Sound Menu January 20 2001 Fri

FRI/JANUARY 19

ATLANTA BAROQUE ORCHESTRA — Don’t consign that old flugelhorn to the “Antiques Roadshow” just yet — the Atlanta Baroque Orchestra might want it. For two-and-a-half years the ensemble has performed the repertoire of the 17th and 18th century, giving it an authentic voice by their usage of period instruments. Tonight’s concert, “Bach’s Violin,” features the composer’s two favorite violin pieces: the Brandenburg Concerto #4 and the Concerto for 2 Violins, with violinists Stanley Ritchie and Karen Clarke. Spivey Hall (Brown)
AVAIL — Loud, hard and fast, falling somewhere between the ageless ’80s skate punk aesthetic and that more contemporary muted-guitar-chunk sound, Avail is for those who like it heavy and to the point. Veterans of the underground scene, the Richmond, Va., act takes the energy of an earlier era in punk and loads it with lyrical themes that reflect current social concern. Echo Lounge (Hutchinson)
RICHARD BICKNELL, DAVID OLNEY, STRAIGHT UP GREEN — Local crooner Bicknell has an undeniably rich, powerful voice and a knack for selecting unusually strong material which showcases that talent to full effect. By a happy coincidence, Nashville scribe David Olney is the man who actually composed some of that material (as well as songs that Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt have recorded), which makes this an ideal pairing. Bicknell and Olney play together twice tonight. Performing at the 7 p.m. all-ages show only, likable and rootsy Straight Up Green play folk-rock powered by heavenly forces. Don’t let the “Christian” label fool you. These folks haven’t sold their soul to rock ‘n’ roll, but they still like to have a good time. Quickly gaining a solid reputation in secular circles, Straight Up Green is flat-out enjoyable. Eddie’s Attic (Nicoll/Smith)
DROPSONIC, ROCKET SCIENCE, PONTIUS COPILOT, ROCK COACHES — Dropsonic’s Dan Dixon has wisely left the Titanic ship of Angie Aparo to arrive at a much more fertile and less pretentious atoll. Along with loose cannon Dave Chase, he’s excavated a jagged and foreboding rock quarry of controlled chaotic noise, all within the boundaries of good songwriting. No mean feat. Rocket Science lives up to its name by fueling a good blast of guitar-driven pop with boyish “doggone that girl” lyrical themes and classic soft-sweet-verse-drops-into-loud-powerful-refrain song dynamics. But formulaic or not, their execution has the polish and nervous potential energy of a vertical space shuttle at countdown. The subtle absurdity and playful self-consciousness of Pontius CoPilot turns to a happier time in indie rock, when quirkiness was earnest rather than cute-by-design. Their debut full-length release, Madagascar (which has been in steady rotation at 88.5), boils over with endearing musical and lyrical depth. Rock Coaches, like the rest of this bill, still travel in vans and cars; but with such gloriously ragged and improving material, those days are numbered. The Earl (Smith/Hutchinson)
ESP101: LEARN TO BELIEVE — Iris Promotions hosts their weekly event that features all local Atlanta talent. The large main room features breakbeat-style sounds from ESP veterans DJs One Eye, Demolition, Casper and Misty Kiss. Beneath this room lies a jungle arena that welcomes back DJ Little Jen, and also includes performances by Neos, Maze, D-Lemma and MC Knctrnl. In case the beats become too much for your eardrums to handle, there’s always the chill-out zone where you can sit and enjoy the view. The Church (Morin)
ANSON FUNDERBURGH — Continuing Chip’s all-star series is authentic blues-rocker Funderburgh, offering gritty roadhouse guitar boogie for the hard-working folks. Touring with his band the Rockets on and off since 1978, Funderburgh’s down-and-dirty blues should find a perfect audience with the rough ‘n’ tumble crowd tonight. Chip’s/Winder (Smith)
GREEN DAY, THE GET-UP KIDS — An evening of emotionally maturing punk, but you probably won’t be able to tell it on stage. While Green Day may have raided someone’s stash of Who records before recording their latest, Warning, they haven’t gone geriatric and still know how to give the kids what they want live without resorting to the totally puerile level of blink-182. So after reigning kings of emo the Get-Up Kids get the kids all worked up with anthemic, unabashed ballads and top-notch hooks, Green Day can let them vent. Classic Center/Athens (Ware)
JACK WEST — The members of the self-labeled “high energy alternative power pop” trio known as Christopher Robin have covered up their spiked coifs with ten-gallon cowboy hats and remodeled themselves as Texas-loving country & western enthusiasts now known as Jack West. Old habits die hard, though, and rather than some hardcore Austin-style roots approach, the threesome merely refits pop songs with twang and shuffle garnishes. Sure, it’s goofy and inauthentic as all get out, but it’s also pretty darn catchy in the style of the Old 97’s. This is the first of two shows the group plays this week. If Coffee House (Sarig)
TIFT MERRITT — Playing an early set tonight before the main event is Tift Merritt, a country girl with truly inspiring voice and an equally inspired repertoire. Although she usually fronts a full band, the Carbines, she’s just as compelling as a solo artist. And though she may nearly be dwarfed in size by her own acoustic guitar, nothing on earth can diminish the strength and purity of her singing. Smith’s Olde Bar (Nicoll)
NEW ORLEANS KLEZMER ALLSTARS, ATLANTA POLKA BAND — Missed the episode of Ken Burns’ Jazz doc that highlights the hidden connection between Mardi Gras parade bands and Eastern European Jewish folk music? No need to rewind the tape. The New Orleans Klezmer Allstars will school ya. See Atlanta Polka Band in Earshot, p. 69. Star Bar (Sarig)
VINI AND THE DEMONS — Florida’s Vini and the Demons scare up the spirits of ’30s bluesmen in dapper suits drenched with sweat like hellfire was lapping their lapels. Club owners are gonna have to dust out their broom to shoo folks out the joint ‘cause the blues will have them in the throes. But like the Allman Bros. say, there’s only “One Way Out”: satisfied. Fatt Matt’s Rib Shack (Ware)
WRAS 30TH ANNIVERSARY — WRAS celebrates 30 years of broadcasting with a bash featuring a variety of contemporary acts. The sophomoric humor of Mojo Nixon (fronting his band, the Toad Liquors) has gotten a bit old, but he still gets a laugh now and then. The Waco Brothers, joined by Sally Timms of the Mekons, are cutting a new path in music, combining traditional country elements with their own rocking signature sound. Local music veterans Glenn Phillips and Jeff Calder, united in their group the Supreme Court, will try to restore some faith in that fallen institution. Likewise, Myssouri would do well to rehabilitate its namesake state from the likes of John Ashcroft. The Dismemberment Plan’s schizophrenic, angular-without-jagged-edges post-punk rounds out the bill. Variety Playhouse (Kelly/Sarig)
ANTHONY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL: The Blast
BASIL’S CAFÉ: Steven Charles
BILLY’S: Heather Luttrell
BLIND WILLIE’S: Houserocker Johnson and the Shadows
BLUE LAGOON LOUNGE: Swami Gone Bananas
BLUE RACCOON: Bill Sheffield and the Ringtail Rounder’s
BLUE SKY TAVERN: Andrew Black Band
BORDERS-BUCKHEAD: Sue WItty
BRANDYHOUSE: Ancient Harmony, Moonshine Still
BRIDGES: Jazz with the Sharp Four
BUFFALO’S-PLEASANT HILLS: Karaoke
CAJUN KITCHEN: Sipe
THE CHAMBER: Alabaster
CHECKERED PARROT: The Talk
CHIP’S-WINDER: Anson Funderburgh & the Rockets with Sam Myers
CJ’S LANDING: Jenaphoria, Tin Roof, Ian Schumacher
CLASSIC CENTER-ATHENS: Green Day, Get-Up Kids
DARK HORSE TAVERN : Persona, Favorite, Sparkle Drive
DARWIN’S: The Electromatics
THE DERBY-JOHN’S CREEK: Uncle Dirty
THE DERBY-NESBIT FERRY: Derek St. Holmes
THE EARL: Rocket Science, Dropsonic, Rock Coaches
ECHO LOUNGE: Avail, Ann Beretta, Strike Anywhere
EDDIE’S ATTIC: Richard Bicknell & David Olney, Straight Up Green
FAT MATT’S RIB SHACK: Vini and the Demons
40 WATT CLUB-ATHENS: Shank, Jack Crevelle Band
FUZZY’S: Blues Barons
HEMINGWAY’S TROPICAL BAR & GRILL: A1A
IF COFFEEHOUSE: Jack West
KAYA: Northern Exposure with V-103’s Frank Ski, also DJs Kemit, Buddy and J-Nice
KILLER CREEK: Showtyme Jazz Duo
LAST GREAT WATERING HOLE: Southbound
LUBY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL: Stuart Sullivan Band
MARY’S: Music videos with DJ Jigsaw
MASQUERADE: Non Point, Six Gig, Beorscipe, Package
METROPOLITAN PIZZA: Shawn Allen
NEXT DOOR AT SWEETWATER-LAWRENCEVILLE: Alien
9 LIVES SALOON: Lester’s Farm, the Chain Poets, Stone’s Throw, Amazing Tom Machine
NORTHSIDE TAVERN: Sammy Blue Band
OLDE PECULIAR PUBLIC HOUSE: The Charms
THE PAVILION: D.J. Neil
PECKERHEADS-DOUGLASVILLE: Lotsa Poppa & Atlanta Heat
PHUNKY PHISH TAVERN: Six Degrees
PLANETJAM COTTON CLUB: Vinyl, Modern Hero, Sick Speed, the Suburbs
POOR RICHARDS’ PUB: Noble Jones
POPPERS: Steve Hawkins
RED LIGHT CAFÉ: Delta Moon and the Redfish Bluefish
SMITH’S OLDE BAR: John Mayer, Rodney & Michael of Wayne, Tift Merritt
SOMBER REPTILE: Native American Save the Buffalo Benfit featuring Empty Slate
SPIVEY HALL: Atlanta Baroque Orchestra with violinist Stanley Ritchie
STAR BAR-L5P: New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Atlanta Polka Band
SWISSOTEL: Graham Jackson, Jr.
UGLY MUG PUP: Sefeni & DeSanto
VARIETY PLAYHOUSE: WRAS 30th Anniversary Show with Mojo Nixon and the Toad Liquors, the Waco Brothers & Sally Timms, Supreme Court, the Dismemberment Plan and Myssouri
THE VAULT: Retro Wave with DJ Caz10
WHISKER’S TAVERN-DUNWOODY: Mike Veal
WILD WING CAFÉ: Homemade Jam
WOODEN NICKEL: Radio Show