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Almost
Queen
Northern
Lights, Thursday
All
right, we know that the “real” Queen have re-formed, with
ex-Free, ex-Bad Company vocalist Paul Rodgers filling in for
Freddie Mercury. But let’s face it: No one could fill
in for Freddie, and the new Queen aren’t exactly getting rave
reviews. This is a case in which, arguably, you’re better
off with a tribute band. Especially if the tribute band are
Almost Queen, with New Jersey-born theater-vet Joseph Russo
playing Freddie. That’s right, “playing.” The mustache, the
leather, the bad teeth—all right, not the bad teeth, but everything
else, including the opera-in-the- gutter voice. The other
guys in Almost Queen look like Brian May and company did back
in the band’s heyday, too, circa 1978. And what do they sound
like? What do you think? Almost Queen, dummy. (Jan.
5, 7:30 PM, $10, 1208 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371-0012)
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| shawn
colvin |
Shawn
Colvin
Club
Helsinki, Friday
Get
up close and personal with folk icon Shawn Colvin when she
performs two intimate club shows at Club Helsinki tomorrow
night. Though her single “Sunny Came Home” off the album A
Few Small Repairs propelled her into the pop-stardom spotlight
for a while back in 1997, Colvin had been building her musical
canon for at least a decade prior to that—her big break into
the music biz was singing backup for Suzanne Vega’s domestic-abuse
anthem “Luka” in 1987. Colvin has been going strong ever since
Repairs, with the release of Whole New You in
2001 and a compilation album last year called Polaroids:
A Greatest Hits Collection; not to mention a holiday album
in August of this year. Rolling Stone has called Colvin’s
musical stylings “folk-pop powerhouse.” Check her out if you’re
lucky enough to get tickets into one of tomorrow night’s shows.
(Jan. 6, 7 and 10 PM, $45, 284 Main St., Great Barrington,
Mass., 413-528-3394)
Benefit
for DMBQ and Michelle Cable
Valentine’s,
Friday and Saturday
In
early November, a van car-rying psychedelic-rock band DMBQ
was struck from behind while traveling from Baltimore to Brooklyn
on I-95. The van rolled down an embankment, instantly killing
drummer Mana “China” Nishiura (who was also the drummer for
Japanese pop oddities Shonen Knife), and seriously injuring
tour manager Michelle Cable. While Cable is expected to recover,
she is without health insurance and faces tremendous medical
bills. Benefit concerts have been set up in cities around
the country to help with the mounting costs, and Valentine’s
will host two such shows this weekend. Performing on Friday:
the Luxury Flats, Grain and the Gestalt, Brevator, and After
the Fall. On Saturday, catch Desmag, Horsespirit Penetrates,
and Evolution/Revolution, followed by an indie-rock dance
party. (Jan. 6-7, 8 PM, $5-7; 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany,
432-6572)
Skeeter
Creek Band
Caffe
Lena, Sunday
In
their first show of the year, and their first appearance at
Caffe Lena, regional bluegrass outfit Skeeter Creek promise
that they will perform an evening of original music. The three-year-old
band have been touring the east coast in support of their
debut disc, Ain’t Nuttin Better, building a loyal following
as they hit fairs, festivals, radio shows and First Night.
The Skeeter Creek lineup goes like this: Joe Kulewicz on guitar,
Tim Seabolt on vocals and mandolin, Pat Attanasio on fiddle,
banjo and dobo, and Nick Barr (host of WAMC’s show Bluegrass
Time) on bass and vocals. Join them Sunday to hear them
share songs and stories from the road. (Jan. 8, 7 PM, $8-10,
47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 583-0022).
Freedy
Johnston
Iron
Horse Music Hall, Sunday
He
doesn’t have a new album to promote, so what exactly brings
Freedy Johnston to the Iron Horse in Northampton this week?
Who cares? Point is, he’s one of the finest singer-songwriters
working in the pop idiom, and any opportunity to catch one
of his live sets is worth the trek. Robert Christgau of the
Village Voice called his second album (Can You Fly?)
“perfect”; in turn, Johnston himself called his third and
best-known album This Perfect World. Since, he’s released
a steady stream of smart, slightly creepy roots-pop, including
last year’s odds-and-ends collection The Way I Were.
And he’s been known to cover songs by Jimmy Webb, Elton John,
and Cole Porter in his live sets, so you at least know he’s
got good taste. Massachusetts native Rebecca Correia opens
Sunday’s show. (Jan. 8, 7 PM, $14, 20 Center St., Northampton,
Mass., 413-584-0610)
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| Also
Noted |
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| lucy
kaplansky |
Young
punk rockers Eyes Averted play New Age
Cabaret tonight (Thursday), along with Kristen
Abrams and Pretty and Nice (7 PM, $8,
436-3465). . . . At Northampton’s Iron Horse Music
Hall tomorrow (Friday) and Saturday, it’s famous
brother Livingston Taylor (7 PM, $21, 413-584-0610).
. . . On Saturday afternoon, members of the Children’s
Music Network will come together for “Singing
Out for the Children of Katrina” at Steamer No.
10 Theatre; it’s a benefit for children’s arts
in New Orleans, featuring Ruth Pelham and
Cavanaugh & Kavanaugh, among others
(4 PM, $5-$20 donation, 438-5503). . . . The ominously
named Death Toll will play the Hudson Duster
on Saturday; also on the bill are Driven Further,
Hollow Point, and Amalgama (8 PM,
$5, 687-2391). . . . Sax-and-clarinet whiz Al
Gollodoro and his quartet will take the stage
at Justin’s on Saturday (9:30 PM, $5, 436-7008).
. . . Five Alpha Beatdown from Iceland
and the Five Dollar Shakes will team up
for “The Ten Dollar Reunion Show” at Lark Tavern
on Saturday (10 PM, $5, 463-7875). . . . Folkstress
Lucy Kaplansky returns to Club Helsinki
in Great Barrington, Mass., on Sunday ($20, 413-528-3394).
. . . On Wednesday, hard-partying rockers Paranoid
Social Club are back in the area for a show
at the Fun Spot in Queensbury; the opportunity
to watch these guys play a roller-skating rink
should be incentive enough to get fans headed
north (6:45 PM, $15, 792-8989)
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Columns
& Opinions
