Lyfe Jennings comes to Center Stage on Oct. 12 on the heels of new album "I Still Believe," which he's calling his "final" studio album. Photo: Chris Stanford

ON SALE NOW
Lyfe Jennings. 8 p.m. Oct. 12. Center Stage. $29; $24 advance. TM.
Project 961’s “Under the Covers with Aly” featuring Wrong Way, Guerrilla Radio. 9 p.m. Oct. 15. Vinyl. $12; $10 advance. TA.
Georgia, the Kicks. 9 p.m. Oct. 16. Vinyl. $10; $7 advance. TA.
The Mind Creatures, FYNB, United Streets of Atlanta. 9 p.m. Oct. 23. Vinyl. $10; $7 advance. TA.

ON SALE SEPT. 2
Fun., Steel Train, the Postelles. 8:30 p.m. Dec. 11. The Loft. $15. TA.

ON SALE SEPT. 3
The Rocket Summer. 8 p.m. Oct. 13. Smith’s Olde Bar. $18; $15 advance. TA.
Shawn Pasley’s Birthday Bash with Lovett and Nobody’s Darling. 7 p.m. Oct. 31. Smith’s Olde Bar. $10; $8 advance. TA.
Jerry Joseph, Wally Ingram. 8 p.m. Nov. 12. Smith’s Olde Bar. $15; $12 advance. TA.
I.O.Z. 8 p.m. Dec. 17. Smith’s Olde Bar. $12; $10 advance. TA.

ON …

Continue reading Hot Tickets: Aug. 31 »

Singer-songwriter Natalie Merchant performed Friday night at the Cobb Energy Centre in Marietta. The former 10,000 Maniacs leader is supporting her recent release, Leave Your Sleep. The album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 17, Billboard Folk Albums at No. 1, Amazon.com at No.1, and ITunes, No. 3.

And while the AJC wasn’t there to review it, photographer Matt Alexandre was covering the show with his camera. Check out the 9-photo online gallery: Natalie Merchant plays Cobb Energy Centre  . Tell us your impressions of the show and how Ms. Merchant has developed as an artist.

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

Continue reading Natalie Merchant Mesmerizes Her Fans Friday At Cobb Energy »

The CD release show for Atlanta band Oryx and Crake's fantastic self-titled debut album happens at the EARL on Saturday.

FRIDAY
Train
After losing a couple of Atlanta-connected members (Brandon Bush and Johnny Colt), Train is back down to three original members with its latest album, “Save Me, San Francisco” (the title is a tribute to the band’s hometown). That album has taken them back into the upper reaches of the pop charts with the No. 3 hit “Hey Soul Sister.” Before this year, the band’s most recent Top 40 hit was “Calling All Angels,” which climbed to No. 19 in 2003.
8 p.m. Aug. 27. $19-$49. Chastain Park Amphitheater, 4469 Stella Drive N.W., Atlanta. 404-733-4949.

SATURDAY
Oryx and Crake
This Atlanta band celebrates the release of its self-titled debut album with this gig, and it’s certainly something to celebrate. The album is easily among the best local releases of the year, displaying a remarkably rich and distinctive sound. Matt Jarrard’s cello …

Continue reading Live music picks, Aug. 27-Sept. 2 »

Energetic Welsh outfit Los Campesinos comes to the Variety Playhouse on Oct. 20. Photo: Jon Bergman

ON SALE AUG. 27
Los Campesinos. 8 p.m. Oct. 20. Variety Playhouse. $17.50; $15 advance. TM.
Incognito, Lubriphonic. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 23. Variety Playhouse. $32.50. TM.
Hanson, Jarrod Gorbel. 8 p.m. Nov. 10. Variety Playhouse. $35; $30. TM.
The Infamous Stringdusters, Trampled By Turtles. 8:30 p.m. Nov. 20.Variety Playhouse. $17.50; $15 advance. TM.
Will Hoge. 8:30 p.m. Oct. 21. Vinyl. $15. TA.
Tyler Hilton, Josiah Leming. 8:30 p.m. Nov. 4. Vinyl. $15; $12 advance. TA.
The Posies, Brendan Benson, Aqueduct. 8:30 p.m. Nov. 20. The Loft. TA.
Celtic Thunder. 2:30 and 8 p.m. Nov. 20. Fox Theatre. $59.70-$70.20. TM.
Six Shot Revival. 9 p.m. Nov. 20. Vinyl. $10; $7 advance. TA.
Joe Satriani, Ned Evett and Triple Double. 8 p.m. Dec. 1. Center Stage. $45; $42.50 advance. TM.

ON SALE AUG. 28
Mary J. Blige, El DeBarge, Miguel, Jazmine Sullivan. 7 p.m. Oct. 2. Chastain Park Amphitheatre. …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Aug. 24 »

Donna Summer is a diva.

Just ask her. Then again, even if you don’t ask, she’ll remind you — more than once.

“It’s not easy being a diva,” she told the crowd at least three times during Sunday night’s show at Chastain Park.

A faux marching band trio helped Summer make her grand entrance to the tune of “The Queen is Back.” Yes, the queen of disco is back. But then, did she ever leave? While her 90-minute show has the sounds of the ’80s era, Summer has certainly kept her finger on the pulse of the new Millennium.

The singer, who turns 62 this New Year’s Eve, puts on a show that feels pretty hip with male dancers, hi-tech background screens that help tell the story of each song, and fairly new dance tunes that you would dance to in today’s night clubs.

At first thought, you wonder why she’d want these three young male dancers tagging along. Then you remember that “I’m On Fire,” a track from her 2008 album “Crayon” did reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance Club Songs chart. More …

Continue reading Donna Summer proclaims the Queen is back »

New York City’s Scissor Sisters combine elements of Glam rock, pop, disco, alternative and techno into a fun and highly danceable concert experience. On Saturday night, Scissor Sisters had the sold out crowd at the new Buckhead Theatre, formerly the Roxy,dancing and singing during their entire set. Formed in 2001, the group consists of vocalists Jake Shears and Ana Matronic, multi-instrumentalist Babydaddy, lead guitar/bassist, Del Marquis, and drummer Randy Real. “Spawned by the scuzzy, gay nightlife scene of New York”, they took their name from a sexual position between two women known as tribadism. (Wiki). Having gained popularity around the world,  Bono described them in 2004 as “the best Pop group in the world at the moment”. Opening the show were Athens native Casey Spooner of Fischerspooner and DJ Sammy Jo.

And while the AJC wasn’t there to review it, AJC photographer Robb Cohen was covering the show with his camera. Check out the 16-photo online gallery:  Scissor …

Continue reading Scissor Sisters Bring Glam & Disco To Sold Out Buckhead Theatre Saturday Night »

A loyal, soggy, sold-out crowd did its best to withstand the rain for Friday night’s Budweiser Superfest at Chastain Park.

With a solid lineup of soulful testosterone, there seemed to be four very good reasons to endure the almost constant patter of rain (and umbrellas blocking fans view of the stage) — Raheem Devuaghn, Jaheim, KEM and Anthony Hamilton. Somehow, Chastain and tour promoters were able to fit all four performances into three and a half hours. (See photos here.)

Devaughn, who opened the show, has a mighty arsenal of melodies that were cheated not just by the rain, but by the hurried evening. If you blinked or stopped to open your bottle of wine, it’s likely you missed the naughty “B.O.B” or the cover “Love & Happiness.” If you were lucky, you got the chance to jam with him on “I Don’t Care.” If you were not-so lucky, you got a close-up glimpse of a bare-chested Devaughn singing in the stands. Someone with his vocal talent doesn’t need to shed his shirt to woo the …

Continue reading Fans endure rain for Budweiser Superfest »

Nine-time Grammy winner Sheryl Crow brought her “100 Miles from Memphis Tour” to the Verizon Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta Thursday night. Fellow singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat opened the show.

Photographer Matt Alexandre covered the show with his camera. Check out the 10-photo online gallery here. Tell us what you thought of the show. What is your favorite Sheryl Crow moment?

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

Continue reading Sheryl Crow Entertains at Verizon in Alpharetta »

Sheryl Crow has taken “100 miles From Memphis” on the road, and the album, released just last month, got a warm Georgia welcome Thursday night at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Alpharetta.

Somehow Crow managed to get at least 10 of the 12 tracks off her new album onto the set list with no sign of resistance from a near full house. Perhaps it was the fun, reggae influenced “Eye to Eye” or the soulful remake of Terrance Trent D’Arby’s “Sign Your Name” or the captivating lyrics and vocals on “Stop.” Maybe it was the vintage, comfortable feeling you lean into in “100 Miles” title cut.

Click here for a full gallery from the Sheryl Crow concert.

Crow titled the album after the distance from hometown Kennett , Mo., to Memphis, Tenn., original home of the soul Stax Record label (which signed Macon’s Otis Redding). Though, she admitted to fans that “the distance is really 106 miles, but 100 miles just sounds better.”

Even when Crow, not surprisingly, brought politics front and …

Continue reading Sheryl Crow takes Alpharetta on fun ride »

Kem is one of four talented R&B vocalists taking the stage at Chastain Park Amphitheater on Friday. The four singers will return for another show at the same venue on Sept. 2. Photo: Anthony Mandler / Universal Motown

FRIDAY
Budweiser Superfest with Anthony Hamilton, Kem, Jaheim and Raheem Devaughn
North Carolinian Hamilton does vintage Southern soul better than just about any other contemporary vocalist. Play the man’s music in the depths of the Arctic, and you’ll be transported right back to the South. You’ll soon feel the need to whip up a mess of greens, get out a fan to banish the sultry air and sip a glass of sweet tea. After more than five years, there’s finally more of the jazz-inflected soul of Kem. “Intimacy: Album III,” the follow-up to 2005’s “Album II,” hit stores and online outlets earlier this week. Jaheim and DeVaughn, both talented singers crafting soulful and sensual R&B for adults, round out the bill. Another show has been added on Sept. …

Continue reading Live music picks, Aug. 20-26 »