The Variety Playhouse hosts singer-songwriter Aimee Mann on Sept. 25. Photo courtesy Michael Hausman Artist Management

ON SALE NOW
Batusis (featuring Sylvain Sylvain and Cheetah Chrome). 9 p.m. July 31. The EARL. $12; $10 advance. TA.
Those Darlins. 8:30 p.m. Sept. 9; 9 p.m. Sept. 10. The EARL. $10. TA.
Aziz Ansari. Late show added. 7:30 p.m. (sold out) and 10:30 p.m. Sept. 18. The Tabernacle. $29.50. LN.
David Bazan. 8:30 p.m. Sept. 28. The EARL. $14; $12 advance. TA.
Wovenhand, Serena Maneesh. 9 p.m. Oct. 9. The EARL. $12. TA.
School of Seven Bells. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 18. The EARL. $12. TA.
Bettie Serveert. 8 p.m. Oct. 24. The EARL. $15; $13 advance. TA.

ON SALE JULY 1
Ra Ra Riot. 7 p.m. Nov. 2. Masquerade. $15. TM.

ON SALE JULY 2
Aimee Mann. 8:30 p.m. Sept. 25. Variety Playhouse. $30. TM.
Yard Dogs Road Show. 7 p.m. Oct. 3. Masquerade. $15. TM.
Gary Numan. Oct. 18. $28; $25 advance. Masquerade. TM.

Gary Numan commemorates the 30th anniversary of his 1980 album "The Pleasure …

Continue reading Hot Tickets, June 29 »

By JAMILA ROBINSON

It’s probably safe to put Sting in the incomparable category. With such a distinctive tenor that manages power, angst and even a bit of audacity, after all these years, he’s always reliable.

So, it speaks to the singer’s remarkable imagination, to reinvent some of his biggest hits, including “Roxanne” and “Englishman in New York,” into breathtaking classical arrangements performed alongside London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, an outfit he “borrowed from the Queen.”

At Monday night’s performance at Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Sting thanked her Highness, for the orchestra conducted by Stephen Mercurio. Fans echoed the sentiment as they were taken through a dazzling set list that had familiarity, (“King of Pain” and “Every Breath You Take.”) and underscored the depth of Sting’s songwriting talent in pop, jazz and country (“1,000 Years, “Hung My Head”).

As Sting himself noted onstage, working with an orchestra has helped …

Continue reading Sting reinvents biggest hits in show at Chastain »

Sting brought his Symphonicity Tour to sold out Chastain Park Amphitheatre Monday night for the first of a two-night engagement. Backed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, under the direction of acclaimed conductor Steven Mercurio, the ex-Police vocalist was in excellent form and received an enthusiastic response all evening from his loyal fans.

The AJC’s Robb Cohen was there with his camera.  Click here for the complete 15-photo online gallery and please tell us about what you saw and heard at the show. How would you rate this concert?

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

Continue reading Sting Sells Out Symphonicity Tour In First Of Two Nights At Chastain »

Country music superstars Rascal Flatts rocked a large crowd at Aaron’s Amphitheatre Sunday night as their Unstoppable Tour pulled into the Southside venue. Kellie Pickler and Chris Young were the support acts.

AJC’s Robb Cohen was there with his camera. Click here for the 15-photo online concert gallery and please tell us about what you saw at the show. How did it compare to other Rascal Flatts concerts?”

(Photo Credit: Robb 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 Rascal Flatts & Kellie Pickler Entertain at Aarons Amphitheatre »

By the time he was 12 years old, young jazzman Eric Darius had already played the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. Never mind that he was just 9 years old when he fell in love with the sax after hearing someone perform in church.

Since then, the 20-something saxophonist and composer has been in the company of greats such as Wynton Marsalis, George Benson and Prince.

Two days before his Tuesday release of “On a Mission,” his latest album with Shanachie Entertainment, he’ll perform in Atlanta at Sambuca. The 10 tracks on the new album are a mix of  smooth jazz fused with R&B, hip-hop and pop. With the exception of Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly,” with Rick Bruan, and one other tune, the CD is all original works.

Darius, who lives in Tampa, says he’s more than just a smooth-jazz musician. “I play every style of music from jazz, R&B, pop, reggae, hip-ho, rock to gospel,” Darius says in a release from Shanachie. “As I continue to grow musically, it’s the journey to explore …

Continue reading Saxophonist Eric Darius to perform at Sambuca »

Emmylou Harris. Photo: Rocky Schenck

TODAY
Emmylou Harris
The name of her latest album is “All I Intended to Be.” And if all Emmylou Harris intended to be was a country music legend, an in-demand collaborator, a 12-time Grammy winner and a beloved entertainer, she’s succeeded. She’s also succeeded in transcending Nashville’s fickle machinery by appealing to a broad audience and doing things on her own terms. With Tift Merritt. There’s more on this and the Mary Gauthier show on accessAtlanta.
7 p.m. June 25. Sold out ($50). Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-876-5859.

TODAY
Mary Gauthier
You can hear the weight of Louisiana native Gauthier’s past — she’s the adopted child of divorced parents and was a teenage runaway with drug and alcohol problems — in the grim, gritty poetry of her songs and in the bruised twang of her voice. Her earthy delivery and spacious arrangements aren’t radio-friendly, but her songs speak of universal, …

Continue reading Live music picks, June 25-30 »

Daniel Tosh, host of Comedy Central's "Tosh.0," has sold out one show at the Tabernacle and a second show has been added. Photo courtesy William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

ON SALE NOW
Daniel Tosh. Late show added. 7:30 p.m (sold out) and 10:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The Tabernacle. $35-$39.50. LN.

ON SALE JUNE 25
The English Beat, Bad Manners. 8 p.m. Aug. 25. Variety Playhouse. $25; $22.50 advance. TM.
Dukes of September Rhythm Revue with Donald Fagen, Michael McDonald and Boz Scaggs. 8 p.m. Aug. 26. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. $25-$89. TM.
Jon Anderson. 8 p.m. Sept. 12. Variety Playhouse. $30; $27.50 advance. TM.
Stars. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 2. Variety Playhouse. $22.50; $20 advance. TM.
David Sedaris. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 7. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. $36.50-$46.50. TM.

North Carolina-born R&B singer Anthony Hamilton headlines the Budweiser Superfest, coming to Chastain Park Amphitheatre in August. Photo: Danny Clinch

ON SALE JUNE 26
Budweiser Superfest with …

Continue reading Hot tickets, June 22 »

The Wood Brothers. Photo courtesy Paradigm Talent Agency

FRIDAY
The Wood Brothers
This is a tale of two brothers from Colorado. One went to New York and became the bassist for jazz mavericks Medeski, Martin and Wood; the other came to Atlanta and played bluesy rock with King Johnson. Now, bassist Chris and guitarist Oliver have teamed up as a duo. They’ve recently wrapped up recording on a new album and are doing a few headlining shows before opening a series of dates for the Zac Brown Band in August.
8:30 p.m. June 18. $17.50; $15 advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.

FRIDAY
The Boys
This tour reunites four of the original cast members of the Broadway hit, “Jersey Boys,” which revisited the music of the Four Seasons. Christian Hoff, who won a Tony for his performance on the show, will appear with fellow cast members Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard and J. Robert Spencer.
8 p.m. June 18. $25-$69. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 …

Continue reading Live music picks, June 18-24 »

By APRIL HUNT

Johnette Napolitano’s vampires can kick your vampire’s butt. I’m looking at you, Stephanie Meyer.

The frontwoman for Concrete Blonde, who brought its Vampires Rise 2010 tour to the Variety Playhouse Wednesday night, could surely command as much attention among the undead as she did among the living throng that stayed on its feet, cheering and singing along, for the entire two-hour set.

The tour celebrates the 20th anniversary of the release of “Bloodletting,” the band’s most popular album that spawned the hit, “Joey.”

(So a thank you to the tweens who think vampires are, like, so misunderstood and prompted a reissue of “Bloodletting,” coming July 13, complete with six bonus tracks including B-sides and the extended, French version of the title song).

I memorized every word on the album (and the ones that came before it) as a stick-thin pale blonde teen. The music, and Napolitano’s husky voice, have lost nothing in the ensuing two decades (We won’t discuss …

Continue reading Concrete Blonde rocks Variety Playhouse »

Atlanta's Third Day will perform at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre as part of the "Make a Difference Tour 2010" on Oct. 2.

ON SALE JUNE 17
Daniel Tosh. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22. The Tabernacle. $35-$39.50. LN.

ON SALE JUNE 18
Girl’s Rock Camp (ATL) Showcase. 7:30 p.m. July 17. Variety Playhouse. $15; $12 advance. TM.
Widespread Panic. 7:30 p.m. Sept. 24-25. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. $47. TM.
“Make A Difference Tour 2010” featuring Max Lucado, TobyMac, Third Day and Michael W. Smith. 7 p.m. Oct. 2. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park. $23-$99. TM.
Devendra Banhart and the Grogs. 8 p.m. Oct. 4. Variety Playhouse. $22.50; $20 advance. TM.
The xx. 9 p.m. Oct. 6. The Tabernacle. $25. LN.
Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! 2 and 5 p.m. Oct. 23-24. Fox Theatre. $38.35-$134.  TM.

ON SALE JUNE 19
Chastain Series B. Single-show tickets go on sale at www.chastainseries.com or charge by phone at 404-233-2227:
Counting Crows’ Traveling Medicine Show with Augustana. …

Continue reading Hot Tickets, June 15 »