The Zac Brown Band and a host of friends serenaded a sold-out crowd at the Fox Theatre with more than four hours of music Friday night, in a benefit to rebuild the Georgia Theatre.

The historic Athens venue burned in June, putting the AthFest music festival on the spot. It’s a hall that has nurtured many young bands, including the Zac Brown Band.

Zac Brown plays all night for the recently-burned Georgia Theatre. Photo courtesy Zac Brown

Besides putting on a great show Friday, Brown ably handled responsibilities as a traffic cop, bringing numerous friends and colleagues on and off the stage. At one point he had 17 musicians crowding the ample Fox facilities, including two drummers and five guitarists.

Rumors flew thick and heavy the weeks before the show and the list of anticipated guests stopped just shy of the second coming of Hank Williams Sr. The actual show was slightly less star-studded – there was no Kellie Pickler, Luke Bryant or Kenny Chesney — though some of …

Continue reading Zac Brown benefit for Georgia Theatre goes deep »

Zac Brown Band. Photo: www.jeffography.com

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Zac Brown Band
This gig is a benefit for Athens’ Georgia Theatre, which was heavily damaged by fire in June. That venue served as host to this band many times, so this is a way of giving back. It could also serve as a celebration of another milestone for the Georgia sextet. Brown and his bandmates just scored their second No. 1 country single with “Toes.”
7:30 p.m. Oct. 30. $100. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-881-2100, www.foxtheatre.org.

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Gogol Bordello
The Eastern European flavor of this New York-based gypsy-punk ensemble comes courtesy of Ukrainian frontman Eugene Hutz. Hutz is also an actor, playing the English-mangling Ukrainian guide in the film adaptation of the Jonathan Safran Foer novel “Everything Is Illuminated,” and he played the lead in Madonna’s 2008 directorial debut, “Filth and Wisdom.” At times, Bordello’s music bears a striking resemblance to some of the Pogues’ …

Continue reading Live music picks, Oct. 30-Nov. 5 »

Popular rockers Paramore sold out the Tabernacle Tuesday night, October 27, along with openers Paper Route. The band hung out earlier in the day with 99X contest winners and played Whirleyball at Mad Mad Whirled in Marietta. Check out photos from the meet-and-greet plus the band’s live show in this blog gallery.

From Wiki: Paramore is a Grammy-nominated American rock band that formed in Franklin, Tennessee in 2004 consisting of Hayley Williams (lead vocals/keyboards), Josh Farro (lead guitar/backing vocals), Jeremy Davis (bass guitar), Zac Farro (drums), and Taylor York (rhythm guitar). The group released their debut album All We Know Is Falling in 2005, second album, Riot! in 2007, which was certified platinum in the US and gold in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand. Brand New Eyes, Paramore’s third album, was released on September 29, 2009.

Band members

• Hayley Williams – A native of Meridian, Mississippi, born on December 27, 1988 (age 20), is the band’s lead singer.
• Josh …

Continue reading Paramore Sells Out Tabernacle »

Lady Gaga will perform at the Fox Theatre on Dec. 28. Credit: Robb D. Cohen / www.robbsphotos.com

LN = Live Nation, 1-877-598-8698, www.livenation.com
TM = Ticketmaster, 404-249-6400, www.ticketmaster.com
TA = Ticketalternative, 1-877-725-8849, www.ticketalternative.com

ON SALE OCT. 30
Brendan Benson. 9 p.m. Dec. 11. The EARL. $12. TA.
Dweezil Zappa Plays Zappa. 8 p.m. Jan. 11. Variety Playhouse. $55 VIP; $40 day of show; $38 advance. TM.
Keller Williams. 8 p.m. Feb. 18. Variety Playhouse. $25; $22.50 advance. TM.

ON SALE OCT. 31
Lady Gaga with Kid Cudi and Jason Derulo. 7:30 p.m. Dec. 28. Fox Theatre. $47.85-$88.95. TM.

ON SALE NOV. 1
Keith Sweat and Friends. 8 p.m. Feb. 19. Atlanta Civic Center. $39.50-$76. TM.

ON SALE NOV. 2
Kem. 8 p.m. Dec. 30. Fox Theatre. $57.85-$116.45. TM.

UPCOMING SHOWS
Paramore with Paper Route and The Swellers (sold out). 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27. The Tabernacle. $27.50. LN.
Hanson and Hello Goodbye. 6:30 p.m. Oct. 28. The Tabernacle. $25. LN.
…

Continue reading Hot tickets, Oct. 27 »

KISS brought their KISS:Alive 35 tour to Philips Arena Monday night, October 26, 2009. Buckcherry opened the show. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU SEEN KISS ON TOUR? SHOULD THEY HANG IT UP OR DO THEY STILL KNOW HOW TO ROCK AND DELIVER THE GOODS?

(Photo Credit: Robb D. Cohen/ www.robbsphotos.com)  For other concert photography linked to Access Atlanta, please visit for Atlanta Concert Photography Galleries. by Atlanta Photographer Robb Cohen www.RobbsPhotos.com

Continue reading KISS Entertain At Philips Arena Monday Night »

Atreyu, Hollywood Undead and Escape The Fate performed Saturday night at the packed out Tabernacle. Atreyu is a American metalcore band from Orange County, California.  formed in 1998. The band consists of vocalist/lyricist Alex Varkatzas, guitarists Dan Jacobs and Travis Miguel, bassist Marc McKnight and drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller. The band was originally named “Retribution” but later changed their name to “Atreyu” after the character of the same name from the fantasy book (movie) The Neverending Story when they found out that another band from Hemet, California had been using their original name.

WHAT  DID  YOU  THINK  OF  THE  CONCERT? (Photo Credit: Lisa Keel/ www.robbsphotos.com)  For other concert photography linked to Access Atlanta, please visit for Atlanta Concert Photography Galleries. by Atlanta Photographer Robb Cohen www.RobbsPhotos.com

Continue reading Atreyu & Hollywood Undead at Tabernacle »

R. Kelly had no prob on his "Ladies Make Some Noise" mission Thursday at the Fox. (Photos by Q. McElroy)

The testimony: I was wary of seeing R. Kelly’s “Ladies Make Some Noise” tour Thursday night (See Photo Gallery) because I just wasn’t sure how I’d feel about seeing him in freak-mode after he was cleared of child porn charges this year. About midway through the 2-hour show he started to testify. He said he was told not to talk about “the case” but he felt need to because this is first tour since his trial and, well, he has been through his own personal hell. This was the perfect segue into his performance of “I Believe I Can Fly,” which turned the Fox Theatre into an impromptu revival meeting.

Exhibit A: The Fox seemed like a strange venue for the notoriously elaborate performer, but it was the perfect backdrop for Kelly’s minimalist staging. The small band, three backup singers and few dancers helped create one big sexy club vibe. Set changes were …

Continue reading R. Kelly strips down in Atlanta for a screaming audience »

Opera nightclub in Midtown was jammed to the rafters Wednesday night for a hip hop concert featuring Flo Rida, Bonecrusher, Ying Yang Twins, Jazzy Pha, Gorilla Zoe, Jazze Pha, J Midd, Chris Woodhouse and 3-D. Bone Crusher unvieled new material from his upcoming album. Flo Rida gave the frenzied crowd an up close and personal performance wading into the crowd three times, handing out roses, autographed towels and bringing females from the crowd onto the stage.

WERE YOU AT THE CONCERT LAST NIGHT? WHO GAVE THE HOTTEST PERFORMANCE?

(Photo Credit: Lisa Keel/ www.robbsphotos.com)  For other concert photography linked to Access Atlanta, please visit for Atlanta Concert Photography Galleries. by Atlanta Photographer Robb Cohen www.RobbsPhotos.com

Continue reading Flo Rida, Bonecrusher, Ying Yang Twins & Guests At Opera »

Acclaimed Canadian singer-poet-songwriter Leonard Cohen performed at the sold out Fox Theatre Tuesday night during his first tour in over 15 years.

(From Wiki): Leonard Norman Cohen, CC, GOQ (born September 21, 1934) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often deals with the exploration of religion, isolation, sexuality and complex interpersonal relationships. Famously reclusive, spending years in a Zen Buddhist monastery, and possessing a persona frequently associated with mystique, he is extremely well-regarded by critics for his literary accomplishments and for producing an output of work of high artistic quality over a five-decade career.

Musically, Cohen’s earliest songs (many of which appeared on the 1967 album, Songs of Leonard Cohen) were rooted in European folk music. In the 1970s, his material encompassed pop, cabaret and world music. Since the …

Continue reading Leonard Cohen Sells Out Fox Theatre Tuesday »

Marc Broussard. Photo: Sam Erickson

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Marc Broussard
This powerful Louisiana singer, songwriter and guitarist is carving out his own musical territory while maintaining an admirable reverence for tradition. In 2007, he released “SOS: Save Our Soul, “ a set of his own takes on classic Southern soul. With 2008’s “Keep Coming Back,” he returned to his own compositions for his third big-league album, which also marked his debut for Atlantic Records.
8 p.m. Oct. 23. $30. Center Stage, 1374 W. Peachtree St., Atlanta. 404-885-1365, www.centerstage-atlanta.com.

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Groove Stain
If you’re looking for a good time, this is your band. This rhythmic Atlanta combo could give punky ska a good name again. Chunks of guitars and impressive vocal harmonies vie with the blast from the horn section — and everybody wins.
8 p.m. Oct. 23. $5. Sportstime Bar and Grille, 3675 Satellite Blvd., Duluth. 678-417-6885, www.sportstimegrille.com.

SATURDAY
The Gaslight Anthem
Like a …

Continue reading Live music picks, Oct. 23-29 »