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George
Winston
Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Saturday
The
Windham Hill main-stay will bring his Grammy-winning tunes
to Troy this weekend. George Winston is known for his introspective
approach to the piano, creating seasonal images of impressionist,
musical paintings. His holiday performance will include compositions
from his newest album, Montana—A Love Story, and also
selections from his winter-themed albums. Winston is asking
concertgoers to bring a donation of nonperishable food items
to the show in support of the Regional Food Bank, and a portion
of merchandise proceeds will be donated as well. (Dec.
10, 8 PM, $26, $29, 30 2nd St., Troy, 273-0038)
Jane’s
Gang
Van
Dyck, Saturday
Niskayuna-based
fiddler and banjo player Jane Rothfield will celebrate the
release of her new CD In the Moment with her new band,
Jane’s Gang. Jane’s “gang” features Matt Brown on fiddle and
banjo, Allan Carr on guitar, Paul Sidlick on mandlin and Banjo,
and Bob Taylor on double bass. The group will perform a mix
of Celtic, bluegrass and country tunes with what they call
a “high-energy Southern twist.” Check out Jane’s Gang this
weekend at their afternoon performance at the Van Dyck. (Dec.
10, 2 PM, $6, 237 Union St., Schenectady, 381-1111)
The
Hanslick Rebellion
Valentine’s,
Saturday
Clubgoers
of a certain age should perk up in recognition upon reading
this name. Hell, we did. The Hanslick Rebellion—keyboardist
Jed Davis, bassist Mike Keaney, guitarist Alex Dubovoy, and
drummer Mike Kearns—played a lot of shows and won a lot of
fans in their short spell as an Albany band, but before reuniting
for a one-off anniversary gig this fall, they hadn’t played
a note together since 1997. (All four members are involved
in other successful projects.) With the reunion comes good
news for fans of the band’s cerebral, challenging rock music:
The group have released a new live disc, The Rebellion
Is Here, to replace their identically titled cassette
release from ’96. You can get it for free through their
Web site, even. Check ’em out before they’re gone again. (Dec.
10, 7:30 PM, $8, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
Reverend
Horton Heat, Supersuckers
Revolution
Hall, Monday
Reverend
Horton Heat—aka Jim Heath, with bassist Jimbo Wallace and
drummer Scott Churilla—and the Supersuckers are the perfect
pair of Southwestern musical shitkickers to warm up a cold
Troy evening. Heat is touring because, hell, that’s what he
does; plus, he has an album of Christmas music, We Three
Kings, newly available for your seasonal enjoyment. Expect
the usual “outlandish antics” as he and the guys deliver their
“country-flavored punkabilly.” The Supersuckers are much beloved
around here, and why not? According to themselves, they’re
“the greatest rock-n-roll band in the world.” According our
own Bill Ketzer, “their muscular, riff-swollen assault and
gunslinging bluster evokes, from anywhere on the planet, the
barren badlands of the Southwest, like some satanic sermon
on the mount.” And wait, that’s not all: Split Lip Rayfield,
purveyors of cow-punk bluegrass on crank, will open the evening.
The congregation will now come to disorder. (Dec. 12, 8
PM, $20, 421-425 River St., Troy, 273-2337)
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Wheatus
Valentine’s,
Tuesday
The
same Wheatus of “Teenage Dirtbag” fame, that is. Briefly beloved
on the legs of that unintentional novelty, Wheatus seemingly
faded from view as quickly as they first reared their greasy
li’l heads. Which is a shame, because their cover of Erasure’s
“A Little Respect” could have been the disco smash of 2001.
What happened next? The usual: Big record label loses interest
in little band, sits on album for a few years while band sweats,
eventually stops caring enough even to screw band anymore
and gives album back to band . . . who release it under the
title Suck Fony. No hard feelings, eh? That’s all behind
them now; in fact, they’re supporting a brand-new release
titled TooSoonMonsoon, which is chock full of the same
geeky pop that made them stars, briefly. (Dec. 13, 7 PM,
$10, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
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bon
jovi
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Bon
Jovi
Pepsi
Arena, Monday
Whether
you want them dead or alive, Bon Jovi are coming to Albany,
brandishing their 20-year career like a new pair of Velcro
sneakers, circa 1984. That isn’t to say that the band and
their iconic lead singer (Jon, in case you haven’t heard)
don’t appeal to the masses of hit-thirsty teeny-boppers like
they do to the infinite ’80s power-pop loyalists—Bon Jovi’s
new album, Have a Nice Day, is going strong at No.
56 on the Billboard Top 200. And if that weren’t bragworthy
enough, overall the band have sold more than 100 million records
to date. Also, you can hear a song of theirs played in nearly
any bar, anywhere in the United States, on any given night—and
don’t lie, you know you’ve sung along at least once.
(Dec. 12, 7:30 PM, $89.50 and $49.50, 51 South Pearl St.,
Albany, 487-2000)
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Noted |
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pattern
is movement
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Wow,
we almost forgot about Clay Aiken. Sorry,
Clay! The miraculously popular American Idol
“sweetheart” croons the holiday hits tonight (Thursday)
at the Palace Theatre (8 PM, $67-$47, 465-4663).
. . . Their words, not ours: “Afro-cowboy-ninja-surf”
band Toubab Krewe will play Red Square
tomorrow (Friday, 10 PM, $5, 432-8584). . . .
Philly math-pop act Pattern Is Movement will
hit the lower Valentine’s stage on Friday, with
help from Struction and last week’s cover
models, the Wasted (9 PM, $5, 432-6572).
. . . We know some of you like ’em: Rusted
Root return for a show at Northern Lights
on Friday (7 PM, $23, 371-0012). . . . Their résumés
are astounding: Francis Dunnery and
David Sancious are at the WAMC Performing
Arts Studio Friday night (8 PM, $15, 465-5233).
. . . Tarantula A.D. call their latest
record, Book of Sand, an “epic beyond words”;
see how that works out on Friday at the Iron Horse
Music Hall in Northampton, Mass. (10 PM, $10,
413-584-0610). . . . It’s a quintuple threat at
Saratoga Winners on Saturday: All That Remains,
Crimson Mask, Heal These Wounds,
Son of Mourning, and Israfel are
scheduled to perform (7:30 PM, $12, 783-1010).
. . . Last, but far from least, legendary Los
Angeles band X are at Pearl Street in Northampton
on Sunday; sharing the bill is the one and only
Juliana Hatfield (8:30 PM, $23, 413-584-1444).
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Columns
& Opinions
