Blair Crimmins and the Hookers at Northside Tavern

CRITIC’S PICK:
Sat., July 19
Blair Crimmins and the Hookers, Northside Tavern — Local retro loving banjo player Crimmins is no stranger to anyone in Atlanta’s roots scene. He has expanded the reach of his “hot ragtime jazz with a touch of rock and roll” (his words) to national touring with a clutch of July dates as far West as Colorado. So it’s cool that he keeps returning to the Northside monthly, gaining even more traction for this far from contemporary sound. His 2021 album of covers finds him applying that rooty-toot-tootin’ approach to such unlikely songs as the Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer” and Van Halen’s “Runnin’ with the Devil.” Fun, innovative stuff. — Hal Horowitz