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Melanie,
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion
Colonial
Theatre, Friday
This past weekend was the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock
Music and Art Fair. Did you forget? We’re not sure how you
could, amid the barrage of media coverage and tribute/reunion
concerts. The Colonial Theatre sure didn’t forget: They’re
presenting a series of commemorative anniversary events with
surviving performers from said mudfest. Mountain passed through
this week; Richie Havens and Peter Yarrow are scheduled in
the coming months. (Yeah, we know Peter, Paul & Mary weren’t
at Woodstock, but they may as well have been.) This Friday
it’s the one and only Melanie, who reportedly still brings
the flower power in concert. Openers Sarah Lee Guthrie and
Johnny Irion will keep the spirit alive, tangentially, as
Guthrie’s famous dad was among the festival performers. (Aug.
21, 8 PM, $25-$65, 111 South St., Pittsfield, Mass., 413-997-4444)
Mushroomhead,
Hed(PE)
Northern
Lights, Friday
Though we don’t generally blindly reproduce promo copy, we
think you need to read this, from the Mushroomhead Web site:
“YOU HAVEN’T BEEN TO A SHOW UNTIL YOU’VE SEEN MUSHROOMHEAD
LIVE!!!” We don’t even know where to begin with that, so we’ll
start here: The Cleveland-based alt-metal act were, by virtue
of their masked stage personas, a precursor to Slipknot. Whether
that’s a good or bad thing is up to you. Joining them on Friday
are Hed(PE), the California band who describe their sound
as “G-Punk.” What brings these bands together is a mutual
love and respect for spicy German booze—it’s the Jägermeister
Music Tour—and an unfailing dedication to craft, obscurity
be damned. (We thought both bands had broken up.) Straight
Line Stitch, Supe, and Contempt are also on the bill. (Aug.
21, 6:30 PM, $14, 1208 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371-0012)
Chris
Barron
The
Van Dyck , Saturday
One can only sing “Two Princes” so many times before they’re
forced to go out on their own. Granted that’s not exactly
the case for Chris Barron; the Spin Doctors frontman seems
to have no qualms about revisiting his multi-platinum heyday
for his fans. But Barron’s got much more in the works: He
just released a solo record, Pancho and the Kid, which
is enjoying positive reception at satellite and Internet radio—nothing
to sneeze at considering the sorry state of terrestrial radio.
And his current band, the Time Bandits, just returned from
a two-week tour playing for our brave men and women serving
in Iraq. So while he’s likely to kick out “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues”
as part of his acoustic-duo show this Saturday, he’ll also
come equipped with new tunes and some great road stories.
Just keep the “Cleopatra’s Cat” requests to yourself. (Aug.
22, 7 PM, $15, 237 Union St., Schenectady, 348-7999)
Al
Stewart
Caffe
Lena, Sunday
Basque separatists; the crisis in Rhodesia; Nazi war criminals
hiding in South America; the scandals of the Harding administration:
There are few chapters of world history that British folk
singer Al Stewart hasn’t plumbed for material since his start
in the mid ’60s. Throughout his career, he’s rubbed elbows
with Jimmy Page, Andy Summers, Paul Simon, and Yoko Ono, digging
up plenty of stories of his own, but he’s still best-known
for his 1976 single “Year of the Cat.” With nearly 20 albums
worth of material, he’s liable to play more than just the
hits. Maybe if we’re lucky he’ll do the 18-minute “Love Chronicles,”
credited as the first mainstream record to include the word
“fucking.” (Aug. 23, 7 PM, $35, 47 Phila St., Saratoga
Springs, 583-0022)
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| The
Moody Blues |
The
Moody Blues
Saratoga
Performing Arts Center, Wednesday
Another great band that gets no respect from the rock establishment,
the Moody Blues return to SPAC this week with their boatload
of hits and army of Mellotrons. OK, the last is not true,
but how cool is it that some pimply geek had to program a
modern synthesizer to sound just like the unwieldy electronic
beast that gave “Tuesday Afternoon” its sense of majesty?
They’re a seven-piece band these days, built around three
longtime Moodies: John Lodge, Graeme Edge and (still) golden-voiced
Justin Hayward. Reviews of the current tour are uniformly
positive—though younger (ahem) reviewers have laced their
praise with the requisite snark. Yes, the Moody Blues will
play “Nights in White Satin” and “Question” and “I’m Just
a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band.” Yes, Edge will read some
of his Goddamned poetry. That’s what we want. (Aug. 26,
8 PM, $40-$50, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga Springs,
587-3330)
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| Also
Noted |
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| Bruce
Springsteen |
Rock
and read at the Albany Public Library on Friday:
This month’s installment of Garage Bands in the
Garage features Tern Rounders and the Black
Fuel (6 PM, free, 427-4300). . . . We did
a spit-take when we heard there were indeed two
nationally touring Sublime tribute acts; while
we mop up, you can check out 40 Oz. To Freedom
at Revolution Hall on Friday, with guests Skadee
and Odus Budd (7 PM, $10, 274-0553). .
. . The Queers are back at Valentine’s
Friday night, along with Plastic Jesus,
After the Fall, and the Dirty Stayouts
(8 PM, $10, 432-6572). . . . Vaudeville revivalist
Oded Ben-Ami performs at Professor Java’s
Coffee Sanctuary on Friday (7 PM, free, 435-0843).
. . . Also Friday, club vets Ten Year Vamp
release their long-awaited debut album at Vapor
Nightclub in Saratoga (9 PM, 584-2110). . . .
Get your praise on with a double-bill of good
gospel music at the West Kortright Centre in East
Meredith this Saturday: the Mount Olive Male
Chorus and the Legendary Soul Stirrers
featuring Willie Rogers, are scheduled
to perform (7 PM, $11-$24, 607-278-5454). . .
. The Landis Arboretum in Esperance needs some
help with the bills; you can pitch in on Sunday,
when they host the Hot Tunes for Hard Times benefit
concert, featuring music from Wild Mountain,
Organized Chaos, and many more (2 PM, $10,
875-6935). . . . We know you know, but in case
you’ve forgotten where you stashed your tickets,
now’s a good time to look for them: Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band play a sold-out show
at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Tuesday night
(7:30 PM, 587-3330).
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