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Ed
Harcourt
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Ed
Harcourt
Iron
Horse Music Hall, Thursday
Ed
Harcourt made quite the splash with his 2001 debut Here
Be Monsters. The album earned loads of critical accolades
for its mix of singer-songwritery intimacy and studio-abetted
sonic expanse. It also spawned the video for “Apple of My
Eye,” which made hairless cats look almost cute. Almost. Monsters
was later nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize, which,
of course, translated to sales of about 300 copies here in
the States. (We’re exaggerating for effect; it was probably
closer to 3,000.) Anyway, for those who may have thought that
Harcourt packed it in and headed for the hills, he’s actually
released two more albums since (From Every Sphere and
Strangers), both of which are wonderfully bold and
highly recommended. Harcourt is currently in the midst of
a solo tour to support Strangers, and he’ll appear
at the Iron Horse tonight. Sylvie Lewis opens. (April 21,
10 PM, $13, 20 Center St., Northampton, Mass., 413-584-0610)
Enter
the Haggis
WAMC
Performing Arts Studio, Friday
The
internationally acclaimed Celtic rock band Enter the Haggis
are on a tour that includes stops in Italy, Germany, Canada,
Ireland and (obviously) the United States—which isn’t too
bad for five young guys who got their start in a Toronto garage.
Employing the traditional fiddle and bagpipes, ETH have created
a unique fusion of a number of genres: rock, bluegrass, folk,
funk, blues, Latin, etc. So if your previous Celtic-music
experience is made up of a few toothless drunks shouting old
Irish drinking songs down at the Publick House, push all that
aside and Enter the Haggis. Once in, they claim, you’ll never
leave. (April 22, 8 PM, $15, 399 Central Ave., Albany,
465-5233)
Lee
Ann Womack
Glens
Falls Civic Center, Friday
One
of modern-day country’s most popular performers will make
a rare area appearance tomorrow (Friday) night. Since debuting
nearly a decade ago, Lee Ann Womack has eschewed the pop-chart-minded
leanings of her colleagues, rather applying her big, beautiful
voice to traditional roadhouse fare and the occasional gospel
number. Not that she’s completely avoided crossover success—her
2000 single I Hope You Dance was, to say the least,
huge. For her latest, There’s More Where That Came From,
Womack teamed with pop-country hitmaker Byron Gallimore. But
don’t fret none, longtime fans: The results are less Faith
(Hill), more Dolly (Parton, silly). Womack is about to embark
on a mammoth summer tour with professional patriot/fuckwad
Toby “The Angry American” Keith, so get up to Glens Falls
while the getting’s good. Bryan White opens. (April 22,
8 PM, $29.50-$49.50, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Glens Falls, 798-0202)
Roger
McGuinn
The
Egg, Saturday
Here’s
what this show has going for it: The Byrds were one of the
greatest American rock bands, and Roger McGuinn was the big
Byrd from the beginning to the end; even 40 years on from
“Mr. Tambourine Man,” McGuinn still has a terrific voice;
and McGuinn is a witty and engaging stage presence. All those
are good reasons to see ex-Byrdman McGuinn’s solo set at the
Egg this weekend, but not the best reason. The best reason
is that McGuinn is known for killing as a solo performer.
On his last Capital Region visit a couple of years ago, McGuinn
(solo) played blues, folk, country and rock & roll with
the ease of the old pro he is. And, setting aside McGuinn’s
legend status, the voice and the charm, the main reason he
is still compelling is his guitar playing. It’s amazing. Opening
will be Happy Traum, who has worked with his share of luminaries
from Rory Block to Jerry Jeff Walker to Bob Dylan. (April
23, 8 PM, $24, Empire State Plaza, Albany, 473-1845)
Jonathan
Byrd and Dromedary
Caffe
Lena, Saturday
North
Carolinian Jonathan Byrd has quickly become a star on the
close-knit folk circuit. In 2000, his spare, earnest debut
(Wildflowers) earned high praise from none other than
Tom Paxton, who said, “What a treat to hear someone so deeply
rooted in tradition, yet growing in his own beautiful way.”
His 2003 release, The Waitress, brought more
attention, landing his music on radio playlists nationwide.
Byrd’s latest recording project, The Sea and the Sky,
pairs him with renowned world-music duo Dromedary, who bring
charango, Appalachian dulcimer, mandolin, cumbus, and flamenco
guitar to the mix. We’re not sure what all those things are
or how they work, but they sure do sound nice. The newly minted
trio will venture up the charmingly creaky front stairs of
Caffe Lena for a show this Saturday. (April 23, 9 PM, $12,
47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 583-0022)
Green
Day
Pepsi
Arena, Monday
Sure,
they’ve become multiplatinum-selling, Grammy-winning gazillionaires,
but Billie Joe and the boys in Green Day are still “jest folks.”
Yes, they recorded a concept album—formerly the province of
prog rockers and pop divas—but they’re still the punks we’ve
known and loved. And critical praise? The rock press fell
all over themselves praising said concept album, American
Idiot, but the fellows didn’t let it go to their heads.
Don’t believe us? Think Green Day have become a bunch of big-headed
artistes with big chips on their (heavily tattooed) shoulders?
Well, we read on Gawker.com (or was it Defamer.com?) that,
just recently, Billie Joe stood in the bathroom line at a
New York (or was it L.A.?) nightclub with the rest of the
rabble, and happily humored the stuttering dweebs who talked
at him. That’s “jest folks” behavior. This Pepsi show is technically
sold out, but, in the past for other shows, some tickets have
been released at the last moment. (We’re not promising anything.)
My Chemical Romance will open. (April 25, 7 PM, $35, 51
S. Pearl St., Albany, 487-2000)
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Noted |
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melt-banana
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Renowned
Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will let loose
his mighty voice tonight (Thursday) at the Calvin
Theatre in Northampton, Mass.; he’s touring in
support of his new release, Ronan (8 PM,
$25-$45, 413-584-1444). . . . The Figgs
return to the roost tomorrow (Friday) for a show
at King’s Tavern; they’ll joined by Parwana
(see Listen Here, page 38, for more on that band)
and long-running Northampton-based indie-rockers
the Mitchells (9 PM, $8, 581-7090). . .
. Our inner adolescent still gets a kick
out of this name: Popa Chubby will play
two shows at the Van Dyck on Saturday; this time
around, he’s performing Electric Chubbyland, a
tribute to Jimi Hendrix (7 and 9:30 PM, $17, 381-1111).
. . . This week’s Awesome Band Name award goes
to (drumroll, please) Tequila Retribution!
While no prizes will be awarded for this distinction,
we will note that they are playing this Saturday
at Valentine’s, along with Blasé Debris,
Tripod, and Highjinx (9 PM,
$5, 432-6572). . . . Just how funky can one man
be? We may never know, because Alan Evans,
drummer of Soulive, is bringing his band, Play
On Brother, to support him on his Saturday
night show at Revolution Hall; Peter Prince
opens (9 PM, $12, 273-2337). . . . Happy fun noise-rock
band of Japan Melt-Banana play show Saturday
on Iron Horse! Music band An Albatross
also play on show! Happy fun time will be for
everyone! (10 PM, $13, 413-584-0610). . . . Bad
news for fans of the fifth Beatle: This Tuesday’s
scheduled performances by the Pete Best Band
at the Van Dyck have been canceled due to illness.
The shows will be rescheduled at a later date;
contact the Van Dyck at 381-1111 for more information.
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Columns
& Opinions
