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Sponge,
Phillips Head
Jillian’s,
Saturday
Even among the ragged crop of moderately successful mid-’90s
post-grunge bands currently making the touring rounds Sponge
are an oddball. Their sole crossover rock hit, “Molly (16
Candles Down the Drain)” pushed their 1994 album Rotting
Piñata to gold sales, but only after an endless radio
campaign that saw the single peak more than a year after the
album’s release. That kind of dogged persistence defines the
band’s, or at least singer Vinnie Dombroski’s, career: Despite
vastly diminishing returns, Dombroski has continued to front
“Sponge” despite having being the band’s only original member
since 1995. Speaking of 1994, Glens Falls rockers Phillips
Head will reunite to open Saturday’s show, their first performance
in three years. (July 24, 9 PM, $15, 59 N. Pearl St., Albany,
432-1997)
Brad
Paisley, Darius Rucker
Saratoga
Performing Arts Center, Saturday
On the surface Brad Paisley appears to be just just another
dude singing funny songs in a big white hat, but in concert
he displays some truly massive guitar chops, almost massive
enough to make up for the goofy songs. He’s also one of the
biggest stars in country music, with multiple Best Male Vocalist
wins from both the Country Music Association and the Academy
of Country Music. Paisley’s joined at SPAC on Saturday by
former Hootie frontman Darius Rucker, whose country career
has enjoyed the same quick success as his old band once did.
As if to allay any doubt that he’s fully committed to this
country thing, we caught Rucker singing “Proud to Be an American”
on a television special a few weeks back. Justin Moore opens.
(July 24, 4 PM, $48.50-$58.50, Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga
Springs, 587-3330)
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The
Flaming Lips
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The
Flaming Lips
Mountain
Park, Saturday
Here’s a fun fact about the Flaming Lips: They became eligible
for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past year, making
them one of few bands to have a shot at being inducted while
they’re actually relevant. If these psych-rock showmen get
picked for the class of ’11 it’ll be excellent timing: They’re
fresh off what some believe to be their best studio album
yet (Embryonic) and currently headlining festivals
with a front-to-back rendition of the Pink Floyd classic Dark
Side of the Moon, a collaboration with fellow Oklahomans
Stardeath and White Dwarfs. Wayne Coyne reportedly still does
the giant- gerbil-ball schtick, so there’s also that. (July
24, 7 PM, $37.50, Route 5, Holyoke, Mass., 413-586-8686)
Nona
Hendryx
Agnes
McDonald Music Haven, Sunday
There’s a lot more to Nona Hen dryx than “Lady Marmalade.”
The 1974 hit she recorded with girl group Labelle brought
the alto fame for its proto-disco glam rock, but it’s the
1983 track “Transformation” that really sums up her career.
Over a half-century of work, Hendryx has written, recorded
and performed with everyone from the Talking Heads to Dusty
Springfield, Laurie Anderson to Keith Richards; she’s also
acted on TV, written a children’s book, and is working on
a sci-fi musical called Skindiver. Expect a nice cross-section
of all this when she performs for free in Central Park. Local
soul singer Bryan Thomas opens. (July 25, 7 PM, free, Central
Park, Schenectady, 382-5152)
36
Crazyfists
Bogie’s,
Wednesday
The Wu-Tang Clan made kung fu flicks and hip-hop music strange
bedfellows, but taking their name from the title of a Jackie
Chan movie, 36 Crazyfists have long made the case that metal
too can deal out the fury. The 16-year-old band is touring
on Collisions and Castaways, arguably their heaviest
album yet, and one they hope will prove they’ve got more going
on than simply “metalcore.” The stage is the proving ground
though, and Wednesday night’s bill is going to be something
of a battle royale. Straight Line Stitch, Dirge Within, Gunther
Weezul, and the Power open. (July 28, 7 PM, $15, 297 Ontario
St., Albany, 482-4393)
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Noted |
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One
Republic
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There’s
a big, free show at Skid more this (Thursday)
evening, with a little bit of something for everyone;
performers include Daniel Bernard Roumain,
the Frank Vignola Trio, Fredericks Brown,
and several more (8 PM, free, 473-1845). . . .
Schenectady’s Jerry Burrell Park is the site for
Friday’s free GospelFest, hosted by the Hamilton
Hill Arts Center; numerous performers are scheduled,
and a barbecue fundraiser will benefit programs
at the center (7 PM, free, 346-1262). . . . Staying
on the free tip, the Riverlink Jamboree—featuring
the Lost Radio Rounders, No Outlet,
Whoa Nelly, and Horseshoe Lounge Playboys—is
at Amsterdam’s Riverlink Park on Saturday (2 PM,
free, 527-5132). . . . One Republic headlines
Sunday’s WFLY SummerJam concert; Boys Like
Girls and Tone “Funky Cole Medina” Loc
are on the undercard (1 PM, $30-$45, 587-3330).
. . . Saratoga boys Slackjaw are back from
a U.S. tour supporting their upcoming Rock
City Falls LP; they’ll celebrate their triumphant
return with a Tuesday show at Valentine’s that
also features A Billion Ernies, Stuck
Lucky, and the Slaughterhouse Chorus
(7 PM, $5, 432-6572). . . . Tuesday also brings
another noise-tastic Albany Sonic Arts Collective
show to Upstate Artists Guild—this one features
Wolf Eyes member John Olson performing as Spykes,
plus Rambutan, Family Battle Snake,
and Fossils from the Sun (8 PM, $5, 426-3501).
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