Sound Menu November 21 2007
CL's picks for the week's best shows
THURS/22
BIG & RICH, EMILY ROSSUM, TAKE 6 The 60th annual Macy's Christmas tree lighting clusterfu..., I mean, celebration takes a side trip to the trailer park this year with the participation of faux-rednecks Big & Rich. Yep, singing "Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy" certainly gets me in the holiday spirit. Broadway singer Rossum and R&B group Take 6 will try to retain some class for the event. Free. 7 p.m. Macy's at Lenox Square. 404-233-6767. www.macysinc.com. — James Kelly
CARBONAS, LAY DOWN MAINES This is a good old-fashioned show of two local bands sharing the stage, not as opening acts for some out-of-towner, but for the sake of tearing it up. Carbonas play fast, loud punk songs that brandish an allegiance to pure punk rock that's untainted by the last 20-some years of musical history. Lay Down Maines is more muscular in its endeavors, harkening to the post-hardcore grind of the Touch & Go '90s. $7. 10 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — Chad Radford
NEW STREET RECORDS SHOWCASE As part of New Street Records ongoing series of weekly showcases at the Star Bar, three of the local label's art/folk/outsider pop emissaries take the stage. Relative newcomers Omelet and Baby Girl open for Juju B Solomon. Solomon hones equal parts peace-punk folkie intellect and world-weary traveler with an outsider complex into a body of song that is both whimsical and filled with ennui. Free. 9 p.m. Star Bar. 404-681-9018. www.starbaratlanta.com. — CR
FRI/23
GLENN PHILLIPS AND THE SUPREME COURT Phillips comes out of his biannual hibernation when the bears start theirs. This traditional post-Thanksgiving Day gig is a yearly reminder that he remains one of Atlanta's most inventive, innovative and searing guitarists. Swimming Pool Q's vocalist Jeff Calder rides shotgun for two long sets (both all ages and no smoking) that seldom duplicate material from previous visits. Careening from screaming instrumental rock to the most delicate avant-garde flashes, the duo will leave you anticipating its next show in an increasingly rare clutch of local appearances. $12. 8:30 p.m. Red Light Café. 404-874-7828. www.redlightcafe.com. — Hal Horowitz
JIMMY HALL While perhaps not as definitive of the '70s Southern rock explosion as its other Capricorn labelmates, Wet Willie's music has been more durable than most. As the band's lead singer/reedman and driving creative force, Hall's solo work for the past 27 years has kept him employed as a professional sideman in demand. But with a terrific recent tribute to fellow soul/bluesman Eddie Hinton, Hall returns as the magnetic frontman he's always been; one far more multidimensional than the dude who closes shows with the dependable "Keep on Smilin'" sing-along, still a rousing snapshot of his soul/blues/gospel/country/R&B roots. $15. 9 p.m. Darwin's. 770-578-6872. www.darwinsblues.com. — HH
JOHNNY MATHIS In a holiday-themed concert suitable for the whole family, the suave crooner revisits favorites from his impressive catalog of seasonal and evergreen hits. Mathis has been a fixture of the American music scene since the '50s and is one of the very few acts to find substantial success, in jazz and pop fields, both pre- and post- British Invasion. His smooth and jovial collection of Christmas recordings remains a staple of easy-listening radio, and this rare, two-night stand should be quite the holly-jolly affair. Presented in part by the music-minded folks at WPBA 30. $52.50-$79.50. 8 p.m. Saturday, 7 p.m. Fox Theatre. 404-817-8700. www.ticketmaster.com. — Lee Valentine Smith
SAT/24
ANÚNA Dublin-based composer Michael McGlynn's exceptional Celtic vocal ensemble, Anúna, hits Atlanta as part of a 40-stop U.S. tour in support of its new CD/DVD and public television special "Celtic Origins." Formed by McGlynn 20 years ago to explore and revitalize millennium-old Celtic vocal music and blend it into a contemporary context, Anúna got major notoriety in the stage show "Riverdance" with its 1994 Irish and U.K. chart-busting single "Cloudsong." $35-$75. 8 p.m. Symphony Hall. 404-733-5000. www.atlantasymphony.org. — Mark Gresham
JONATHAN DAVIS The Adidas-wearing frontman of Korn spent the summer with his bandmates in the sweltering sheds, working on the latest installment of the Family Values tour. Now as fall arrives, Davis is back on the road, playing midsize halls and theaters with his own band, offering a few reworked Korn Klassics, select covers and other stripped-down but equally intense ruminations. $49.50. 8 p.m. The Roxy. www.ticketmaster.com. — LVS
THE LAST WALTZ ENSEMBLE This Atlanta-based, Rolling Thunder-styled revue celebrates the music of the Band and Bob Dylan in festive holiday fashion for its fourth annual Thanksgiving show at this club. Finish up some leftovers but leave room for a rootsy Americana jam for dessert as the ensemble, accompanied tonight by opener Oliver Wood, resurrect and reinterpret tunes from arguably the most fabled rock concert ever. Reacquaint yourself with the lyrics to "I Shall Be Released" and be prepared to sing along during the always rousing finale. $15. 8 p.m. Smith's Olde Bar. 404-875-1522. www.smithsoldebar.com. — HH
GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT-FUNKADELIC, CHUCK BROWN Who needs all this silly hip-hop frontin' when the master funkster Clinton brings his P-Funk circus to town? He oozes "cool," and opener Chuck Brown virtually created the supergrooving "Go Go" movement in D.C. The old-timers are giving lessons tonight. Pay attention. $52-$67. 8 p.m. Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center. 404-523-6275. www.atlantaciviccenter.com. — JK
SUN/25
DAVID SCHELAT Delaware-based pipe organist David Schelat performs "Whimsical Variations" by American composer Leo Sowerby, the chant-based fantasia "Magnificat Primi Toni" by Dieterich Buxtehude, and the phenomenally fast "Prelude and Fugue in G minor" by Marcel Dupré, a challenging piece with a chordal pedal part. (Imagine a 19th-century version of DDR for pipe organ. Go feet!) Free. 3:15 p.m. Cathedral of St. Philip. 404-365-1052. www.stphilipscathedral.org. — MG
mon/26
BATATA DOCE / MONDAY NIGHT BAND CAMP Batata Doce is an Atlanta-based duo that features vocalist Leticia Arioli, who hails from Florianopolis, Brazil, and North Carolina-born guitarist Russell Owens. Together they bring the worlds of Appalachia and Latin America together for a soulful blend of Brazilian/bluegrass and finger-pickin' rock. For this show Owens and Arioli are squeezed onto the Monday Night Band Camp, which for Batata Doce is a mismatched bill for beginners. Free. 9 p.m. Lenny's. 404-577-7721. www.lennysbar.com. — CR
RIZA HEQUIBAL, DANIA LANE Good harp goes far beyond background music at wedding receptions, especially when two come together to play a duo recital of works by César Franck, J.S. Bach, Sergei Rachmaninoff and Enrique Granados. Hequibal has strong capabilities in both classical and jazz, earned in deep studies at Indiana University. Veteran freelancer Dania McDonald Lane's long credits include both regional symphonic gigs and a previous three-year stint at four-star downtown restaurant Nikolai's Roof. Free. 8 p.m. Cole Auditorium, Georgia Perimeter College-Clarkston. 678-891-3556. www.gpc.edu. — MG
SUZANNE VEGA, TEDDY THOMPSON It's sort of a shame that Vega has been pegged for one or two songs, as she is pretty capable of doing whatever she wants musically and making it work. There are only a few female songwriters on the same level, and her insights are quite cutting. Teddy Thompson's recent CD release is mostly classic country covers, and the blend of his unique original tunes and the oldies should be quite interesting. $20. 8:30 p.m. Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com. — JK
TUES/27
CHUCK RAGAN, SUNDOWNER The side project of Lawrence Arms singer/guitarist Chris McCaughan, Sundowner is an outlet for the quieter songs that don't mesh as well with the Arms' raucous punk vibe. His ragged baritone sounds a bit like Billy Bragg, with a similar folk-punk shuffle brightened by ringing acoustic melodies. Hot Water Music's Ragan moves further afield than McCaughan, setting course for a ragged Texas country-rock twang appropriate to his gravelly growl and down-and-out narratives. $10. 7 p.m. Masquerade. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com. — Chris Parker
LITTLE BROTHER This North Carolina hip-hop crew went from trio to duo and ended its relationship with Atlantic this year. Rappers Phonte and Big Pooh got a coattail lift from producer 9th Wonder's (Jay-Z, Destiny's Child, Jean Grae) success, which with their terrific indie debut, The Listening, earned them a major-label shot for 2005's The Minstrel Show. But their old-school backpacker vibe didn't get enough support to generate more than critical heat, so they returned to ABB for their latest, Get Back, and amicably cut ties with their busy, tour-averse producer. Evidence from Dilated Peoples opens. $15. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CP
THURS/29
ALASDAIR ROBERTS, CHARALAMBIDES, MAGIC APRON Roberts is a Scottish songwriter who channels the storytelling M.O. of his motherland into the desolation of indie Americana. Roberts is an artistic cousin to Will Oldham, Simon Joyner and Smog, but his distinctively Scottish accent, applied to haunting songcraft, places him in a league of his own. Charlambides plays a slow and ethereal morphine-folk ambience. Like-minded local act Magic Apron opens. $8. 9 p.m. The Earl. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com. — CR
BEN LEE He chafed somewhat under the yoke of youth wunderkind after the left-field success of his high school band Noise Addict and their Evan Dando paean, "I Wish I Were Him." Now Lee knows what it's like to be a songwriter with a great past and a somewhat indifferent present. Like Dando, Lee has a vulnerable, singer/songwriter style without the spice of a bad-boy drug addiction. At his best the fey boy next door gives way to gutsy, devil-may-care daring and honesty. $15. 7 p.m. The Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com. — CP
JUCIFER, ATTRACTIVE EIGHTIES WOMEN, ZOROASTER, SCARS The nomadic Jucifer headlines tonight's long, low rumble. The formerly Athens-based duo features Amber's shockingly sensual, metallic grind, aided by Ed's sweat-soaked pummel — making an amp-rattling racket that will thunder in and around the assembled followers, and out to the band's well-worn RV. Be sure to check out their cool, low-fi live DVD at the merch table after the show. Attractive Eighties Women, Zoroaster and Scars are also scheduled to perform. $10. 9 p.m. Lenny's Bar. www.lennysbar.com. — LVS
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.