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Randy
Houser
Vapor
Nightclub, Thursday
Ladies and gents, say hello to the man who wrote “Honky Tonk
Badonkadonk.” That uncomfortably titled single, a 2005 hit
for Trace Adkins, was among Houser’s first works as a professional
songwriter (a cowrite, actually, but the bank don’t care as
long as the check’s made out to him). And he didn’t stop there
with the awkward appropriations of rap culture: Houser’s song
“Back That Thing Up” was a hit for country singer Justin Moore
in 2008. (It’s actually about a truck. Clever.) But it’s Houser’s
own music that brings him to Saratoga Springs. The multiple
Country Music Association award nominee will perform songs
from his two solo releases at Vapor this evening. Five bucks
to the guy who yells “Baby Got Back.” (March 11, 8 PM,
$15, 342 Jefferson St., Saratoga Springs, 584-2110)
Alicia
Keys
Turning
Stone Resort and Casino, Thursday
Ve-ro-naaa/Concrete jungle where dreams are made of . . .
or something about slot machines? In any case, the fair city
to our west is where you’ll want to be tonight to see the
best-selling R&B artist of the last decade do her thing
live. Alicia Keys’ fourth and latest album of original material,
The Element of Freedom, has already taken her to the
top of the pop charts, across the big-time television circuit,
and all over the world. Not to mention, her voice provided
the chorus for one of the most popular songs in recent memory,
her collaboration with Jay-Z, “Empire State of Mind.” So what’s
she doing in upstate New York? Find out for yourself when
she plays Turning Stone this evening. (March 11, 8 PM,
$75-$100, 5218 Patrick Road, Verona, 877-833-SHOW)
Marcia
Ball, Bettye Lavette, Maria Muldaur
Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Sunday
Think of this show, billed as Sisters in Soul, as like the
Three Tenors—but instead of fat guys in tuxedos singing in
languages you don’t understand, it’s fiery women in denim
singing the language everyone understands: soul music. Marcia
Bell’s version hails from the Texas-Louisiana border, where
her recent album Peace, Love & BBQ debuted at No.
1 on the Billboard blues charts. Maria Muldaur’s is a touch
folkier, as she got her start in the Greenwich Village coffeeshop
scene. And Bettye Lavette, well, she’s probably the sort of
legend who requires no introduction. (March 14, 7 PM, $29-$42,
30 2nd St., Troy, 273-0038)
Cold,
Nonpoint
Northern
Lights, Sunday
Call ’em Cold 2.0. After a tumultuous few years at the turn
of the century that were marked by original band members leaving
the group, the Florida post-grunge act, who were famously
discovered by Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst, decided to call it
quits in 2006. Barely two years later, though, the group decided
to make another go of it. 2010 looks to be a banner year,
as Cold are back on the road touring for their upcoming album
Epic. Kindred Floridians Nonpoint will join them Sunday
night, as well as Day of Fire, Bullet Proof Messenger and
Effects of Eden. (March 14, 6 PM, $15, 1208 Route 146,
Clifton Park, 371-0012)
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| The
Brother Kite |
The
Brother Kite
Valentine’s,
Sunday
Everybody knows that the big money is in concert promotion.
Particularly, Sunday-night concerts at small rock venues in
Albany. Who wouldn’t want to get in on that racket?
But seriously, folks, kudos to former Wait guitarist Scott
Livingston for choosing this show as his inaugural BUNKRE
Presents venture, as it brings to town the Brother Kite. The
Providence, R.I., band are touring in support of their third
full-length LP, Isolation, and a companion EP, Eye
to Eye. Their music is classic-style guitar-pop, a la
Material Issue, with some twee indie-electro touches, a la
the Postal Service. They’ll be joined by a pair of complementary
locals: the Charlie Watts Riots on the power-pop side, and
Matthew Carefully on the indie-electro side. (March 14,
8 PM, $7, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
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| Also
Noted |
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| Altan |
Third
time’s the charm? Billy Joel and Elton
John play their oft-rescheduled Times Union
Center date this (Thursday) evening, in what may
be their last ever Face 2 Face concert; tickets
from the December date (and by extension, we assume,
the original summer 2009 date) are valid for tonight’s
show (7:30 PM, $53.50-$179, 800-30-EVENT). . .
. The Lee Shaw Trio will bring the swing
to the College of Saint Rose’s Picotte Recital
Hall tonight (7:30 PM, $10, $5 students, 337-4871).
. . . The Parting Glass welcomes Celtic sister
act Searson tomorrow (Friday, 9 PM, $5,
583-1916). . . . Popular Irish traditional band
Altan are at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
on Friday (8 PM, $15-$29, 273-0038). . . . This
sounds like a joke because it probably is: “Lives
change upon witnessing [the] grand spectacle”
of Probing Digit, who play Putnam Den Saturday
night with guests Vesper (9 PM, $5, 584-8066).
. . . Melodrome welcome their new album
Flood into the world with a show at the
Dream Away Lodge in Becket, Mass., on Saturday
(9 PM, call for prices, 413-623-8725). . . . The
Swingtime Jazz Society presents a concert at the
Stockade Inn Sunday afternoon with the Teri
Roiger Quartet (4 PM, $15, $5 students, 346-3400).
. . . Improvisational performers Chris Cogburn,
Bryan Eubanks and Vic Rawlings team up for a concert
as Lucre at Upstate Artists Guild on Sunday;
Jonathan Chen opens (8 PM, $5 donation, 426-3501).
. . . Singer-songwriters Mat Kearney and
Ingrid Michaelson team up for a co-headline
show at Northern Lights on Tuesday, with Angel
Taylor opening (7 PM, $20, 371-0012).
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