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Jadakiss
Sneaky
Pete’s, Friday
Jadakiss just got signed to Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella record label,
and he’s celebrating with a signing party at the recently
reopened Sneaky Pete’s. We’re not sure if he’ll actually perform—DJ
Iroc also will be on hand to bring the tuneage—but we figure
there’s a reasonable chance the rapper will grab the mic for
a few tracks. The Yonkers native started his career as a battle
rapper with Bad Boy Entertainment act the LOX; since then,
Jadakiss’ career has been punctuated by controversy, rap feuds,
and numerous label hops. Over the years, Jada has been at
odds with the likes of Beanie Siegel, Ras Kaas, 50 Cent, that
Puffy-Daddy-Diddy guy, new boss Jay-Z—even high-rollin’ MC
Bill O’Reilly, who condemned him for claiming that President
Bush “knocked down the towers” in the single, “Why?” In other
words, don’t piss off Jadakiss or you’re getting a diss track.
(Nov 23, 10 PM, $10, 711 Central Ave., Albany, 489-0000)
Roomful
of Blues, Ernie Williams
Colonial
Theater, Friday
Roomful of Blues were formed in 1967, and Ernie Williams picked
up his first six-string back in the 1930s, so if our math
is right, this is your chance to experience a collective century’s
worth of experience on one stage. Although Roomful of Blues
have gone through some 40-plus members since their inception,
the ebb-and-flow of this octet has produced a legacy rich
in horns and specializing in jump blues, yet still knowing
when to play it cool. Meanwhile, the charismatic Williams
is a fixture of the Albany blues community; the 80-something
bluesman has released six albums to date and continues to
be a favorite regionally and nationally, having played the
House of Blues in Boston and Buddy Guy’s Legends in Chicago.
(Nov. 23, 8 PM, $25-$35, 111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass.,
413-997-4444)
The
Felice Brothers
Bearsville
Theater, Friday
Hudson Valley-based quartet the Felice Brothers have been
described as “dirtbags capturing lightning and spinning it
into harvest gold.” “Dirtbag” is, of course, used here in
a loving sense, as the group’s whole aesthetic is more or
less centered on their being a ragtag bunch of woods-town
misfits. The brothers—Ian, Simone and James (plus bassist
Christmas, whom they supposedly adopted in as “blood brother”)—permanently
look as if they’ve just woken up, travel together in a 1987
“short bus,” and play music that is at once old-timey and
absolutely modern. Think of it as music for the next big depression.
They recently released their vinyl (the kind you play music
on) debut Tonight at the Arizona, and just wrapped
a U.S. tour with Bright Eyes, and now they’re coming home
to Woodstock. Give ’em a hug for us, and maybe lend them your
shower, too. (Nov. 23, 8 PM, $15, 291 Tinker St., Woodstock,
845-679-4406)
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Eilen
Jewell
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Eilen
Jewell
Club
Helsinki, Saturday
First, we should point out that it’s not a typo up there—her
name is pronounced EE-len. Second, we gotta give a
shout out to the current strain of straight-faced western-swing
revivalists: Y’all are making it hard for us to figure out
what year it is, not to mention making it tough just to leave
the bar. This weekend, those who enjoy of the sound of a well-played
fiddle and a sultry female vocalist singing about drinking
and hard times should find their way to Great Barrington for
a set from Boston-based singer Eilen Jewell and her band.
With her new album, Letters From Sinners and Strangers,
Jewell has taken on a rigorous international touring schedule,
and appears poised to join the upper echelon of the Americana
circuit. Now would be a good time to catch her in the relatively
small confines of Club Helsinki. (Nov. 24, 9 PM, $12, 284
Main St., Great Barrington, Mass., 413-528-3394)
Pulling
Teeth
Valentine’s,
Wednesday
We’re all for truth in advertising, so Baltimore-based metallurgists
Pulling Teeth are our kind of band. Their very name is indicative
of their style of hardcore thrash, although it’s an old-school
kind of thrash—if we were to apply a similar brand name to
many of the current bands in the hardcore and metal genres,
it would be something more like “Having Gnads Crushed.” Pulling
Teeth also have a song called “Dead Is Dead,” which appeals
to our matter-of-fact worldview. We’re a little disappointed,
as we first thought it was a reworking of “Bad Is Bad,” our
favorite Huey Lewis and the News song, but it rocks pretty
hard in its own right. (And, OK, you got us—that’s our second
favorite Huey Lewis song. “If This Is It,” anyone?) Oh yeah.
Pulling Teeth play Valentine’s this Wednesday with Frightener,
D.I.E., and Infidels. (Nov. 28, 6:30 PM, $5, 17 New Scotland
Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
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Five
Alpha Beatdown
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Black
Friday is typically a big drinking holiday, and
with the nightlife comes a full slate of live
music. In addition to the shows mentioned above,
we give you the following options: Ozzy fans can
lap up the sounds of tribute act Believer at
Northern Lights (7 PM, $10, 371-0012); Red Square
has a packed bill featuring Upon Arrival,
Ophelia Smiles, Mike Lawrence and
Portland, Ore.’s The Lives of Famous Men
(8 PM, $6, 465-0444); Livingston Taylor
and Kate Taylor do a brother-sister show
at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great
Barrington, Mass. (8 PM, $40, 413-528-0100); and
Five Alpha Beatdown, apparently back from
the dead (and from Iceland), will celebrate “White
Friday” at the Lark Tavern (10 PM, $5, 463-9779).
. . . Saturday, Averill Park-based metal band
Reinfecta celebrate the release of their
new CD at Michaels of West Sand Lake; admission
includes a free copy of the CD, plus a set by
guests Dead-Lift (9 PM, $10, 674-5938).
. . . Buenos Tuesdays, Amigos: The one, the only,
Ween play tunes from their long-awaited
new album, La Cucaracha, at the Calvin
Theatre in Northampton, Mass., on Tuesday night
(8 PM, $25, 413-584-1444).
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