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Toby
Keith
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Toby
Keith
Times
Union Center, Thursday
Here’s a special treat for you, Capital Region: You get to
be among the first to see outspoken patriot Toby Keith do
his thing following Obama’s inauguration. Which is a good
thing, we think—the United States needs a little pick-me-up
right now, and Keith’s goofball honky-tonk is pretty good
medicine. And while he’s been endorsed by right-wing pundit
Stephen Colbert for flag-waving songs like “We’ll Kick Your
Ass Afghanistan” (or whatever it was called), Keith really
falls more on the liberal side of the fence. Really! You think
the conservatives would condone serving beer to horses? Of
course not. Keith rolls into town—in a big-ass Ford truck,
presumably—this evening. (Jan. 22, 7:30 PM, $24.75-$54.75,
51 S. Pearl St., Albany, 800-30-EVENT)
Chris
Smither
The
Linda, Friday
Chris Smither may well be the archetypal guy-with-a-guitar.
Throughout his nearly-40-year career, Smither has dealt in
nothing but the singer-songwriter bread and butter: warm,
finger-picked guitar, and a bare, earnest voice. Critics love
to kick that word “timeless” around when it comes to his songwriting,
but the same term can be applied to a Smither show. If you
caught him last year at about this time when he came through
the Linda, then don’t expect the experience to be much different—some
things just don’t need changing. (Jan. 23, 8 PM, $25, 339
Central Ave., Albany, 465-5233)
Johnny
Winter
Mahaiwe
Performing Arts Center, Friday
Here’s a question for which there can only be one answer:
Who’s the best albino, Gibson Firebird-playing Texas bluesman
ever to live? Yessir—Johnny Winter. Dude’s been around long
enough that he needs little introduction, and most of you
who plan to make it out to the Berkshires for this one have
had your calendars marked for months. Winter’s hit the age
when everyone marvels at his continuing ability to turn out
the hickory-smoked licks, but the thing is that what he does
is just going to get better with age. Don’t call it old-fashioned;
these days the blues are one of the only things it’s safe
to invest in. (Jan. 23, 8 PM, $34-$39, 14 Castle St., Great
Barrington, Mass., 413-528-6415)
Blackfoot
Roadhouse
Grill, Saturday
They coulda been contenders! Jacksonville, Fla., band Blackfoot
came up, much to their detriment, in the long shadow of hometown
heroes Lynyrd Skynyrd. Which is too bad—they were, as some
have called them, the “good Molly Hatchet,” which should have
been at least good enough for a close second. But commercial
success was not in the cards. While their initial run lasted
only until 1984, original frontman (and original Skynyrd drummer!)
Rickey Medlocke gave the band another go from 1987 to 1996.
Medlocke is now the full-time guitarist for Skynyrd (once
and forever, bro!); the current incarnation of Blackfoot features
original members Greg T. Walker and Charlie Hargrett. Check
out their tasty licks Saturday; local boys Starstruck open
the show. (Jan. 24, 10 PM, $30, 27 Fuller Road, Albany,
489-3170)
The
Sleeping, Emarosa
Valentine’s,
Monday
Lest you think this week’s musical offerings are drawn solely
from the classic-rock and country radio waves, there’s this
Monday-night show to give you a dose of the here and now (and
loud), though these bands have more in common with Blackfoot
than you might think—namely, revolving lineups. Kentucky post-hardcore
(we think that means “emo”) act Emarosa have cycled through
11 members since 2006; Long Island post-hardcore (OK, now
we know it means emo) act the Sleeping are on only
their sixth full-timer, but they replaced the last guy with
two guys, which means they’ll be a ska band before long. What
are we talking about? We don’t know either. But if you want
to get your grrrr on, this is your best shot this week. Curse
the Mariner, Vessels, and Astronauts share the bill. (Jan.
26, 7 PM, $12, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
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Winterpills
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Tonight
(Thursday), CRUMBS Night Out at the Linda stages
a make-up for last month’s white-out; Scientific
Maps are the musical guests, while the panel
discusses selling music on the Internet—we hear
it’s the wave of the future! (8 PM, free, 465-5233
ext. 4). . . . There’s a kind of melancholy that
could only come from the Pioneer Valley, and it’s
all over the latest Winterpills disc Central
Chambers; the band will reprise those songs
and others Friday at Club Helsinki in Great Barrington,
Mass. (9 PM, $12, 413-528-3394). . . . Old Songs
presents a sampler concert with music from Dan
Berg gren, Lawson, Addie and Olin,
and Hokum Hawaiians, this Saturday; proceeds
benefit the 2009 Old Songs Festival (8 PM, $20,
765-2815). . . . The charitable works of the Ancient
Order of Hibernians will get a financial kick
in the bum this Saturday when Celtic-rock mainstays
Black 47 come to the AOH Hall for a benefit
concert (8:30 PM, $20, 729-4583). . . . Art rock:
One-man Brooklyn band And the Wiremen will
make a stop at the Spring Street Gallery in Saratoga
Springs Saturday night (8 PM, $5, 583-9227). .
. . Wednesday brings the first concert of the
year from the Albany Sonic Arts Collective; this
time around, the live improv comes courtesy of
Trauma, Herons, Sleepy Demons,
and Twilight of the Century (8 PM, $5,
426-3501). . . . Also Wednesday, the Keith
Pray Group—whoever that might be this time
out—are at Justin’s (9 PM, free, 432-1997).
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