Faced with fewer bands touring through the American South, club owners appear to have re-evaluated their own profit margins and the sources of their income. Why pay some band from New York a big fee to perform, when a local band can fill the room or at the very least cover the costs for the night at little or no money?
Local music is an important part of any city's music scene and part of the joy of living in a city with a thriving local music scene like Atlanta is watching our local favorites grow and mature as artists. But when the club owners no longer can pack the room with fans of the latest buzz band, they have to figure out how they can afford to keep the doors open with fewer customers, so with lower volume, they have to reduce their costs by paying the locals less and less, and before too long the music fan is faced with enduring whatever band the club can scrape together to play for free that night and with putting up with fewer and fewer comforts (AC, clean toilets) in the club itself.
In a perfect world, our fine local bands would rise to the occasion and fill the empty stages left by the touring bands that refuse to venture too far from home, but in the imperfect world in which we live, there's a downward spiral as owners realize they can make greater profits by paying the bands less, or even nothing at all, and the quality of the music on stage suffers as a result.
So, yes, I've been to fewer shows this year, partly because there's been fewer shows this year, in my humble opinion, worth seeing.
But then, suddenly, an oasis appears in the desert. Over the next week, Atlanta will get to experience Swans (Friday), Fear of Men (Monday), Marissa Nadler (Tuesday), and Boogarins (Wednesday), and then almost nothing for the month of August. But then, just as dramatically, we'll get another overload of shows on September 8, 9, 10, and 11, with Car Seat Headrest, (8th), Angel Olsen (9th), Quilt and Mutual Benefit (10th), and Joanna Newsom (11th).
So don't lose hope, Atlanta, there's still good music to be heard out there, and in the meantime we can support our local artists like Little Tybee at Terminal West on August 5, Takenobu at Eddie's Attic on August 13, and Hello Ocho and Jeffrey Bützer at The Earl on August 29 and September 3, respectively.
The theme for this week seems to be its lack of a theme. As with most weeks, it starts off a little slow, with only a few shows on Monday, and steadily picks up the pace as the week progresses, with the Daughter show at Terminal West on Friday probably the highlight of the week, followed by Andrew Bird at The Tabernacle on Saturday.
March Madness, it appears, is over. It was an odd season, in that instead of several weeks of bands passing through Atlanta going to and from Austin and SXSW as in years past, it seems like everybody worth hearing arrived and played Atlanta on either one of two Saturday nights, and the rest of the month was rather lackluster by comparison. But those two Saturday nights rocked.
As always, please keep in mind that musicians and night-club proprietors lead complicated lives and I'm prone to errors, mistakes, typos, and fubars; it's advisable to confirm any of the information below on your own before making plans.
MONDAY, MARCH 28
★Autolux, Eureka The Butcher (Terminal West)
LA's Autolux feature a unique sound that samples equally from electronica, noise pop, post-punk, and shoegaze. Their eclectic sound has been compared to artists such as Can, Sonic Youth and My Bloody Valentine.
Ployd, NuK (Aisle 5)
A dubstep show billed as "Slow & Low: Episode 14 The Slow and The Serious. 2 Slow. 2 Low."
Rod Hamdallah, Deadly lo-fi, DJ Jared Swilley (529)
Seven-inch release show for roots rocker Hamdallah, with The Black Lips' Jared Swilley providing a DJ Set.
Los Rabanes, Zakke, La Rica Vibra (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Los Rabanes is a Latin Grammy-winning ska-rock fusion band from Panama. With a career spanning two decades and eight albums, they are the first band from Central America to win a Latin Grammy in the Best Rock Album Category.
Diet December, Bast, Bold Ashes, Famous By February (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Diet December is an alternative rock band that fuses blues, folk, punk and metal elements.
I The Victor, Take A Breath, Cody T, Monday’s Mona Lisa, Sunnycide (Purgatory at Masquerade)
I The Victor is Atlanta pop singer Rebecca Ramos' kaleidoscopic alt/pop project. The opening dance-punk band Sunnycide is no stranger to Masquerade audiences, having already played there several times this year.
TUESDAY, MARCH 29
★Magma, Muuy Biien, Deadcat (Aisle 5)
According to Creative Loafing, "Magma may be the greatest reunion that no one saw coming. The French prog rock masters excelled in the ’70s. Frontman and drummer Christian Vander often sings in an invented language known as Kobaïan, named after a fictional planet he uses as the location for his sprawling space operas. For those confused by Magma’s dense mythology, the band can be appreciated solely for its ability to merge free jazz experimentation with the best of psych-rock extravagance."
Creature Comforts, Baby Baby, Small Reactions (Terminal West)
Nashville's Creature Comforts is an indie rock band combining sweeping guitar licks, mobile bass lines and creative percussion with down-home lyrics. Baby Boy is a post-punk band form Baton Rouge. The music of Atlanta's Small Reactions has tinges of new wave and post punk; it's often angular, sometimes surfy, and generally quick.
Unwritten Law, FENIX TX, Suck Brick Kid, Dog Years (Hell at Masquerade)
Unwritten Law formed in 1990 in Poway, California and have released seven full-length studio albums and have toured internationally, including performances on the Warped Tour. They are notable for their singles Seein' Red and Save Me (Wake Up Call), both of which entered the top 5 in the US Modern Rock charts.
The Smith Street Band, Hard Girls, Worriers (Purgatory at Masquerade)
Originally conceived as the vehicle for Australian singer/songwriter Wil Wagner to perform under, the Smith Street Band, minus the "Wil Wagner &," would eventually become its own entity after two years of existence. Touring constantly on the Australian punk underground, the five-piece built a considerable reputation for their folk-infused punk sound.
Leotards (529)
Leotards are a no-gaze punk rock band from Atlanta.
Poynte, Guns Out At Sundown, Avermour (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Poynte are a hard rock band from Atlanta.
Archgoat, Valkyrja, Hellfire Deathcult, Hellgoat (Heaven at Masquerade)
Metal.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30
Bonerama (Center Stage)
Rock-oriented New Orleans brass band Bonerama was formed by trombonists Mark Mullins and Craig Klein, both of whom had been members of Harry Connick's band since 1990. Despite its horn-heavy instrumentation, Bonerama were a rock band, known for playing covers such as Frankenstein by the Edgar Winter Group along with songs by Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and the Allman Brothers Band.
Skin Jobs, Nurse, Rop (The Earl)
Skin Jobs are an Atlanta punk band that take their name from Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the source for the movie Blade Runner.
The Mumzees, Gláss, The Francis Vertigo, Sea Ghost (529)
North Georgia's The Mumzees are a loud, brash band that should appeal to fans of Ty Segall, Diarrhea Planet, The Black Lips, and Jeff the Brotherhood.
Heather Nova, Chris Riff (Eddie's Attic)
The sweetness of Heather Nova consumed the indie rock market throughout the 1990s, when she was a rising star across the globe into the new millennium. Born in Bermuda, she spent the first 16 years of her life aboard a 40-foot boat with her parents, brother, and sister, incessantly listening to taped records from her mother. Her ninth studio album, the Americana-infused The Way It Feels, was recorded in Charleston, South Carolina and released in the summer of 2015.
The Gordon Vernick Quartet (Red Light Cafe)
Every Wednesday night, The Gordon Vernick Quartet performs a few numbers and then invites other musicians and singers to join them on stage for a jam session. The quartet features Kevin Bales on keyboard, Marlon Patton on drums, Craig Shaw on bass, and Dr. Gordon Vernick on trumpet. There's no cover charge and plenty of free parking. Whether you're a professional or amateur musician, you're welcome to sit in; everyone who wants to perform will be given a chance to play.
No Genre Unplugged feat. Scotty ATL, London Jae, Kissie Lee, Jaquebeatz (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Hip-hop & rap.
Phil Barnes, Corey James Bost, Wes Harllee, Kylie Odetta (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Singer-songwriters.
THURSDAY, MARCH 31
Baauer (Variety Playhouse)
According to The New Yorker, Harry Bauer Rodrigues' 2012 track Harlem Shake was a case study of the meme-as-song, and "spawned thousands of user-uploaded dance videos showing fans flailing spastically to the monstrous drop of coiling zipper synths, though the dances bore little resemblance to the decades-old hip-hop shoulder shuffle from which the single pulls its name." The Philadelphia d.j. and producer has subsequently been releasing music "that’s at once more ambitious and closer to his heart: One Touch, from 2014, pays glowing homage to the shiny hip-hop featured in mid-aughts blockbuster dance films, and Aa, his début album, released in March, lays rattling club knock under verses from Future, Pusha T, M.I.A., and the grime upstart Novelist."
★Book of Colors, Fantasy Guys, Slow Parade (The Earl)
The much anticipated debut album from Book of Colors sees frontman André Paraguassu surrounded by an impressive cast of fourteen players that includes members of Little Tybee, Adron, Christ Lord, Lily and the Tigers, Hello Ocho, and Faun and a Pan Flute.
Book of Colors at East Atlanta Strut, September 24, 2014
MultipleTap USA Tour (The Cleaners)
MultipleTap will present the chaos and excess of the Japanese Scene. Born on the small islands of Far East Asia, the overwhelming power of Japanese Scene represents an extreme not seen in most other parts of the world. Appearing on the Main Stage will be Japan's Hijokaidan, Optron, Yusuke Fuyama, Kou Katsuyoshi, Makoto Oshio, Ucnv, and Hatis Noito, as well as Baltimore's Jeff Carey. The Local Stage will feature the bands Egg, FiatNil, Dux, Jon Cilberto, Alec Livaditis, David Kirby, Macht und Ohnmact, Aww Phooey with Kim & Kooi, Article Collection, and Gurgle Twins. The show will also include video installations by creative Atlanta artist Kris Pilcher.
Twiddle, Walden (Terminal West)
Vermont-based quartet Twiddle conjures up jazz, classical, bluegrass, reggae and funk with complex arrangements that obliterate the laws of improvisation.
Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, We Are The Asteroid, Swank Sinatra, Cinema Novo (The Drunken Unicorn)
If the extreme of the MultipleTap USA Tour at The Cleaners sounds like a bit too much, there;s always Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, an all-girl Japanese eclectic punk-rock trio that mixes noise and pop instrumental sounds with idiosyncratic, quirky, and often funny or disturbing lyrics. They become famous in the US through the SXSW music festival and also through their performances at anime conventions.
Phalse Prophet, featuring The Sagas, Buzzards of Fuzz, Bearknuckle, Nina Charrise (Star Community Bar)
Phalse Prophet is a comedic rock opera based out of Atlanta. The audience will witness a false prophet tell of his background meeting an angel betrayed by God. The prophet will perform magic tricks under the guise of miracles and attempt to convert the audience. There will be prophecy, music, praise, worship, communion, and if the spirit moves, maybe even a baptism.
Hey Monea, Paul Pfau, Fairshake, Battlefield Collective, The Quarks (Purgatory at Masquerade)
Hey Monea is a Canton, Ohio-based rock band that has been together since 2005. Paul Pfau is a singer-songwriter from Nashville who gained national exposure on The Voice.
Withered, Death of Kings, Hellrad (Clermont Lounge)
Brutal black, death, and doom metal at the Clermont. What's not to love?
Laura Gibson, Michael Nau (Red Light Cafe)
Laura Gibson's new album, Empire Builder, is slated for release on April 1 via Barsuk. Michael Nau (of Cotton Jones) opens the show.
Jenny & Tyler, Matt Hires (Eddie's Attic)
Jenny & Tyler are a husband-wife pop-folk band originally from Delaware and currently based in Nashville. Their style is a fusion of folk, pop, funk, rock, soul, and bluegrass that has been called "soul-grass".
Angie Aparo (Eddie's Attic)
Angie Aparo is a highly respected and accomplished singer and performer who has appeared on stage and in recordings with Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Edwin McCain, Matchbox20, and the Zac Brown Band, but don't hold that against him.
Maya Neiada, Alexandea Lushington (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Born in the Bronx but raised in South Carolina, singer-songwriter Maya Neiada has been called the "Neo-Soul Siren from the South."
Deadwin, Ashes of Old Ways, Danielle Howle, Jordan Igoe (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Deadwin is a "folk 'n' roll" band based out of Folly Beach, South Carolina.
JeRonelle McGhee, Teeya Skipper, Nica Nashae and Algebra Blessett (Vinyl)
The sixth installment of The Revivial R&B showcase.
FRIDAY, APRIL 1
★★Daughter, Wilsen (Terminal West)
Incorporating moody folk and hushed electronics in ways that recall Cat Power as well as the xx, Daughter began as the solo project of singer/guitarist Elena Tonra of North London. Tonra was performing on her own when she met Swiss-born guitarist Igor Haefeli, who joined Daughter along with French drummer Remi Aguilella to complete the band's lineup. After playing the local London circuit, they toured around Europe and have since played headlining tours in North America and Australia. They have released four EPs, three singles and two albums, and are currently signed to Glassnote (North America) and 4AD (Europe). Their song Smother was used in a BBC One TV trailer for the three-part mini series Death Comes To Pemberley, at the end of Episode 7 of Season 4 of the TV show Covert Affairs, and for The Vampire Diaries in the episode titled Killer (Season 4).
Daughter at Variety Playhouse, September 20, 2013
G Love and Special Sauce (Variety Playhouse)
G. Love & Special Sauce are a Philadelphia-based trio whose unique, laid-back, sloppy blues sound encompasses classic R&B production and the energy of rap artists like the Beastie Boys. The group is fronted by G. Love (born Garrett Dutton) on guitar/vocals/harmonica.
G Love in Candler Park, Midsummer Music Festival, 2012
★Hello Ocho (Mammal Gallery)
An intimate night of performance debuting In Portuguese, the long awaited second LP from the Atlanta-based indie/psych-rock/jazz/pop group. The event will also kick-off the group's North American tour. The band insists that this is not an April Fools joke.
Hello Ocho at The Mammal Gallery, May 31, 2014
Dr. Dog, Wild Child (Buckhead Theater)
In 2001, some members of this goofy, trippy Pennsylvania psych act collected a handful of half-baked song fragments on a tape they called The Psychedelic Swamp. The concept album, which focused on a man stumbling through a subterranean fantasy world, was never released, but in 2013 the group was awarded an artist grant from the Knight Foundation to craft a multimedia project featuring theatrical and musical elements, and they decided to give the songs a second chance. The result is a zoned-out, stoner-pop rock opera, and the group is currently performing selections on this tour.
Dr Dog in Candler Park, Midsummer Music Festival, 2011
Rockin Bones, Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause, James Hall (The Earl)
A show by three Atlanta institutions. Rockin' Bones are a rootsy rock band that emerged in the 1980s, and Anna Kramer and James Hall are both established presences in the Atlanta music scene.
Doesin, Frick, Eddie Rascal, Flower (The Drunken Unicorn)
Atlanta's Doesin describe themselves on their Facebook page as "Heavy jazzy occult psychedelic prog-funk blues-metal freak rock." Opener Flower has been playing around town a lot lately; frontman Jack Fowler is also the vocalist for Atlanta's exwhy and has turned his attention to showcasing his more vulnerable side, pouring his heart and soul into brutally honest and surprisingly emotional songs.
Dank, Viva La Hop (Aisle 5)
Atlanta's Dank plays an original blend of blood-boiling, foot-stomping, funky rock 'n' roll. Openers Viva La Hop are a live hip-hop group with roots in funk & jazz and featuring horns, keys, and strings.
High-Functioning Flesh, Body of Light, Pyramid Club, DKA (529)
HFF is an electro-punk act from LA with unique hard-beating electronics in the vein of bands like Portion Control and Cabaret Voltaire. Body of Light are from Arizona . DKA will provide DJ Sets between bands.
Emrah Kotan (Steve's Live Music)
Emrah Kotan is a classically trained percussionist who came to the United States from his native Turkey and received a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from Georgia State University. His debut album, The New Anatolian Experience, is a collection of original compositions and arrangements that fuse world music and jazz, creating stylistically sophisticated vibes and a genuine model of personal artistic expression.
The War and Treaty, Band of Lovers, Fairshake (Red Light Cafe)
The War and Treaty is a little bit of classical, soul, folk, and Americana. Band of Lovers have a modern take on folk sound and pop structure; their songs draw inspiration from the stories and landscapes of North America. Fairshake makes indie southern pop that's catchy and infectious.
The Wild Injuns, Fiend Without A Face, Whiskey Dick, Night Terrors (Star Community Bar)
A show of several lo-fi garage bands, headlined by Munster, Indiana's The Wild Injuns.
Fiend Without A Face, Little Five Fest, 2013
Miss Tess & The Talkbacks, Kristina Murray, Mateo Alexander & The Wayward Souls (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Miss Tess & The Talkbacks are an American roots music band from Brooklyn.
Joe Purdy, Garrison Starr (Vinyl)
Singer-songwriters.
Kris Allen, Zeke Duhon (Eddie's Attic)
More singer-songwriters.
Fear Factory, Soilwork (Heaven at Masquerade)
Metal.
21 Savage (Hell at Masquerade)
Hip-hop and rap.
SATURDAY, APRIL 2
★Andrew Bird (The Tabernacle)
Chicago singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird updates the traditions of small-group swing, German lieder, and New Orleans jazz, mixing Gypsy, folk, and rock elements into his own distinctive style. Initially known through his work with the band Squirrel Nut Zippers before forming Bowl of Fire, he is now best known as a solo musician. Bird's primary instrument is the violin, but he is also proficient at various other instruments including the guitar, the mandolin, the xylophone, whistling, and the glockenspiel. He wrote The Whistling Caruso for The Muppets, and performed the whistling heard in both the film and the soundtrack. He also composed the score for the FX series Baskets, created by Louis C.K. and Zach Galifianakis.
Andrew Bird at The Tabernacle, March 17, 2012
★Blackbird Blackbird, Chad Valley, Brett (Purgatory at Masquerade)
Blackbird Blackbird is the moniker of San Francisco based wünderkind Mikey Maramag. His unique style of dreamy folktronica recalls influences from all ends of the musical spectrum. Within elongated song structures, Blackbird Blackbird harnesses thematic elements of dynamism and composition to create depth and complexity, while never losing sight of his pop sensibilities. Chad Valley is the solo project of Oxford-based Hugo Manuel of the band Jonquil, who produces dreamy Ibiza- and R&B-inspired electro-pop songs. Chad Valley released Entirely New Blue last October.
Belinda Carlisle, Gabe Lopez (Center Stage)
Belinda Carlisle gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of The Go-Go's, one of the most successful all-female bands of all time. The band sold 8 million albums in just three years and she later went on to have a successful solo career with hits such as Mad About You, I Get Weak, Circle in the Sand, Leave a Light On and Heaven Is a Place on Earth, among others. Her autobiography, Lips Unsealed, published in June 2010, was a New York Times Best Seller and received favorable reviews. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as a member of the Go-Go's on August 11, 2011.
Uncle Green, The Preakness, Paul Melancon and the New Insecurities (The Earl)
Atlanta-based Uncle Green are a jangly Southern power pop band in the classic REM mold. Last time we saw long-time Atlanta band The Preakness, they played a carefully curated set that gradually took them from slow-core emo to frantic punk over the course of 40 or so minutes. Opener Paul Melancon plays literate, moody, indie-pop music.
The Preakness opening for Torres at The Earl, July 1, 2015
Pretty Please, Bardus, The Glorious Rebellion, Palaces (The Drunken Unicorn)
Pretty Please are a three piece from Atlanta known for their very loud, ferocious live shows, whose music has been dubbed "slundge" - grunge and sludge with some noise thrown in for good measure.
Dirty Fences, Dinos Boys (529)
Dirty Fences call themselves "NYCs favorite rock 'n' roll hard-workin' band." Openers Dinos Boys may have been born in New York, but their garage punk sound fits right in with Atlanta. And in case you're wondering, the name is an acronym for Despicable, Ignorant, Nasty, Ole Shitstirrers.
The Thing, Part 2 (The Mammal Gallery)
"A little razzle dazzle" featuring performances by Inframan, Ferris, My Son Gordeaux, French Mistake, King Guru, and Weed Mario.
A Tribute to Merle Haggard (Star Community Bar)
Merle Haggard was the most important country artist to emerge in the 1960s, and he became one of the leading figures of the Bakersfield scene in the '60s. While his music remained hardcore country, like his idol, Bob Wills, he pushed the boundaries of the music to become a melting pot that drew from all forms of traditional American music - country, jazz, blues, and folk - and in the process, developed a distinctive style of his own. Performng on this tribute will be Slim Chance & The Convicts, Downer Bros, Mark Kirby & Dry Gulch, Wade Sapp. Georgia Slim, and Al Shelton.
Yodel, Al Chauncy, Felixx, Keyz, Kierra Shunte, Taryn Mai, Athena Renee, Azar (Vinyl)
The DZMG Affair 4 Concert Series
Ghost Eagle, Farm Dog (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Folk rock.
Station 7, The Rovers (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Spacey blues rock.
Resist Capture, As Animals Eat My Insides, Beliefs, Athegus, Hall of the Elders, Her Pride (Hell at Masquerade)
Metalcore, post-hardcore, and alternative.
Sweetwater Creek Bluegrass Band, Honey Be Nice (Red Light Cafe)
Bluegrass. Earphunk, Georgia Soul Council (Terminal West)
Prog-funk, funk-rock, and R&B.
No matter where his interests are heading at any moment, it's never advisable to ignore Ry Cooder. Whether serving as a session musician, solo artist, or soundtrack composer, Cooder's chameleon-like instrumental virtuosity, songwriting, and choices of material encompass an incredibly eclectic range of North American musical styles, including rock 'n' roll, blues, reggae, Tex-Mex, Hawaiian, Dixieland jazz, country, folk, R&B, gospel, and vaudeville. This show is billed as "An Evening with Cooder, White & Skaggs," and will spotlight Cooder's bluegrass and country stylings.
Lowland Hum, Oh Jeremiah (Eddie's Attic)
Lowland Hum are Daniel and Lauren Goans, a husband-and-wife folk duo from North Carolina. Part songwriter, part artist, the duo has crafted a multi-sensory performance experience that provides a fertile space for audience members to connect with their art and with a each other as fellow listeners. Phil Cook, The Dead Tongues (Eddie's Attic)
Phil Cook is a banjoist, pianist and singer, a member of the freak-folk band Megafaun and of Gayngs, and a former member of DeYarmond Edison, a band led by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon. In his music, Cook draws on diverse influences including Bill Evans, Bruce Hornsby, Keith Jarrett, Jerry Douglas, Ry Cooder, Greg Leisz, John Kamman and Bill Frisell.
Mindset, Praise, Head Creeps, Faze, Abuse Of Power (Purgatory at Masquerade)
Atlanta synth-pop duo Salsa Chest headline an eclectic line up at The Mammal Gallery. Athen's 100 Watt Horse is a folk-rock projec, while Olympia, Washington's Oh Rose is a psychedelic rock band fronted by singer and guitarist Olivia Rose.
Black Tusk, Whores, Savagist (The Drunken Unicorn)
Black Tusk are a metal-thrash-punk band from Savannah.
Bay Station, The Stoplight Roses, Stephen Chopek (Red Light Cafe)
An evening of Americana-folk-pop-indie rock with California's Bay Station, Atlanta's The Stoplight Roses, and Memphis' Stephen Chopek.
Admittedly, this year's been off to a somewhat slow start and to add injury to insult, after this slow start there are at least three must-see shows all on the same Saturday night (Deep Sea Diver/Radiation City, Little Tybee/Book of Colors/Hello Ocho, and Kurt Vile/Xylouris White), and then on top of that, jazz and R&B fans will have to choose between keyboardists Booker T. Jones and Doug Carn and his West Coast Organ Band on Sunday night. There are a few okay shows during the week, but you're excused if you just want to just chillax at home during the week and save your money and energy for the weekend.
For whatever it's worth, my personal pick of the week will be Deep Sea Diver's set opening for Radiation City at The Earl on Saturday night.
As a reminder, musicians and night-club proprietors lead complicated lives and I'm prone to errors, mistakes, typos, and fubars; it's advisable to confirm any of the information below on your own before making plans.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 22
CFM, Illegal Drugs, Death Stuff (The Earl)
Charles Francis Moothart II has been a part of Ty Segall’s bands Perverts, the Ty Segall Band, Fuzz, and GØGGS, and has played on Mikal Cronin’s recent albums. On his solo project, CFM, he lets squealing guitar licks loose along with slabs of psychedelic noise. Moothart's tour schedule doesn't list another gig after this show until Wednesday, February 24 in North Carolina, so it's not impossible that he may show up at Ty Segall's Tuesday night show at Variety Playhouse. Atlanta's Illegal Drugs include members of Turf War and Hawks and deal in punk, rock, goth, and grunge; they will be headlining a show at The Drunken Unicorn on March 4. Death Stuff will open this show and just opened another at 529 a week ago.
Doug Tuttle, Paperhead, reverends (529)
New Hampshire's Doug Tuttle (ex-MMOSS) plays impeccably-crafted, fractured psychedelic pop showcasing his trademark masterful guitar-work, hinting at skewed, wide-eyed 60s folk-pop and 70s soft rock filtered through Tuttle’s hallucinatory effects, buzzes, and haunting harmonics. Paperhead are a psychedelic pop band out of Nashville that evoke memories of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd. Atlanta's reverends play a heavier, fuzzed-out brand of psych rock reminiscent of bands like Hawkwind.
Opposite Box, Fuiste (Aisle 5)
Opposite Box is a genre-bending alternative funk and experimental rock band from Chattanooga known for high-energy live shows and a seamless blend of psychedelic jazz, progressive rock and dirty funk – dubbed “belligerent jungle funk” – that is often compared to acts like Frank Zappa, Mr. Bungle and Parliament Funkadelic. It's been a busy week for openers Fuiste - they just played the godforsaken Masquerade last Sunday (February 21).
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23
★Ty Segall & The Muggers (Variety Playhouse)
The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Ty Segall has become a hero of the San Franciscan lo-fi garage-rock scene, specializing in warped psychedelic pop that pairs heavy guitars with sunny hooks. To date, the young and prolific performer has released eight studio albums, alongside various EPs and singles. Segall is also a member of the bands Fuzz, Broken Bat, and GØGGS, and is a former member of The Traditional Fools, Epsilons, Party Fowl, Sic Alps, and The Perverts. The Muggers include frequent collaborator Mikal Cronin (bass, sax), alongside Kyle Thomas (guitar), Emmett Kelly (guitar), Wand's Cory Hanson (keyboards, guitar) and Evan Burrows (drums), and with CFM playing The Earl the night before, don't be surprised if Charles Moothart doesn't sit in on a song or two before the show is over. For recent Muggers performances, Segall has been going by the name Sloppo and wearing a baby mask.
Hunter Valentine, Revel In Romance (The Earl)
Hunter Valentine are an all-female power pop band from Toronto now residing in Brooklyn. Openers Revel in Romance are an Atlanta alternative pop rock band featuring the vocals of Saxony Raine who performed at the Ignite The World benefit at The Earl back on January 15.
Pop. 1280, Bataille (529)
Named after Jim Thompson’s sadistic 1964 crime novel, Brooklyn's Pop. 1280 like it bleak, recalling that late '80s gothy post-punk and industrial subgenre that the Village Voice called "pigfuck" back in 2011. For seven years now, Pop. 1280 have been performing this sludgy, tribal, industrial music at various venues packed with leather-clad youth and their new album, Paradise, their third for the boutique label Sacred Bones, is a refutation of our current technology-obsessed culture. Atlanta noise/post-punk group Bataille, formerly Georges Bataille Battle Cry, open.
Jimmy Webb (Eddie's Attic)
Anyone who grew up within earshot of an AM radio knows the music of Jimmy Webb, the writer of such songs as Up, Up and Away, By the Time I Get to Phoenix, Wichita Lineman, Galveston, and MacArthur Park. This show is billed as "An Evening With. . ." so don't expect any opening acts.
The Dream, Ro James (Vinyl)
R&B singer The Dream may be this millenium's version of Jimmy Webb, having written or co-written many hit pop songs, including Me Against the Music for Britney Spears, Umbrella for Rihanna, Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) for Beyoncé and Baby for Justin Bieber. He recently released a digital EP of Sam Cooke covers called IAMSAM, recorded during the making of Beyonce's 4, which makes sense given that album's strong R&B influence. More recently, The Dream announced a new album and a tour both called Genesis, which includes this date in Atlanta. New York's Ro James opens.
Milo, SB The Moor, Obeah, Nihlus (Aisle 5)
Milo is part of a so-called new art rap movement and has his own Ruby Yacht collective. SB The Moor is experimental hip-hop/prog rapper Signor Benedick from LA. Obeah is Atlanta rapper Adam Venable who uses his lyrical platform to raise consciousness as well as to get people dancing. Nihlus is an MC from Atlanta and former member of the group iLLmont.
Peter Webb+Zach Dawson, Other Colors, Artifactual String Unit, Cosmic Trigger (The Mammal Gallery
An intriguing lineup at the always-interesting Mammal Gallery, featuring some of the more forward-thinking bands in Atlanta, along with Baltimore's Other Colors. Rather than provide descriptions, here are some samples:
Traveling Broke and Out of Gas, Hot Rod Walt, The Boy Jones (Red Light Cafe)
Traveling Broke and Out of Gas perform psychedelic folk and "bastard Americana." Their guests will include Hot Rod Walt of the Psycho-DeVilles with Steve Stone on pedal steel, and The Boy Jones will open.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Scott Kelly, Caesium Mine (The Earl) (Cancelled)
This is what I meant at the top by "complicated lives." The Earl posted a notice on their Facebook page stating that "Due to unforeseen circumstances this tour had to be cancelled," but provided no information on why. The Earl hopes to reschedule in the future.
Twins, Mannequin Lover (DKA), Rin Larping, Celines, Anticipation (529)
Nothing Left, the new Twins album by Matt Weiner, half of the duo Featureless Ghost and the single entity behind Twins, is full of mutant industrial pop for sweaty basement ragers. Mannequin Lover is the new electronic music project of Matthew DeLoach. Bass clarinet and guitar player Lindsay Smith, aka Rin Larping, leads lo-fi vocal excursions over a bed of warm, distressed sounds. Celines is Shantih Shantih's Valentina Tapia, perhaps best known for directing Deerhunter's Snakeskin video. Anticipation (Chris Daresta) will provide a DJ set.
Peter Case (Eddie's Attic)
Peter Case was a founding member of the Nerves and leader of the Plimsouls, and the first troubadour of the post-punk era. The Nerves’ 1976 Hanging on the Telephone was covered by Blondie and The Plimsouls' 1983 A Million Miles Away is a power pop classic These days, Case covers every facet of his diverse career in his sets, including bits of Americana, blues, pop, and folk.
Little Country Giants, Adron (Eddie's Attic)
Eddie's likes to squeeze in two shows a night when they can, and this night, they'll be presenting Little Country Giants after Peter Case's set. Little Country Giants is a Georgia husband-and-wife songwriting duo, along with a guitarist and a mandolin. Opener Adron seamlessly blends classical harmony with the playfulness of '60s Brazilian tropicàlias in her nuevo bossa nova music. She is currently recording material for her next two full-length records; one a concept album about death, mazes and the Amazon called Thanatrópica, the other a follow-up to Organismo titled Water Music.
Adron at The Drunken Unicorn, September 14, 2015
Skate Maloley, Derek Luh, EJAAZ (Vinyl)
Skate Maloley is a young, nationally-know social-media personality from Omaha, Nebraska and now living in LA who has rapped with artists such as Jack & Jack, fellow Nebraskans who will be performing at The Loft on Friday night. Derek Luh has been featured on multiple collaborations with Skate, as well as with Dizzy Wright, Wale, and French Montana. Opener EJAAZ is a rapper from Indianapolis. UPDATE: Things just got more, um, "complicated" after Skate's Saturday night show at Webster Hall in New York:
Apparently, the melee broke out when Skate thought he saw security tasering a fan in the audience and tried to intervene, only to get taken down himself before all hell broke lose. Skate already cancelled Sunday night's show in Boston, but says the tour will continue. David Cook, Tony Lucca (Terminal West)
David Cook is an American singer-songwriter who rose to fame after winning a season of American Idol. Tony Lucca started his career on the Mickey Mouse Club and was second runner-up on a season of The Voice.
Never Shout Never, Metro Station, Jule Vera, Waterpark (Hell at The Masquerade)
Never Shout Never is an indie rock band fronted by 24-year-old Christofer Drew that formed in Joplin, Missouri in 2007. Metro Station is an LA synthpop band generally considered a scene band due to their sense of fashion and their blend of various pop styles. Jule Vera is an alternative rock band from Opelika, Alabama featuring the vocals of Ansley Newman. Houston's Waterpark opens.
Mosaic (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Mosaic is an indie singer-songwriter group based out of Athens led by three main instrumentalists and singers.
The Gordon Vernick Quartet (Red Light Cafe)
Every Wednesday night, The Gordon Vernick Quartet performs a few numbers then invites other musicians and singers to join them on stage for a jam session. The quartet features Kevin Bales on keyboard, Marlon Patton on drums, Craig Shaw on bass, and Dr. Gordon Vernick on trumpet. There's no cover charge and plenty of free parking. Whether you're a professional or amateur musician, you're welcome to sit in; everyone who wants to perform will be given a chance to play.
Dubloadz (Aisle 5)
Dubloadz, aka Dave Nardolilli, is an EDM producer who has been shattering subgenres and turning dubstep upside down over the last year with his sharp and hard-hitting "savage wonk" style.
Marlatov Cocktail Swingers (Steve's Live Music)
The Marlatov Cocktail Swingers are a swing band featuring saxophonist Marla Feeney. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25
Pujol, Faux Ferocious, Man Up Yancey, Femignome (The Earl)
The tireless Nashville singer-songwriter Daniel Pujol started his garage band a few years ago while completing a master’s in global affairs at the University of Denver. He plans to pursue a doctorate, but in the meantime he’s putting his energy into his self-styled Southern-fried country punk. His new album, Kludge, gets its name from a computer-science term for a quick and clumsy solution to a problem. He has a wiry, nasal voice, and his live shows are refreshingly raucous affairs. Faux Ferocious is a Nashville quartet that combines blistering punk-rock simplicity, Spector-worthy hooks, and a whatever-it-takes production approach to create songs that are short, infectious, and razor sharp. Atlanta's Man Up, Yancey, have been busy as of late; they just played The Drunken Unicorn on February 12 and opened for Des Ark at 529 on January 19, Opener Femignome is an Atlanta DIY, lo-fi, bedroom-pop female duo.
Manic Focus, Modern Measure, Artifakts (Terminal West)
Manic Focus is the EDM project of Chicago's John (JmaC) McCarten, an artist with a rowdy style fusing soulful blues with heavy-hitting bass. Modern Measure is a hybrid electronica project formed in Atlanta in 2013 who've played the CounterPoint Music Festival. Artifakts is the musical undertaking of Wisconsin native Garret Meyer that blurs the line between electronic, hip-hop and organic sound.
Hollis Brown (Vinyl)
Hollis Brown was formed by Queens-natives and songwriters Mike Montali (lead vocals/guitar) and Jonathan Bonilla (lead guitar) and named after Bob Dylan's The Ballad of Hollis Brown.
Heartless Romantic, Asyla, Occidó, Kill The Host, Mercury Down (Hell at The Masquerade)
Heartless Romantic is a 5-piece band from Atlanta that combines rock, punk, and post-hardcore influences with catchy hooks and theatrical sensibilities. Asyla claim that each member of the band has different musical tastes, including post-hardcore, metalcore, death metal, and symphonic metal (I'm reminded of the line from The Blues Brothers movie, "We play both kinds of music here, country AND western!"). In-your-face metal band Occidó are from North Augusta, South Carolina, and Kill The Host are a death-metal band from the opposite side of the river (that's Augusta, Georgia for the cartographically impaired). Mercury Down is a theatrical metal band from Douglasville, Georgia.
Downcast, Loose Ends, People, Lights After Dark, Oceanier (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
A typical evening at the godforsaken Masquerade: five metal bands on the Hell Stage (see above) and a lineup of five punk-pop bands across the hallway on the Purgatory Stage. The headliners for this show are Downcast, a four piece started from disbanded projects whose members wanted something new. Loose Ends are a high-energy punk-pop band from Alabama. People are a punk band from Jasper, Georgia. Lights After Dark is a punk-pop band from Georgia "just trying to show people what we have to offer." Oceanier describe themselves as "just 4 high school sophomores playing cool music."
Big Jesus, The Head, Mammabear, The Future Babes (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
This show is a fundraiser for Atlanta's Big Jesus, an alternative heavy rock band whose van and equipment were recently stolen. The van was recovered a few hours later, but with no trailer or gear to be found. "The trailer contained all of my own personal recording equipment," says C.J. Ridings of Big Jesus. "Every mic I owned, every cable, headphone, stand, and pre amp. An entire collection of things I've been gathering over the years to self employ myself as an engineer. . . I can't buy new gear without work and I can't work without new gear." Helping Ridings out will be The Head, a young rock band from Atlanta, Mammabear, the Brit-pop-influenced project of Atlanta's Kyle Gordon, and Atlanta folk rock/indie rock/pop rock band The Future Babes.
The Quickening, Sunny South Blues Band (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
After parting ways with Flow Tribe in 2012, New Orleans guitarist and song writer Blake Quick assembled The Quickening featuring Quick's vocal pairings with Rachel "Mama Ray" Murray. Sunny South Orchestra play a thunderous adaptation of blues-based garage rock with a tinge of 60’s popular music.
Shocked Minds, The Bad Spell, Invasion, DJ Jared Swilley (Star Community Bar)
Shocked Minds are a punk band form Brooklyn featuring members of Carbonas, Ex Humans, and Neo Cons. The Bad Spells, formerly known as Ghost Town, are a trio out of Pomona, California. Invasion open and The Black Lips' Jared Swilley will provide a DJ set.
Fairshake, Collins Drive, Alex and Todd (Red Light Cafe)
Fairshake makes beautiful indie southern pop. Collins Drive is an Americana folk rock band that bring together their favorite kinds of music to create songs that everyone can connect with at some level or another. Alex and Todd will entertain with the interplay of their acoustic fingerpicking and melodic bass guitar.
Corey Kent White, Mike Kinnebrew (Eddie's Attic)
A couple of country singer-songwriters presenting a set at Eddie's.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26
Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, Barnstar! (Terminal West)
Josh Ritter plays sophisticated folk rock featuring stunning craftsmanship and catchy hooks. To date, he has released seven full-length albums, including his recent Sermon on the Rocks recorded in New Orleans. Each ticket will include a download of the new LP. Barnstar! forges its own brand of harmonized, raucous, song-based bluegrass.
Juan Wauters, Tall Juan, Mattiel (529)
New-York-by-way-of-Uruguay's Juan Wauters plays sweet, unvarnished folk-rock. His band includes Argentine multi-instrumentalist Tall Juan Zaballa, who will play a supporting set. Opener Mattiel is an Atlanta designer, lyricist and vocalist with a throw-back 70s soul sound.
Pallbearer, Bell Witch,Wrekmeister Harmonies (The Earl)
Pallbearer formed in 2008 in Little Rock's underground metal scene, and their 2012 album Sorrow and Extinction was hailed by Rolling Stone as the best metal album of the year and garnered a Pitchfork “Best New Music” label. 2012's Foundations of Burden found Pallbearer delving deeper into melodic contexts and sonic textures. Seattle-based duo Bell Witch utilizing only bass, drums and vocals to create a mournful, melodic take on minimalism and an ethereal but crushing approach to magnitude. J.R.Robinson's third album as Wrekmeister Harmonies entitled Night of Your Ascension includes an all-star cast of musicians from the metal, new music, and rock communities.
Asking Alexandria, While She Sleeps, As Animals Eat My Insides, Be(lie)fs (Heaven at The Masquerade)
Asking Alexandria is an English metalcore band from North Yorkshire, and While She Sleeps is a metalcore band from Sheffield. Metalcore/post-hardcore band As Animals Eat My Insides are from Atlanta and have a really cool name, but not as cool as opener Be(lie)fs, a five-piece metal band from Atlanta that remind us there is always a "lie" in the middle of our "beliefs;" they opened for Chasing Safety at the godforsaken Masquerade back on January 19.
SB IV Short, Nick Prosper, Cade WTF, Drug of Choice, Gawdlee (Hell at The Masquerade)
SB IV Short, aka Sicko Bart, is originally from Chicago but now lives in Atlanta where he leads the “Ghetto Skum” collective and plays “schizophrenic rap,” a chaotic and aggressive form of hip-hop enhanced by the edgy and rugged stage presence and lyrics. Nick Prosper is a rapper from New York. Cade WTF is Cade Sfakis from Cumming, Georgia. There are several bands that go by the name Drug of Choice, making Googling them challenging, so it's anybody's guess what will take the stage. Gawdlee serves hip-hop from his hometown of Muskegon, Michigan.
Brave Baby, Sydney Eloise & The Palms. Jesse Nighswonger (Drunken Unicorn)
Charleston's Brave Baby spent most of 2012 writing and self-producing what would become the band’s debut album, Forty Bells, in a storage unit turned intimate practice/studio space. Their follow-up, Electric Friends, is full of woozy, psychedelic indie-pop stacked with hooks and smoky vocals. In the sound of Sydney Eloise & The Palms, NPR's All Songs Considered heard '50s girl group crooning and echo chamber drums, '60s wall of sound, '70s California canyon sway, '80s laser-sharp production, '90s alt-country twang, and '00s vocal callbacks from Neko Case to Jenny Lewis to Bethany Cosentino of Best Coast. Woodstock, Georgia's Jesse Nighswonger opens with an acoustic set.
Hardwell, Kill The Buzz (The Tabernacle)
Hardwell is Robbert van de Corput, a Dutch big room house and electro house DJ and music producer. Hardwell is known for his live sets at major music festivals such as Tomorrowland and Ultra. The video streams of his performances on his personal YouTube channel have collectively garnered more than 100 million views. The style of Dutch opener Kill The Buzz is a mix of "female-friendly house sounds with a groovy and party-fever twist." This show is sold out.
Jack & Jack, Gavin Becker (The Loft)
18-year-olds Jack Gilinsky and Jack Johnson, known to their combined 14 million social media followers as Jack & Jack, are an American pop-rap duo from Omaha and now based in LA. After success via the social media app Vine, the duo turned to a career as musicians. They are best known for their 2014 single Wild Life which peaked at number 2 on iTunes and reached number 87 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Opener Gavin Becker is a 16-year-old singer and songwriter from Philadelphia who started uploading YouTube covers when he was 13. This show is sold out.
Johnnyswim (Center Stage)
Johnnyswim is the Nashville husband-and-wife folk, soul, blues, and pop music duo of Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano. The couple now live in LA.
El Scorcho, El Cheapo, Hyper Space (Star Community Bar)
As a tribute to Weezer, Atlanta's El Scorcho will perform a one-night-only performance of Blue and Pinkerton back to back. In addition, El Cheapo will cover songs from Pavement to Whigs and everything in between, and Hyper Space will open with geek rock songs about girls, Star Wars, DragonCon, and other nerdy stuff.
Peter Bradley Adams (Eddie's Attic)
Eddie's likes to squeeze in two shows a night when they can, and this night, they'll be presenting two sets by singer/songwriter Peter Bradley Adams, formerly one half of the duo, eastmountainsouth.
CBDB, Backpu Planet, The Space Time Travelers (Aisle 5)
CBDB is a progressive rock/jam band formed in Tuscaloosa known for their unique brand of progressive jam-rock, dubbed "joyfunk." Backup Planet is a progressive funk-rock band based out of Nashville. The members of Atlanta's The Space Time Travelers have developed a style rich in improvisational soul and funky grooves that keep their audiences dancing.
The Congress, Parker Smith & The Bandwidth (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
The Congress is a Virginia-based four-piece, equal parts rock & roll, old-school soul, and outlaw country. Opener Parker Smith landed his first gig in September 2010 and has been playing his unique music with “acoustic roots with electric sprouts” ever since.
David Cone, Carly Burruss, Audrey Morgan (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
A set by three Atlanta singer-songwriters. David Cone is an Atlanta-based filmmaker, commercial director and musician. Carly Burruss is a 21-year-old songwriter currently recording, writing, and playing shows throughout the Southeast. Audrey Morgan has been writing music since she was 14 years old and is currently working on her first album.
Red Head Diamond (Steve's Live Music)
Red Head Diamond features the lead vocals of Stacy Lane covering 70s soft rock hits by Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, Carole King, and Carly Simon for middle-aged white people in Sandy Springs.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27
Okay, kids, this is the big night. If you can't find something you like this Saturday night, you ought to ask yourself if perhaps you don't actually like music
★Radiation City, Deep Sea Diver, Oak House (The Earl)
Portland's Radiation City is an indie pop quartet that draws from doo wop, girl groups, and classic pop and rock influences. Although fronted by keyboardist and singer Elisabeth Ellison, the band also features male and female vocals. Their latest LP, Synesthetica, has a more electro-pop sound than their previous output. Seattle’s Deep Sea Diver is fronted by the talented singer/guitarist Jessica Dobson, formerly of The Shins; their 2014 Always Waiting EP was a four-song masterpiece in my opinion and their new LP Secrets came out on February 19 and upholds the same quality. Athens' Oak House employs dark tonalities with liberal rhythmic experimentation in their psych-tinged indie rock, while featuring driving rock-riffage and pulsing electronic undercurrents.
Deep Sea Diver at MFNW (RIP), 2013
Radiation City at Marmoset Day Party, MFNW (RIP), 2013
★Little Tybee, Book Of Colors, Hello Ocho (Terminal West)
A great set featuring some of Atlanta's finest bands, unfortunately on the same night as The Earl's great set featuring some of the Pacific Northwest's finest bands. Little Tybee is a progressive psych-folk band featuring the lead vocals of acoustic guitarist Brock Scott, the eight-string guitar wizardry of Josh Martin, and Nirvana Kelly's violin and viola. The much anticipated debut album from Book of Colors sees frontman André Paraguassu surrounded by an impressive cast of fourteen players that includes members of Little Tybee, Adron, Christ Lord, Lily and the Tigers, Hello Ocho, and Faun and a Pan Flute. The Zappa-esque Hello Ocho is an Atlanta-based, indie, psych-rock group formed in 2010, and have been leading a downtown revitalization with their Mammal Gallery.
Little Tybee
Book Of Colors
Hello Ocho
★Kurt Vile & The Violators, Xylouris White (Variety Playhouse)
Philadelphia's Kurt Vile is a singer, guitarist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. Although best known for his solo career, he was a founding member of The War on Drugs. In 2015, Vile released his sixth studio album, b'lieve I'm goin down.... Xylouris White is a collaboration between legendary Cretan lute player George Xylouris and Jim White, icon of underground music, who recently opened here at the Variety Playhouse for Godspeed You! Black Emperor. Unfortunately not only is this show up against two other great shows, but for those not yet with tickets, this show is sold out.
Kurt Vile at Shaky Knees Festival, 2013
Xyloris White At Variety Playhouse, 2015
Particle, City Of The Sun (The Loft)
Particle began in 2000 as one of the key pioneers of the emerging livetronica music scene, creating a signature sound that combined elements of electronica, funk and rock with a heavy emphasis on improvisation and sonic exploration, and their influence can still be felt and heard in many of today’s top touring jam and EDM/funk bands. City of The Sun features two guitars, a box, and some bells to create a sound that runs the gamut from wide-screen post-rock dynamics to gypsy jazz syncopations.
MC Chris, Nathan Anderson, Michael Myerz (Drunken Unicorn)
MC Chris is a nerdcore rapper from LA whose trademarks include the high pitch of his voice and the contrast of his "geek" heritage with the "gangster" image usually associated with hip-hop acts. He has appeared on and contributed original lyrics to many Adult Swim shows, most notably Aqua Teen Hunger Force. For this tour, MC Chris is appearing with comedian Nathan Anderson. Roswell, Georgia's Michael Schwartz, who raps under the name Michael Myerz, opens.
Bodyfather, Mtn Isl, Paralyzer, Dicaprio (529)
Atlanta's Bodyfather features members of Burner and Bernard and plays aggressive noise-rock and chaotic post-punk. Mtn Isl's debut EP, God Become Animal, is "a seething mass of lacerating grooves and interlocking rhythms that’s equal parts wiry Midwestern math rock and classic Dischord-era audio abuse." Atlanta's Paralyzer is a two-man death punk band. Atlanta trio Dicaprio open.
Vibe Street, Brightside, Robbie Dude (Aisle 5)
Denver-based Vibe Street (Ben Davis) takes influences ranging from the electro/hip-hop/glitch/funk movement and combines it with elements of bluegrass, folk, blues and jam to create his unique "grass-hop/future-folk" sound. The 23-year-old Queens producer, Brightside, has a predominantly mid-tempo sound, sampling a widely eclectic library of music from all around the world, creating psychedelic sounds with Middle Eastern, Asian, classic rock, hip-hop and even reggae flare. Robbie Dude leads a journey through musical time and space from old school hip-hop mash-ups with new age soul beats to classic rock hits underlined with bass-heavy bangers.
Maggie Schneider, Absolutely, All That Matters, Lights Alive, Sunnycide, Small Time ‘Capone (Hell at The Masquerade)
Maggie Schneider is a 16-year-old punk-pop singer/songwriter, musician and actress. Absolutely is an indie rock quintet out of Canton, Georgia. All That Matters and Lights Alive are punk-pop bands from North Georgia. Atlanta's Sunnycide is a dance-punk band that opened for Warn The Duke here at the godforsaken Masquerade back on January 18. Finally, Small Time 'Capone are also on the bill because, sure, six bands, why not?
Rivers of Nihil, Dark Sermon, Black Fast, Control The Devastator, Proliferation (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Rivers of Nihil are a technical death metal band from Reading, Pennsylvania; according to the Encyclopedia Metallum (yes, there really is such a thing), their lyrical themes include the metaphysical, the natural world, the cosmos, human nature, and other esoteric stuff. The other bands on this bill are from Tampa, St. Louis, Snellville, and Atlanta - if you care which is which, you go to the show and sort them out yourself- I'm getting sick and tired of researching all these five- to six-band lineups for shows at the godforsaken Masquerade to which I'll never go.
Rizzla, Leonce, Yung Yang, C Powers, Type-O (Mammal Gallery)
Fade to Mind presents Morph ATL, a concept dance party conceived and designed by Atlanta artists to showcase genre-bending, unbounded dance music. The Morph series pairs cutting-edge music mixed by local and touring DJs with innovative live visual artists and unconventional venue treatments. This installation will feature DJs Rizzla (NYC), Leonce fka DJ Leo (ATL), Yung Yang (ATH), Type-O (ATL) , and C Powers (SAV). Live visuals will be provided by Cass Cameron.
Tim McNary, Paul Warner, Julie Gribble (Red Light Cafe)
Americana artist and songwriter Tim McNary will celebrate his new CD with a hometown CD-release show. Tim, now residing in Nashville, has opened for the Civil Wars, as well as Griffin House (who's playing at Eddie's Attic this same night) , received airplay around the Southeast, and recently had his song Echoes of a Whole featured in Atlanta's Paste Magazine. Paul Warner (who produced the album) will open following Julie Gribble. Kirk Thurmond & The Millennials, McCall (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
Born in Dallas, Texas, Kirk Thurmond is a singer/songwriter with a distinctive sound that spans several genres, including soul, pop, and R&B. Born and raised in Atlanta, the single-monikered McCall points out that everything she listens to directs her musical development in some way; however, she lists Jason Mraz, Joni Mitchell, ZZ Ward, and Hozier as her biggest influences.
Marcus Wilbur, Jeremiah Tall, Kelley Swindall (Atlanta Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
A late show in the Atlanta Room featuring three singer/songwriters. Marcus Wilbur is a singer/ songwriter who bridges the gap between rock and folk music and whose sound has been compared to that of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Gram Parson. Jeremiah Tall is a one-man band out of Bucks County, Pennsylvania with his own throwback spin on folk rock. Kelley Swindall was born and raised in Stone Mountain, where she grew up on the music of Kris Kristofferson, Patsy Cline, and David Allen Coe.
Experience Hendrix (The Fox Theater)
The Experience Hendrix Tour has been paying homage to the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix for over a decade, bringing together a diverse, all-star aggregation of guitarists including blues all-star Buddy Guy, Jonny Lang, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde. Billy Cox, bassist for both the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Band of Gypsys, anchors the rhythm section,
Tribute - A Celebration Of The Allman Brothers Band (Music Room at Smith's Olde Bar)
I think the headline is pretty self-explanatory. Andrew + The Disapyramids, The Dirty Doors (Star Community Bar)
If you like a little 60s-style bump-and-grind with your music (in other words, if you've already watched the video below for Booker T's Green Onions more than twice), the Roxie Roz Burly-Q Show will provide 50s and 60s rock 'n' roll burlesque, featuring "striptastic performances, go-go dancers, and comedy cuties" performing to the late-50s sock hop rock, 60s British invasion/mod rocks songs, and beach music of Atlanta's Andrew + The Disapyramids. The Dirty Doors will perform a late-night tribute to Jim Morrison and company. Griffin House (Eddie's Attic)
Nashville's Griffin House is a singer/songwriter in the folk, pop/rock, acoustic, and adult alternative categories, and fans of this music will have to make the same pick-and-choose, triage decisions between this set and Tim McNary at the Red Light Cafe as other music fans are having to make, adding to the frustration of the log-jam of shows this Saturday night.
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28
★Booker T. Jones (Eddie's Attic)
Eddie's likes to squeeze in two shows a night when they can, and this night, they'll be presenting two sets by soul and R&B legend Booker T. Jones of Booker T and the MGs, the last of the great organ masters in the tradition of Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Richard "Groove" Holmes and Larry Young Jr. Booker T formed the MGs in the early 60s while hanging around the Satellite Record Shop in Memphis, and the band included future go-to sidemen Steve Cropper (guitar), Al Jackson, Jr. (drums) and Donald "Duck" Dunn (bass). Jones co-wrote the group's classic Green Onions while still in high school and the song went on to become a massive hit in 1962 and change the course of popular music - sort of makes whatever the hell you've ever done seem kinda insignificant.
★Doug Carn and The West Coast Organ Band, Julie Dexter (Aisle 5)
Doug Carn is the other last of the great organ masters in the tradition of Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Shirley Scott, Richard "Groove" Holmes and Larry Young Jr. Opener Julie Dexter was born and raised in Birmingham, England of Jamaican parents and is now a world-renowned singer/songwriter who will be the guest vocalist for this set.
Lizz Wright (Buckhead Theater)
Lizz Wright is a jazz/R&B singer and composer born in Hahira, Georgia, who attended Georgia State before recording a series of successful contemporary jazz, gospel and R&B albums. This show will be the inaugural production of City Winery Atlanta, which is coming to Ponce City Market in May 2016.
Low Cut Connie, Rod Hamdallah (The Earl)
Philadelphia's Low Cut Connie are a party band and and have been recognized for the ferocious high energy of their live shows; L.A. Weekly claimed their show "is unmatched in all of rock right now." They're not unfamiliar with Atlanta - they named their piano "Shondra" after a dancer at the Clermont Lounge. Atlanta's Rod Hamdallah has been tearing up southeast music halls with his delta blues and garage-rock sounds since he was 17; he just played Smith's Olde Bar on February 18.
Testament, Carcass, Primate (Heaven at The Masquerade)
Testament, one of the most popular bands on the thrash metal scene, formed in Berkeley, California in 1983. In the 33 years since its inception, Testament has had numerous lineup changes and guitarist Eric Peterson has been the only constant member. Liverpool's Carcass has changed the face of extreme metal by inventing gore-grind with 1988's Reek of Putrefaction and creating the template for melodic death metal with 1993's Heartwork. Atlanta's Primate deals in hardcore and grindcore.
SWMRS, The Frights, Antarcticats (Purgatory at The Masquerade)
Oakland, California's SWMRS is a punk band that draws on a mix of influences ranging from the Beach Boys to the Ramones to create their own brand of rock 'n' roll. The Frights are a three-piece surf-punk band from San Diego. Atlanta's brand of land-bound surf punk will be demonstrated by Antarcticats.
The Ultimate Guitar Experience (Variety Playhouse)
The Ultimate Guitar Experience features Uli Jon Roth of Scorpions, Jennifer Batten of Michael Jackson's band, and Andy Timmons of Danger Danger. Might be a good follow-up show to the Experience Hendrix concert at The Fox for fans of acid-rock guitar.
Lil Uzi Vert & Playboy Carti (The Loft)
Lil Uzi Vert is a Philadelphia rapper featuring a "futuristic trap" sound. Last month, he teamed up with Playboi Carti for Left, Right, with Uzi and Carti waxing poetic about their diamonds, their hoes, and their cars, and launching the Left Right Tour.
