Upcoming Concerts July 25 2007
CL’s picks for the week’s best shows
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THURS/26
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B.B. KING, AL GREEN, ETTA JAMES Wow, what a triple bill. Each is a legendary headlining act in his or her own right, and even if they don’t share the stage for a closing encore, the enticing possibility of a three-headed jam is enough to tempt even the most casual fan to pony up the bucks just in case that happens. Certainly all three have been known to coast through shows based on their stellar reputations, but if they get a shot of adrenaline from each other’s sets, this might be a night of blues and soul you’ll tell your kids about. $38.50-$68.50. 7 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater. 404-364-4272. www.chastainseries.com. — Hal Horowitz
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MARNIE STERN, CELEPHAIS, LID EMBA Brooklyn experimental-punk songstress Stern plays fast and furious art rock that is at once pleasant and totally invigorating. Each song takes shape like a clunky, giddy take on Sonic Youth circa Goo, imbued with a penchant for prog-rock. Oh yeah, and Zack Hill from Hella plays drums for Stern, too. Fantasy art-metal trio Celephais and Lid Emba also perform. $7. 9 p.m. Drunken Unicorn. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net. — Chad Radford
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SOUL MEET W/ JENNIFER JOHNS, RAHBI At Apache Cafe, the fourth Thursday of the month is usually reserved for the Producer’s Swap Meet, a showdown of the city’s aspiring beatmakers. After midnight, however, the limelight will shift over to Soul Meet. National performers include Oakland, Calif., singer Johns, esoteric soul/hip-hop trio PPT and Houston, Texas, DJ Nimbus. On the Atlanta side, there’s funkateer Rahbi, party rapper Sky Hy and stylish vocalist Chinkie Brown. Badge holders from the International Soul Summit, which jumps off this week at the Atlanta Marriott downtown, get free admission. $10. 9 p.m. Apache Café. 404-876-5436. www.apachecafe.info. — Mosi Reeves
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FRI/27
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DEKALB SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WITH SUSAN TEICHER AND MARTHA THOMAS Although they began in classical and avant-garde music, piano duo Arthur Ferrante and Louis Teicher found a huge pop audience for themselves as one of the top-selling “easy listening” acts of the 1960s through their gimmick-free renditions of themes from popular films of the day, such as Midnight Cowboy, The Apartment and Exodus. Piano duo Susan Teicher (Louis’ daughter) and Thomas have been reviving the Ferrante-and-Teicher repertoire. Fyodor Cherniavsky conducts the DSO. Senior/student discounts available. $25. 8 p.m. Marvin Cole Auditorium. Georgia Perimeter College Clarkston campus. 678-891-3565. www.gpc.edu. — Mark Gresham
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DETROIT COBRAS, THE WILLOWZ The spirited soul-style revue of the Cobras dips classic R&B tracks in their Detroit-bred rock fryer for a real greasy treat. Frontwoman Rachel Nagy’s husky vocal strut shimmies over reverb-drenched guitar and racing garage grit. The songs may not be their own but you’ll not find a jukebox this hot anywhere. Live, psych-garage wall rattlers the Willowz bring a droning Mascis fascination to the Crazy Horse-inspired amble of their new album, Chautauqua. $15. 9:30 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chris Parker
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STAN RIDGWAY The official show title is “Stan Ridgway Celebrates Wall of Voodoo’s Call of the West,” a rather awkward yet descriptive account of the evening. The lead singer/songwriter revisits the disc on its 25th anniversary and at least you’re guaranteed to hear “Mexican Radio” from the source. Yet the album’s darker themes of alienation and lost hope laid out against brittle synths and Ridgway’s distinctive nasal talk/sung vocals were frighteningly prescient, which makes it somewhat of a forgotten classic. The humorously named McJagger opens. $20. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — HH
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WYNONNA With her mama Naomi, the Judds ruled country radio for more than a decade. Since embarking on her solo career, Wynonna has had plenty of commercial success, but her personal life has been like, well, a country song. That won’t stop her from doing an energetic and hit-filled show, no matter how weird it may get. $22-$55. 8 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater. 404-249-6400. www.classicchastain.com. — James Kelly
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SAT/28
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ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Even if you’re not old enough to remember Leonard Bernstein’s heyday as composer and conductor of the New York Philharmonic, this “Bernstein on Broadway” concert can awaken your pop retro-culture sensibilities to how his music for the stage helped define a public face for American orchestral music during the “Beat Generation.” Robert Spano conducts the show, including selections from West Side Story, On the Town, Trouble in Tahiti and Candide. Lenny’s daughter, Jamie Bernstein, will be on hand to relate personal backstage stories about her dad. $22-$45. 8 p.m. Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center. 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — MG
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CHRISTMAS IN JULY W/ YULE LOG, THE NEEDLES, THE VILLAINS Hot as the log in the fireplace on Christmas Eve, the band of Star Bar regulars that comprise Yule Log will burn another one brightly as they raise humid hell for the post-drinkin’-age kids. The Needles and the Villains add to the aseasonal merriment and nothing says “Summertime Holiday Cheer” like a visit from Sasparilla the Singing Gorilla. $8. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbaratlanta.com. — Lee Valentine Smith
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FUNKJAZZ KAFÉ The sorely missed FunkJazz is back at the Tabernacle in conjunction with this year’s National Black Arts Festival. Both events are celebrating 13 years. After a long hiatus, expect FunkJazz founder/promoter Jason Orr to come back with plenty of tricks up his sleeve. FJK has long been considered the premiere cultural event when it comes to Atlanta’s progressive soul scene, due to legendary surprise performances from artists such as Jill Scott, Omar, Erykah Badu and OutKast. But the festival’s staples — such as the poetry suite, fashion exhibits, live visual arts in the making, and the rhythm room featuring DJ Tabone — create the atmosphere that’s simultaneously conscious-raising and sexy as hell. $25. 9 p.m. The Tabernacle. 404-659-9022. www.tabernacleatl.com. — Rodney Carmichael
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FUR ELISE, THE FELON WINDS Fur Elise is Jeremy McCleary’s solo-project-turned-full-band. McCleary is a former member of local screamo act Me and Him Call It Us. With FE he trades in the agro chops for a much darker sound. Low-fi piano plods traipse over vocals that are drenched in a fog of echoes, creating a haunting, almost gothic effect. Local psych-noise outfit the Felon Winds are also on the bill. $5. 9 p.m. Banana Hammock. 404-840-7511. www.myspace.com/showsatthehammock. — CR
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HARMONY IN LIFE W/ ERIC ROBERSON, N’DAMBI Since its inception in 2005, Harmony in Life has served as a showcase for new and promising underground soul artists. It’s grown from a modest event at Hard Rock Café to a popular monthly at Sugarhill, and the July edition marks its third anniversary. The ever-popularRoberson, Dallas, Texas, singer (and Stax Records artist) N’dambi, North Carolina diva Yahzarah and Atlanta’s PJ Morton headline the party. House band Vibe-Raider holds down the jam session, and Erica Carson hosts. $10. 8 p.m. Sugarhill. 404-658-0068. www.sugarhillatl.com. — MR
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HOT TUNA, OTEIL & THE PEACEMAKERS Two former members of Jefferson Airplane return to their blues roots (which they were doing before the ‘Plane took off). Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady are having a great time, and both old and new fans are eating this stuff up. Oteil & the Peacemakers open the show with their own brand of deep-fried Southern funk. $25. 8:30 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — JK
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INDIGO GIRLS The most successful act of the early Decatur scene, the Indigo Girls always bring their best to their hometown shows. Amy and Emily are musically complementary yin-yang, and as socially conscious and community-oriented as they are talented singers/songwriters. It’s a joy to have them still plugging away after all these years. Sold out. 8 p.m. Atlanta Botanical Garden. 404-876-5859. www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org. — JK
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PAUL MELANCON AND THE ARTS AND SCIENCES, KAISER-CARTEL Playful openers Brooklyn-based Kaiser-Cartel give away a small pack of crayons with the purchase of their new EP, Double Standard. Presumably, the duo hopes its listeners will fill in the stark black-and-white line drawing on the cover, but inside the package, they do their own coloring, slightly out of the lines, of course, with their take on catchy, minimalist folk rock. Atlanta’s Melancon knows a thing or two about catchy (and he probably knows about crayons, too). Backed by the Arts and Sciences, he continues to reign as the Apostle Paul of the city’s singer/songwriter scene, letting his startling visions guide his muse. $10. 9 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com. — LVS
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TWYLA ROBINSON Enchanting auburn-haired soprano Robinson makes her Spivey Hall debut with a recital of American songs, from “serious” composers such as the lyrical Samuel Barber and iconoclastic Charles Ives, to the 19th-century parlor songs of Stephen Foster and classic pop standards from 20th-century tunesters Irving Berlin and Harold Arlen. $35. 8:15 p.m. Spivey Hall. 678-466-4200. www.spiveyhall.org. — MG
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SUN/29
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TRAVIS It’s as hard to dislike this pleasant, if faceless, Glasgow strum-pop quartet as it is to love them. Their songs float along amiably, bolstered by lovely if somewhat forgettable melodies and singer Fran Healey’s puppy-dog vocals. While there is no denying its multiplatinum success, the band’s first new album in four years seldom deviates from its Oasis/Coldplay-lite template. But there’s plenty to be said for intelligently written tunes played with class and superimposed with a relaxed world-weary charm missing from most contemporary pop. $26.50. 8 p.m. The Tabernacle. 404-659-9022. www.tabernacleatl.com. — HH
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MON/30
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THE COMAS, GREAT NORTHERN The Comas make bubblegum, sci-fi, electro-dream pop that’s fuzzy, careening and tuneful like Smashing Pumpkins without the pretense and half the bombast. Leader Andy Herod wrote the infectious Conductor in ‘04 after breaking up with “Dawson’s Creek’s” Michelle Williams (penning “Tonight on the W.B.” for her), and follows it up with equally enjoyable, airier, more organic-sounding Spells. Female-led quartet Great Northern makes vibrant psych-folk that echoes the cosmic country of MIA fellow Californians Beachwood Sparks and Grandaddy. $10. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CP
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MOTHGUTS, GFE Brooklyn-based four-piece Mothguts play a boiling, skronking and totally grotesque blend of noise, black metal and dark jazz that’s fitted to the tune of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. It is slow-moving and heavy as hell. Local improv/jazz-rock ensemble GFE crafts a spacious and totally cerebral journey into the fringe areas of art-music experimentation. The music is sometimes pretentious, always intriguing and never for the faint of heart. $7. 9 p.m. Eyedrum. 404-522-0655. www.eyedrum.org. — CR
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TUES/31
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JERRY JOSEPH AND FRIENDS You may know Joseph from his days in the cult-fave combo Little Women, or you may know him from his Jackmormons period, or you may have seen his name in the writing credits of the most recent Widespread Panic album, Earth to America. After tonight, you’ll know him intimately because he plans a cozy “and friends” gathering, meaning almost anyone could show up and jam on and around his temperamental, Graham Parker-meets-Bob Weir, observational rock ‘n’ roll. $12. 8 p.m. Smith’s Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — LVS
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WED/1
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THE B-52’S Athens’ second-most-famous musical export has been working on a new album for a few years and will probably throw a few fresh tunes into the by-now-established mix. Not that anyone comes to one of these party-hearty, love-shack fests to hear new material. But unlike some other ’80s relics, the quirky old stuff still sounds great. The foursome plays with real passion and there’s an indescribable giddy joy in shouting out “Tin roof, RUSTED!” with a couple thousand other fortysomething fans. Variac opens. $22-$55. 7:30 p.m. Chastain Park Amphitheater. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com. — HH
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RASPUTINA, MY BRIGHTEST DIAMOND Rasputina’s come a long way since opening for Nirvana on that fateful final European tour. The cello-driven trio has finally outgrown the limitations of its early corseted, gothic beginnings, first with 2004’s Southern-flavored Frustration Plantation, and then with this summer’s anti-war Oh Perilous World, which defies any narrow categorization. My Brightest Diamond is the brainchild of Sufjan Stevens-protégé Shara Worden. She combines a dramatic vocal croon, like Shannon Wright crossed with P.J. Harvey, and a surging rock sound featuring cabaret-pop intimacy. $15. 8 p.m. Vinyl. 404-885-1365. www.vinylatlanta.com. — CP
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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.