this concert of music from Great Britain, homeland of ASO principal guest conductor Donald Runnicles, who leads the evening’s show. In contrast, “Three Screaming Popes” by Mark-Anthony Turnage, takes paintings by Francis Bacon as its inspiration, followed by the bagpipes-encrusted “An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise” by Peter Maxwell-Davies, and “Britannia” by young Scot composer James MacMillan. Benjamin Brittan’s intimately personal anti-war “Sinfonia da Requiem” completes the musical tour. $16-$63. Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m. Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center. 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — MG

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CHRIS KNIGHT Knight is a true poet with a clear vision of his characters and their follies. His bare-bones, emotional storytelling has never sounded better than on the recently (finally) released The Trailer Tapes. These 10-year-old solo acoustic demos have been the stuff of legend; now you can hear them live and own them. $15. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — JK

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GORE GORE GIRLS, THEE CRUCIALS, THE COATHANGERS The Gore Gore Girls, those sexy Detroit-based garage-rock queens, return to town to bring one more dose of their tough girl-group sound to their slavish devotees. Delivered with the raw power of the Stooges and the scratchy soul of a great Motown single, their abrasive stage show takes the grind of their records (including the recent Get The Gore) and amps up the volume to a spectacular, ’60s-fueled roar. Like-minded locals Thee Crucials and the Coathangers open the show. $8-$10. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — LVS

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LIFETIME, THE DRAFT As a popular New Jersey melodic hardcore band in the ’90s, Lifetime exerted a major influence on current MTV favorites such as Fall Out Boy and Saves the Day. (Personally, I preferred Zero Zero, a fun little indie-tronica group some of its members formed after Lifetime’s demise.) With the support of Pete Wentz’s Decaydence, it recently reunited and issued a new, self-titled disc. Gainesville, Fla.’s the Draft opens with its few ragged punk anthems. $12. 7 p.m. The Masquerade. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. — MR

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Bands/performers/venues wishing to be included in Sound Menu’s noted-acts boxes may send recordings, press material and schedules two weeks in advance to Creative Loafing c/o Rodney Carmichael, 384 Northyards Blvd., Suite 600, Atlanta, GA 30313, or e-mail information to: rodney.carmichael@creativeloafing.com. To be included in the listings only, e-mail venue and band schedules by Friday at noon (for the issue that comes out the following Thursday) to soundboard@creativeloafing.com.