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As
Tall As Lions
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Civil
Twilight, As Tall As Lions
Jillian’s,
Friday
Don’t look now, but South Africa has become a hotspot for
American rock & roll music. First, alternative-rock band
Seether made the long journey from the lower Southern hemisphere
to the top of the U.S. charts. Now, South African band Civil
Twilight hope to ride their populist brand of arena rock—which
references bands like Oasis, U2, Nirvana, and Radiohead—to
the same heights. The currently Nashville-based trio, will
be joined in Albany this Friday by As Tall As Lions, the Long
Island band whose You Can’t Take It With You was one
of 2009’s better rock records. You didn’t hear it? Check it
out live, for free, Friday night. (Jan. 29, 8 PM, free,
59 N. Pearl St., Albany, 432-1997)
Between
The Buried And Me
Northern
Lights, Friday
For our money, Between the Buried and Me are the best progressive
metal act in the business. Many a heavy band can navigate
a sharp time-signature shift or work a fusion-based guitar
solo into their act, but BTBAM somehow manage to pull off
some of the most complex metal arrangements we’ve ever heard,
without ever coming off as wonky. The North Carolinians are
touring in support of their 2009 release, The Great Misdirect;
they’re joined on the road by like-minded prog-metal acts
Cynic and Scale the Summit, plus former Strapping Young Lad
leader Devin Townsend and his eponymous Project. (Jan.
29, 7:30 PM, $18, 1208 Route 146, Clifton Park, 371-0012)
Brian
Bonz and the Dot Hongs
Valentine’s,
Saturday
Dear Brian Bonz: We’re on to you. It’s like the “PEN15 Club,”
right? You know, that trick you played on the quiet kid who
smelled like tuna fish in 5th grade, where you approached
him like you were his best bud and asked if he wanted to join
your club. Naturally, he said “yes,” and you wrote PEN15 on
his hand and watched the horror come over his face when he
realized what it kinda spelled. Well, we’re not gonna do it,
not gonna even attempt to pronounce the name of your band
and the inevitable lewd spoonerism that will result. Instead,
we’ll just recommend that everyone go listen to your pretty
indie-pop music, which, to our ears, isn’t the least bit offensive
and won’t make us sit dejected behind the swingset. Thanks,
M. (Jan. 30, 8 PM, $5, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
Old
Songs Sampler Concert
Old
Songs, Saturday
Every January, the fine folks at Old Songs kick off their
new season with a smorgasbord of fine folk, known as the annual
Sampler Concert, which also serves to raise funds for the
upcoming summer’s Old Songs Festival of Traditional Music
and Dance. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Old
Songs Festival, so this Saturday’s sampler takes on a little
extra weight. You can support this local institution by taking
part in the craft raffle, grabbing a muffin from the bake
sale, and checking out music from Christopher Shaw, Three
Quarter North, Thomasina Winslow, Mark ’n’ Ron, Linda Schrade
and Dave Kiphuth, and the Old Songs Aussie Bush Band. (Jan.
30, 8 PM, $20, $5 children, 37 S. Main St., Voorheesville,
765-2815)
Marc
Cohn, Suzanne Vega
Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Wednesday
This is a bit of a curious double bill: We wouldn’t have intuited
much of an overlap in the respective fan bases of Marc Cohn
and Suzanne Vega. Cohn’s neo-soul take on MOR balladry won
him a Grammy for the single “Walking in Memphis”; Vega, though
nominated for that same award, has worked a quirkier vein
stylistically. From the engaging folk storytelling of her
early work (“Luka”) to the electronically-enhanced experimentation
of some of her later winners (“99.9 F”), Vega is a quietly
challenging and rewarding artist. And, take our word for it,
live, she’s got a voice like you won’t believe—should truly
be something in the Music Hall. (Feb. 3, 8 PM, $29-$43,
2nd and State streets, Troy, 273-0038)
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Noted |
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Kelleigh
McKenzie
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No
animals were harmed in the making of this jam
band: Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad return
to Red Square on Friday; Buffalo Soul open
the show (9 PM, $10, 465-0444). . . . At Valentine’s
on Friday, it’s the New York City band known as
Florence—not to be confused with the several
other like-named bands out there—plus locals Fahrenheit
420 and Vicious Jimmy (9 PM, $5, 432-6572).
. . . Support live jazz: the Adrian Cohen Trio,
a group we truly don’t see enough of these days,
are at Justin’s on Friday (9 PM, $5, 436-7008).
. . . And more live jazz: Norman Connors,
Ray Harper, and Norman Fredericks
will perform at benefit concerts at the Downbeat
Jazz Cafe in downtown Albany Friday and Saturday
(8:30 and 10:30 PM, $20, 436-4600). . . . Legendary
blues man Ernie Williams celebrates his
85th birthday in typical fashion—with a concert
at the Linda—on Saturday. We have been informed
that there will, indeed, be cake (8 PM, $18, 465-5233
ext. 4). . . . Also Saturday, Caffe Lena presents
a “See the Future” concert featuring three up-and-coming
talents: Kelleigh McKenzie, Bret Mosely,
and Danielle Miraglia (8 PM, $10, 583-0022).
. . . Keith Pray plays in a duo arrangement
at One Caroline Street on Saturday, the eve of
his big band’s CD release (7:30 PM, free, 587-2026).
. . . Spin Doctors man Chris Barron is
back at the Van Dyck on Saturday for an acoustic
set (7 PM, $17, 348-7999).
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