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Leo
Kottke
Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Thursday
If
you visit Leo Kottke’s Web site, you’ll find a number of essays
penned by the man himself. The loosely poetic writings vary
in theme, lighting on the nature of sadness, the alternating
aspects of gravitas and bullshit in the American executive
office and the death of Kottke’s friend and mentor, guitarist
John Fahey. It’s a range of emotion and tone that is mirrored
in Kottke’s music, which combines the earthy, organic approach
of the Delta blues with sophisticated elements of Western
classical, and thoughtful introspection with a kind of laid-back
wry humor. Of course, reading his essays is kind of the long
way around getting to know why he’s been an icon of American
guitar for more than three decades. This is the shorter way:
(Feb.17, 8 PM, 7 State St., Troy, $27, $24, 273-0038)
Broadway:
The Big Band Years
Proctor’s
Theatre, Saturday
Oh,
those kids with that awful thumping music, and their lewd
gyrating dances. Why can’t they play something nice for a
change? You’ve got it: On Saturday, Proctor’s Theatre hosts
an evening of Broadway showstoppers taken from the musicals
of the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. Keith Levenson will conduct the
Curtain Up Orchestra in a melodious romp through full-band
tunes such as “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Singin’
in the Rain,” “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend,” “Some Enchanted
Evening,” and “I Get a Kick Out of You.” No punks, no punk
rock. No gangstas, no gangsta rap. Ah, finally. (Feb. 19,
8 PM, 432 State St., Schenectady, $19.50-$29.50, 476-1000)
 Buddy
Miller, Ollabelle
The
Egg, Saturday
It
will be gospel time Saturday night at the Egg, with Buddy
Miller and Ollabelle. Miller is a country mainstay; his songs
have been covered by the likes of Lee Ann Womack and the Dixie
Chicks, and he has served as Emmylou Harris’ musical director
for almost a decade. His latest disc, Universal United
House of Prayer, finds Miller musing on the state of the
world and its effect on the human soul. Ollabelle, who are
characterized by their label, Sony, as an “egalitarian sextet,”
have made quite a splash over the last year or so. The vocal
group, steeped in the traditional American sounds of country,
gospel, blues and bluegrass, have been featured on assorted
TV shows and toured to increasing acclaim. Odd—or, maybe,
not so odd—that the joyous sound of this New York City-based
“choir” was, initially, a reaction to the events of Sept.
11. Out of tragedy, as they say. (Feb. 19, 8 PM, $22, Empire
State Plaza, Albany, 473-1845)
Colin
Meloy of the Decemberists
Iron
Horse Music Hall, Sunday
The
new Decemberists album Picaresque doesn’t hit stores
until next month, so why is lead Decemberist Colin Meloy taking
to the streets now? Because besides his troubadourian storytelling
and catchy pop melodicism, Meloy has a bit of a maudlin streak
he’d like to share with his audience. He recently recorded
a limited-edition EP called Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey,
a six-song tribute featuring a handful of somewhat obscure
Moz tunes, plus the very unobscure “Everyday Is Like Sunday,”
stripped down to a 12-string acoustic-guitar and vocals. It’s
a gas to hear, but there’s a catch: Meloy didn’t exactly go
about fulfilling his “teenage dream” the legal way—the disc
isn’t officially licensed—so only 1,000 were made, and all
are expected to be sold by the end of the tour, with no more
to be pressed. Ever. So if you’re a Decemberists (or Morrissey)
completist, you know where to be this Sunday night. (Feb.
20, 10 PM, $15, 10 Center St., Northampton, Mass.,413-584-0610)
Armor
for Sleep, Recover
Saratoga
Winners, Tuesday
New
Jersey-based Armor for Sleep take themselves very seriously,
and apparently it’s paying off. Despite declarations like,
“[singer Ben] Jorgensen correlates emotional alienation to
physical insignificance in the scope of the cosmos, he sees
the world of dreams as a world of escape but also of trepidation
and he uses the bitter cold of winter to parallel the bitter
cold of the human condition,” Armor for Sleep have found their
niche in the pop-punk-emo-core-dream-rock-etc. scene. Their
latest album, What to Do When You Are Dead, has received
good reviews and equally good exposure. Coheadliner Recover
started as a Green Day cover band in Austin—but don’t worry,
they’ve grown since then. While a major-label jump temporarily
hurt their credibility (doesn’t it always?), Recover continue
to enjoy success as one of the strongest and most underrated
sing/scream acts out there. Known for their powerful live
shows, these four Texans have made fans out of previous tourmates
Bad Religion, Taking Back Sunday, GlassJaw, Jimmy Eat World,
and Thursday. (Feb. 22, 7 PM, $10, 1375 New Loudon Road,
Latham, 783-1010)
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los
amigos invisibles
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Tonight’s
(Thursday) show at Valentine’s originally was
supposed to feature the French-Canadian sextet
Les Breastfeeders; alas, they canceled.
Unfortunate, as this might have been your only
chance to catch two breast-themed bands in one
night. Anyway, Brent Gorton and the Tender
Breasts will go on as scheduled, along with
Complicated Shirt and Jamboyz filling
out the bill (9 PM, $5, 432-6572). . . . Two of
the area’s biggest names in pop—the Wait
and the Sixfifteens—will do King’s Tavern
tomorrow (Friday, 10 PM, $5, 581-7090). . . .
A bit earlier Friday evening, one of the nation’s
biggest names in pop—Gavin DeGraw—will
play Union College; call ahead, as this one may
sell out (9 PM, $15, 388-6118). . . . Chromepeeler
Records head honcho Jason Ziemniak has put together
a Saturday-long mélange he’s calling “20,000 Dirtbags
Can’t Be Wrong”; the fun starts at the River Street
Beat Shop with a free show featuring Mike Trash
of the Erotics, Johnny Northrup of Thee
Electric Bastards, and People on Top of the
Statue of Liberty and They’re Threatening to Jump
(2 PM, free, 272-0433) and continues later at
Artie’s River Street Stage with the Lawn Sausages,
Brevator, Thee Electric Bastards, and Lincoln
Money Shot (8:30 PM, $5, 687-0064). . . .
Singer-songwriter John Gorka will kick
out the jams motherfolker at the Berkshire Museum
on Saturday (8 PM, $15-21, 413-443-7171). . .
. Tom Rush will do the same at the WAMC
Performing Arts Studio on Saturday (8 PM, $22,
465-5233). . . . Also on Saturday, hard-rockers
Shinedown will head up a bill featuring
Theory of a Deadman and No Address
at Northern Lights (7:30 PM, $15, 371-0012). .
. . Finally, Luaka Bop recording artists Los
Amigos Invisibles will heat up the Iron Horse
on Wednesday (8:30 PM, $15, 413-584-0610).
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Columns
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