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the
young dubliners
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The
Young Dubliners
Albany
Riverfront Park, Thursday
The
Young Dubliners are not your average Celtic band. In fact,
you can call their style “Celtic, Irish, or just plain rock.”
Comprising both Irish and American band members, the Young
Dubliners (or the Dubs, to all you devout fans) cover everything
from “Irish-flavored anthemic rock to rowdy pub tunes.” Since
their formation in 1994, the Young Dubliners have released
several albums, including their most recent, Real World,
and have toured and opened for acts such as Jethro Tull, John
Hiatt, and Robert Cray. Some of their songs take on serious
subject matter while others tend to make audiences feel as
if they are drunk in a pub in Dublin. Today (Thursday), they
play Alive at Five; if you plan on going, prepare to experience
the Irish version of a mosh pit—a “jig pit,” according to
sources—and the chance to sing along and drink to some of
the Dubs’ mug-hoisting ballads. (June 8, 5 PM, free, Albany
Riverfront Park, Albany, 434-2032, www.albanyevents.org)
The
Knuckleheads
Lark
Tavern, Friday
It’s been a many years since Frank Zappa asked his famous
rhetorical question, “Does humor belong in music?” And, to
most folks, the answer is obvious: no. Hell, no. Take, as
exhibit A, this quote from a review in Time Out NY
about the Big Apple’s own Knuckleheads: “Do you like funny
songs? Neither do we.” Uh oh. “Still,” the critic continued,
“anyone who pens a song called ‘Tommy Made Owen Wilson Cry’
can’t be all bad.” In other words, even people who don’t like
humor with their chords of glory will find the Knuckleheads—two
guys with guitars—funny. Find out for yourself at the Lark
tomorrow (Friday) night. Currently, the duo are running a
contest on their Web site to name the next Knuckleheads song.
Maybe we upstaters can’t get that sophisticated New York humor,
but the current frontrunner, “Necks! Necks! Necks!” is more
puzzling than laugh-inducing. The fourth runner-up is hilarious,
however: “Springtime for Hipster in Williamsburg.” (June
9, 9 PM, call for prices, 453 Madison Ave., Albany, 463-9779)
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The
SofaKingz
THE
Van Dyck, Friday
Metal at the Van Dyck? Though the genre and the venue are
an unlikely pair, the combo will happen tomorrow (Friday)
night. Billed as “an intimate evening with the Sofa-Kingz,”
this show will mark what the Kingz call the first foray of
metal into this traditionally jazz-and-folk club. The Rotterdam-based
band have developed quite a following over the past few years,
opening for bands like Powerman 5000 and organizing metalfests
here and there throughout the region. Go say hello to the
boys, crack open a PBR (if the Van Dyck serves the band’s
favorite beer—who knows) and discover what an intimate evening
of metal sounds and looks like. Oh, and report back. We’re
curious. Superpower, Idol Hands and Intraction are also on
the bill. (June 9, 8 PM, $7, 237 Union St., Schenectady,
381-1111)
Two
Cow Garage, Grainbelt, the Old Sweethearts
Valentine’s,
Friday
As anyone who’s caught one of their live sets will tell you,
Two Cow Garage are one of the best underheard bands around.
The still-young Columbus, Ohio, trio have been peddling their
wares to whoever will listen for about four years now, and
(thankfully) there’s no sign that they’ll hang up the keys
to the van anytime soon. That’s good news for anyone who digs
classic, straightforward, heartland rock & roll a la Uncle
Tupelo and the Replacements. And for those who want to see
how the other half lives, you can now pick up The Long
Way Around: One Badass Year with Two Cow Garage, filmmaker
John Boston’s documentary on the making of the band’s second
record (The Wall Against Our Back) and the grueling
touring regimen that followed. Former Coal Palace Kings head
honcho Howard Glassman will debut his new band, Grainbelt,
at tomorrow’s show, and the Old Sweethearts will open. (June
9, 9 PM, $6, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
Susan
Trump
Caffe
Lena, Friday-Saturday
Armed simply with acoustic instru-ments and a mic, Susan Trump
employs a simple approach to music, which has gained her fame
on the East Coast. Her fans claim that she “has the voice
of an angel, singing songs that go straight to the heart.”
Trump’s songwriting ability and talent with the mountain dulcimer
have earned her a steady local following; according to Caffe
Lena’s Web site, “Susan Trump is a singer whose gentle voice
and story songs have been crowd pleasers at Caffe Lena for
years.” Susan even wrote the song “Live at Caffe Lena” in
tribute to the venue. However, Trump is more than a small-town
songstress; she has traveled nationwide educating others on
the dulcimer. Trump’s mastery of the guitar, banjo and dulcimer
help her to educate and mentor audiences filled with children
and adults on the joys of music. (June 9-10, 8 PM, $14,
47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 583-0022)
The
Aquabats
Saratoga
Winners, monday
Five “super rad” men in blue spandex rash guards, black Zorro-type
masks, and silver power belts are fighting villains with their
“awesome forces” in three different nations. The Aquabats’
2006 This Better Work or We Are Dead Tour began on the West
Coast, near their home, Aquabania. . . . Oh, sorry, we mean
Southern California; then they headed out to battle the rest
of the United States, Canada, and England. MC Bat Commander,
Eagle “Bones” Falconhawk, Ricky Fitness, Crash McLarson and
Jimmy the Robot claim that they’ll rock some new wave synthesized
pop-punk, straying from their original ska sound. The Aquabats
are devoted to the notion of taking over the world, but before
they do that, they’ll stop to perform a show in Latham. Saratoga
Winners is going to “open the floodgates of awesome” on Monday
to superhero backflips and space-monster attacks. Pick up
a mask and an anti-negativity helmet while you’re there. Also
on the bill are Whole Wheat Bread and the Aggrolites. (June
12, 7:30 PM, $15, 1375 New Loudon Road, Latham, 783-1010 )
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Noted |
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james
mcmurtry
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Tonight
(Thursday), catch Amy Speace and Jezzie
Tree at Gaffney’s in Saratoga (8 PM, $5, 587-7359).
. . . At King’s Tavern tomorrow (Friday), Western
Mass.-based indie-rockers New Radiant Storm
King play songs from their excellent new release,
The Steady Hand (9 PM, $5, 581-7090). .
. . Mike Doughty’s Band will return to
Revolution Hall this Saturday; word has it they’re
road-testing new songs for an upcoming record
(9 PM, $16, 273-2337). . . . Area hip-hop collective
Pitch Control Music hosts a double CD-release
party for Left Handed Boy and Rick Whispers
at the Lark Tavern this Saturday; also on the
eclectic bill are the hard and heavy sounds of
Scag Rotter and L.I.F.E. Long
(10 PM, $5, 463-7875). . . . If you prefer your
punk-rock shows to be rap-free, check out the
Unseen, the Ducky Boys, Blasé
Debris, and the Designer Drugs at Saratoga
Winners on Saturday (7:30 PM, $12, 783-1010).
. . . Valentine’s hosts another entry in their
regular Monday-night indie-rock series; this week’s
lineup features Your Black Star, Pattern
Is Movement, the Wasted, and Gun
Christmas (8 PM, $5, 432-6572). . . . Renowned
Americana singer-songwriter James McMurtry
comes to the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton,
Mass. on Monday; the Ray Mason Band will
open (7 PM, $17, 413-584-0610).
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Classifieds
