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Al
Stewart
The
Van Dyck, Thursday
If
you can remember the last time a future Nobel Prize winner
held the office of president of the United States, then you
might also recall the only two Top 10 hits by Al Stewart,
a Scottish singer-songwriter who has been described as anything
from a folk troubadour to a sci-fi rock geek (the latter label
having been applied when he was too much under the influence
of Alan Parsons). Those hits are “Year of the Cat” and “Time
Passages” (1977 and ’78, respectively), but Stewart’s recorded
output actually spans the early ’70s to the present. The persistence
of his fan base probably owes to Stewart’s consistently catchy
material and to their (his fans’) fascination with Stewart’s
favorite topics: peculiar moments in history; mysterious,
unattainable women; mysticism; and wine (yes, wine: His latest
studio album, Down in the Cellar (2002), was inspired
by his love of the grape). Stewart will play the Van Dyck
tonight (Thursday). (Nov. 14, 7 and 9:30 PM, 381-1111)
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Clutch,
Scissorfight, Murderer’s Row, To Hell and Back
Saratoga
Winners, Saturday
Maryland-based
crunchy sludgy rockers Clutch will grace us with their presence
once again—at Saratoga Winners on Saturday—and you might want
to check them out if you haven’t yet done so (if you have,
we know you’ll be there). Mixing Led Zeppelin with Black Sabbath,
topped off with a dash of funk, these dudes have got some
songs. Clutch’s 1993 debut, Transnational Speedway League,
came out on EastWest Records, the label having signed them
on the merits of just one seven-inch single. Clutch moved
to Columbia for their ’98 release, Elephant Riders.
We’ll leave you with this quote from Metal Edge magazine
about the album: “A soon-to-be classic that most bands wait
a lifetime to record, few see materialize. . . . Too retro
to be progressive, and too progressive to be considered a
throwback, Clutch trek effortlessly in directions few bands
are brave enough to venture, able to see through the forest
of modern rock clutter and album rock safeguards to a sound
that is fresh and inspired.” Scissorfight, Murderer’s Row
and our very own To Hell and Back open the show. (Nov.
16, 8 PM, $18, $16.50 advance, 783-1010)
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Art
Garfunkel
The Egg, Saturday
Perhaps
the most famous “other guy” in the history of pop music, Art
Garfunkel made contributions to the folk-rock juggernaut Simon
& Garfunkel that are, nonetheless, to be taken seriously.
Though, as the songwriter, Paul Simon rightly received the
lion’s share of the praise (and, no doubt, the cash), Garfunkel’s
lilting high tenor harmonies were so integral to the sonic
appeal of the duo’s work, it’s impossible to think of him
as just a backup singer. Post-breakup, Garfunkel has maintained
a low-key and varied career, doing a bit of acting (check
him out in the brilliant Catch-22) and putting
out an album from time to time. And on his most recent, there’s
a bit of a surprise: Everything Waits to Be Noticed
is aptly titled, as Garfunkel has penned six of the 13 tunes
his own damn self. Well, here comes Rhymin’ Garfunkel. (Nov.
16, 8 PM, $32.50, $29.50, 473-1845)
The
Ataris, Sugarcult, Autopilot Off, Rufio
Valentine’s, Monday
Take
Blink 182, add two scoops of punk, take out two scoops of
pop, and you’ve got the Ataris. These kids from Santa Barbara,
Calif., are very nearly always on tour, and regional punk
fans will be delighted to know they’ll be stopping by Valentines
Monday night. They may be young, but in the four-year span
of their career, the Ataris have had one hell of a whirlwind
experience. They’ve put out three full-length albums, toured
with MXPX throughout Europe, Australia and Japan, and just
keep getting bigger. Sugarcult, Autopilot Off and Rufio open.
(Nov. 18, 8 PM, $13, 432-6572).
Kim
Cascone, Pauline Oliveros
West hall, RPI, Wednesday
Two
major players—check that, freakin’ major players—in the world
of electronic music perform at RPI’s West Hall on Wednesday,
and if you’re interested in cleansing your musical palate
of the usual menu of a bash-and-twang weekend, this is for
you. First up will be a music-and-video presentation by Kim
Cascone, computer musician and “microsound pioneer.” An experimental,
improvisational minimalist influenced by John Cage and Terry
Riley, Cascone has been described as a composer of “space
symphonies for the digital age,” and has been called upon
to lend his talents to works by both David Lynch and Thomas
Dolby. For the second set of the night, Cascone will be joined
by composer- performer (and RPI prof) Pauline Oliveros, who
has been credited with the development of the concept of Deep
Listening, which combines “principles of improvisation, electronic
music, ritual, teaching and meditation.” (Nov. 20, 8 PM,
$5, 276-4829)
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Peter
Wolf
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Peter
Wolf
Northern Lights, Wednesday
Whether you love him or hate him, you know Peter Wolf: The
gangly art-school dude and onetime Boston radio DJ who shimmied
and shook his stripe-clad frame as frontman for the J. Geils
Band. (Our sincerest apologies for planting “Centerfold” and
“Freeze Frame” in your head for the next five hours—it couldn’t
be helped.) Wolf left the band in ’83, and subsequently released
six albums (we’re gonna place a few more tunes in that noggin)—with
his debut solo release, Lights Out, and its follow-up,
1987’s Come as You Are, charging out of the gate. Wolf’s
recent release, Sleepless, second in a trilogy that
began with his ’98 release Fool’s Parade, is a tribute
of sorts to many of the musician’s influences, and the regions
from whence they came—Nashville, Memphis, Chicago and New
York City are all represented. And some of Wolf’s buddies—Mick
Jagger, Keith Richards and Steve Earle—appear on the album.
(Nov. 20, $15, $13 advance, 371-0012)
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noted |
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Cavoy,
Nilsson and Kogut
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Tonight
(Thursday) at Valentine’s, DJ Flip 1 (aka
Bernard Weekes), and Jason Martin
will provide spinning/scratching/jamming delights
for the downstairs clientele, and Wisconsin singer-songwriter
Lis Harvey will join in the party (9 PM,
$5, 432-6572). . . . Country boy Toby Keith will
play the Pepsi tonight, with Rascal Flatts opening
(8 PM, $37.75, $47.75, 476-1000). . . . Elvin
Bishop, Charlie Musselwhite, Corey Harris, Henry
Butler and Deborah Coleman will play
the Front Porch Blues show at Proctor’s Theatre
tonight (8 PM, $19, $29, 346-6204). . . . Canadian
singer-songwriter Tim Harrison will perform
tomorrow (Friday) at Mother’s Wine Emporium in the
RPI student union ($7, $3 students, 276-8585). .
. . Reggae/world-music ensemble Wah! will
play the Yoga Room in Malta Friday (8 PM, $20, 899-4372).
. . . Tom Savoy, Malcolm Kogut and
Metroland’s own Byron Nilsson will
perform an evening of songs by Noël Coward and Flanders
& Swann on Friday at the Van Dyck (7 and 9:30
PM, $8, 381-1111). . . . The annual Metroland
Feedback show takes place Friday at Valentine’s
[see Night & Day, page 41]. . . . Peter,
Paul & Mary stop by Proctor’s on Friday
(8 PM, $39-$45, 346-6204). . . . Reggae/soul/R&B
group Jermaine Wells and the Pain and hiphop
outfit Triple Threat will perform at the
College of Saint Rose Campus Center on Saturday
(free, 8 PM, info: 463-0346). . . . Grateful Dead
productions features the Other Ones and Robert
Hunter at the Pepsi on Saturday (7:30 PM, $43.50,
476-1000). . . . Latino-Jewish band Hip Hop Hoodios
will play the University at Albany’s Campus
Center Ballroom on Sunday (8 PM, $3, 591-8605).
. . . Mr. Primus, Les Claypool, brings
his band the Frog Brigade to Northern Lights
on Monday, with Dead Weight opening ($20,
$17.50 advance, 371-0012). . . . Velvet Underground
founding member John Cale will play the Iron
Horse in Northampton, Mass., on Monday (7 PM, $20,
$17.50 advance, 800-THE-TICK). . . . Unplugged traditional-country-and-roots
purists Asylum Street Spankers return to
Valentine’s on Wednesday (8 PM, $10, 432-6572).
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Columns
& Opinions
