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Converge,
the Red Chord , Darkest Hour
Saratoga
Winners, Friday
There
is a little-known musical method in which the essences of
hate, spite and disgust are distilled into cantankerous, insidious,
noisecore songs. Converge happen to be the sole discoverers
and perfectors of the formula, which is both a blessing and
a curse. Serially aped by others in the hardcore, noisecore
and tech-metal genres, Converge are critically praised but
ignored by the mainstream. But boy can they pack a music hall
with bloodthirsty fans. Fellow Bostonians and rightful heirs
to their throne the Red Chord will help them whip up a hardy
froth of malice. If the not-so- worthy, self-proclaimed composers
of the “album of the decade” Darkest Hour had any sense, they
would avoid playing any of the Atreyu-inspired “hits” off
their latest disc and instead stick to their earlier thrash
offerings. (Nov. 4, 7:30 PM, $14, Route 9, Latham, 783-1010)
Doyle
Lawson and Quicksilver
Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Friday
Winning
the International Bluegrass Music Association’s award for
Best Vocal Group in 2005 was a feather in the cap for Doyle
Lawson and Quicksilver, a band revered by bluegrass and gospel
enthusiasts for their songcraft and heavenly harmonies. As
humble as they are passionate, DL&Q have been pickin’
together for more than 25 years, and Lawson himself has been
at it for more than 40. Fluent in mandolin, guitar, and banjo,
Lawson has indulged in all aspects of bluegrass, country,
gospel, and folk since he was a young boy. In their newest
album, You Gotta Dig a Little Deeper, Lawson and Quicksilver
have reasserted themselves among their secular bluegrass fans,
yet they remain true to their gospel heritage. Look for a
pinch of testimony and a heaping spoonful of Tennessee harmony
when Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver come to town with special
guests the Gibson Brothers. (Nov. 4, 8 PM, 9 State St.,
Troy, $23-26, 273-0038)
Spoon,
Mary Timony
Pearl
Street, Friday
If
you’re into Spoon, you al- ready know about this one; you’ve
probably even called shotgun for the ride out to Northampton.
The Austin-based group—led by vocalist-guitarist Britt Daniel
and drummer Jim Eno (no relation)—have allowed their early
art-punk leanings (see 1998’s foray into the majors, A
Series of Sneaks) to give way to the snarky sneer of 2001’s
Merge release Girls Can Tell, then mellow into the
quirky, occasionally nerdy pop of this year’s Gimme Fiction.
And Spoon are among the few indie-rock acts who can boast
of having one of their tunes used as the music bed for an
episode of The Glenn Slingerland Situation. If you
missed Mary Timony’s Valentine’s show in September, a pox
on you—make it up to her and yourself by getting to this one
on time. (Nov. 4, 8:30 PM, $18, 10 Pearl St., Northampton,
Mass., 413-584-7771)
Trisha
Yearwood
Palace
Theatre, Saturday
One
of the leading female voices in modern country music is comin’
to town this weekend. It’s been almost 15 years since Trisha
Yearwood released her 1991 debut album that featured her first
huge hit, “She’s in Love With the Boy.” The down-home, true-blue
storytelling style of song worked for Yearwood then, and it
works for her still. Many awards, albums and collaborations
have happened for her between then and now, but with her new
album, Jasper County, Yearwood claims that she has
reinvented herself spiritually and that the record is a result
of two years of introspection. Her first single off Jasper
County, “Georgia Rain,” has proven to be a hit among fans
and critics alike. Catch Yearwood’s unmistakable voice when
she hits the Palace this Saturday; newcomers Jessi Alexander
and Jon Randall will open the show. (Nov. 5, 7:30 PM, $39.50,
$49.50, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany, 465-3334)
The
Spider Saloff Trio
Chapel
+ Cultural Center, Saturday
It’s
always a happy occasion when jazz singer extraordinaire Spider
Saloff returns to Troy’s Chapel + Cultural Center. This time
she’s bringing Tony Monte (piano) and Steve LaSpina (bass)
with her to perform a mix of standards with selections from
her latest CD, Like Glass. This Latin-inflected disc
is very good, with haunting versions of a couple of Depression-era
gems, “Street of Dreams” and “Deep in a Dream.” You know what
else is great about Saloff, aside from her smoky voice and
wicked style? She offers a monthly drink recipe on her Web
site. As a reader service, we’ll pass the latest on to you.
To make a cristal (Spanish for glass, like her album)
martini, combine 2 ounces of vodka and 1 ounce of clear tequila
in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and pour the result
into a fancy martini glass. Garnish with a pickled jalapeño,
sip and voila: You’re in the mood for jazz. (Nov.
5, 8 PM, $15, free to RPI students, 2125 Burdett Ave., Troy,
274-7793)
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| HOWIE
DAY |
Howie
Day
Northern
Lights, Sunday
Of
the current crop of sensi-tive, post-adolescent male songwriters
making overtures toward the top of the pop charts, Howie Day
is without a doubt the easiest to stomach. For one thing,
he’s got the long-term commitment required to make this kind
of thing work with the current state of the music industry:
His second record, Stop All the World Now, sold its
500,000th copy this summer, nearly two years after its release,
in large part owing to the success of the lovey-dovey ballad
“Collide.” Day is a songwriter who, according to Blender,
“prizes sincerity over all things,” which ain’t such a bad
way to go about things when the competition includes guys
like Ryan Cabrera. Day will perform with and without his band
this Sunday at Northern Lights. (Nov. 6, 7:30 PM, $18,
1208 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371-0012)
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| Also
Noted |
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| RUFUS
WAINWRIGHT |
The
unlikely but awfully appealing pairing of Rufus
Wainwright and OK Go hits the Calvin
Theater in Northampton, Mass., tomorrow (Friday)
night; word has it the guys from OK Go might just
do the dance (8 PM, $22.50-$32.50, 413-584-1444).
. . . Ben Folds performs at College Park
Hall on the Union campus Friday, but no dancing
here: The show is sold out (9 PM, 388-6118). .
. . Club Helsinki welcomes Brazilian jazz vocalist
Anna Borges for one performance on Friday
night (9 PM, $8, 413-528-3394). . . . Baltimore
indie dudes Two if by Sea play the Flywheel
in Easthampton, Mass., this Saturday; Doublethink,
the Unsung Cliché, and Blue Vagrants
are also on the bill (6:30 PM, $6, 413-517-9800).
. . . Pittsfield pop dudes Hector on Stilts
play tunes from their new disc (Same Height
Relation) at the Lark Tavern on Saturday;
John Brodeur opens (9:30 PM, $5, 463-7875).
. . . Former Jackson Browne sideman and El Rayo-X
leader David Lindley performs this Sunday
at Caffe Lena (7 PM, $22, 583-0022). . . . That
cuddly teddy bear made of rainbow muffins Ben
Lee returns to the Iron Horse this Tuesday;
New Buffalo will open (7 PM, $17, 413-584-0610).
. . . Six strings not enough for ya? Try eight:
The polyphonic sounds of the Charlie Hunter
Trio come to Revolution Hall on Wednesday
(9 PM, $18, 273-2337).
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Columns
& Opinions
