The Carolina Chocolate Drops are keeping the traditional string-band music of the Carolina Piedmont alive. The band heads to the Variety Playhouse Dec. 7 and tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 16. Photo: Julie Roberts

ON SALE NOW
Cavalera Conspiracy, Otep. 8 p.m. Oct. 11.  The Loft. $22; $20 in advance. TA.

ON SALE SEPT. 15
Jim Brickman’s Christmas Celebration. 8 p.m. Dec. 17. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. $35-$75. TM.

ON SALE SEPT. 16
Lily Tomlin. 8 p.m. Nov. 4. Atlanta Symphony Hall. $39-$90. TM.
Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience. 8 p.m. Nov. 13. Center Stage. $35. TM.
Share the Welt Tour featuring Five Finger Death Punch. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14. The Tabernacle. $32.50. LN.
Lewis Black. 8 p.m. Nov. 19. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. $35.50-$73. TM.
Carolina Chocolate Drops. Dec. 7. Variety Playhouse. $19; $17 in advance. TM.
Big Mike Geier’s Kingsized Holiday Jubilee and Toy Drive Featuring Kingsized and Dames Aflame. 8:30 p.m. Dec. 10. Variety Playhouse. $25. …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Sept. 13 »

On Tuesday, the same day he releases his new album, “Halfway to Heaven Deluxe,” country rocker and Georgia native Brantley Gilbert will perform two shows at Best Buy stores in Kennesaw and Buford.

The 26-year-old, who grew up in Jefferson, Ga., was set to perform a sold-out show on Monday night a little closer to home at the Georgia Theater in Athens.

Gilbert, who’s being touted as one of the fastest rising country music artists, is also gaining a reputation for putting on a memorable live show. His new single, “Country Must Be Country Wide,”  has peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard country charts.

If you don’t have ticket’s for Monday’s show catch him live Tuesday at:

Noon: Best Buy, 850 Cobb Place Blvd NW, Kennesaw

6 p.m.: Best Buy, 3205 Woodward Crossing Blvd, Suite A, Buford

Continue reading Country rocker Brantley Gilbert performing 2 free shows »

The band Mona has been forced to pull out of Music Midtown due to an injury to frontman Nick Brown.

The singer/guitarist broke his ribs after falling on a monitor on a wet stage at a recent show in Ohio and the band has canceled its September shows.

Mona was slated to perform second at the Sept. 24 music fest at Piedmont Park. We’ll keep you posted if a replacement act is named.

Continue reading Mona forced to cancel Music Midtown appearance »

World music adventurer Manu Chao makes his Atlanta debut at the Masquerade Sunday. Photo: Nacional Records

FRIDAY
The Greencards
These Australian expatriates make music that sounds thoroughly American and steeped in bluegrass. Kym Warner and Carol Young were joined last year by new fiddler Tyler Andal and guitarist Carl Miner, The band released its fifth album, “The Brick Album,” earlier this summer, which will be its first since fiddler and founding member Eamon McLoughlin left the band in late 2009.
8 p.m. Sept. 9. $18; $15 in advance. Eddie’s Attic, 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404- 377-4976.

FRIDAY
The Beach Boys
Even this year’s 50th anniversary couldn’t bring Brian Wilson back into the touring fold, though he did work with fellow original Beach Boys Mike Love and Al Jardine on the upcoming issue of the complete sessions for the original “Smile” album, which was abandoned in 1967. It’s set for release Nov. 1. Meanwhile, the touring version of the band …

Continue reading Live music picks: Sept. 9-15 »

Lalah Hathaway, shown here performing at last year's Soul Train Awards at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, will return to town to play Variety Playhouse in early November. Tickets go on sale Friday, Sept. 9. Photo: Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

ON SALE SEPT. 9
Brock Butler of Perpetual Groove. 8 p.m. Sept. 28. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $8 in advance. TA.
Burlap to Cashmere. 8 p.m. Oct. 9. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $12 in advance. TA.
Sonia Leigh. 8 p.m. Oct. 20 Variety Playhouse. $17.50; $15 in advance. TM.
Yacht Rock Revue plays “Thriller” and “Purple Rain.” 8:30 p.m. Oct. 22. Variety Playhouse. $20; $15 in advance. TM.
Marsha Ambrosius, Miguel. 8 p.m. Oct. 23.  Center Stage. $45. TM.
Ray Davies. 8 p.m. Nov. 1. Center Stage. $39-$44. TM.
Scratch Acid. 8 p.m. Nov. 1. Variety Playhouse. $23; $20 in advance. TM.
Matthew and the Atlas, David Mayfield Parade. 8 p.m. Nov. 5. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Lalah Hathaway. 7 p.m. Nov. 5. …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Sept. 6 »

Bob Dylan performs at MM 2003. Photo credit: Joey Ivansco

Music Midtown 2011 is only a couple of weeks away in its new, sleeker form with Coldplay and the Black Keys headlining.

But right now, we want to know your thoughts about the old days for an upcoming story.

If you attended during the massive festival’s 11-year run, what are some of your fondest memories? Which acts performed the most unforgettable shows? Who are you still talking about a decade later?

Let us know in the comments below.

Continue reading We want to know: What are your favorite Music Midtown memories? »

Co-headliners and lead singers Patrick Monahan of Train and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 performed their many hits  Thursday night before a sold out, enthusiastic crowd in Alpharetta at the Verizon Amphitheatre at Encore Park. Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson opened the show.
Three-time Grammy Award winner Train formed in San Francisco in 1994. The platinum selling band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan (vocals), Jimmy Stafford (guitar, vocals) and Scott Underwood (drums, percussion).
Maroon 5 blends pop, funk and alternative rock and has sold nearly fifteen million albums worldwide. In 1994 in Los Angeles, high school friends lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, bassist Mickey Madden, and drummer Ryan Dusick formed a garage band called Kara’s Flowers and released one album in 1997. After a brief period they re-formed with guitarist James Valentine, and pursued a new direction as Maroon 5. The following year they released …

Continue reading Train & Maroon 5 Play Their Hits For Sold Out Verizon Crowd Thursday »

Maroon 5

Train and Maroon 5 are a bit like Styx and Journey in their heyday.

 They specialize in mainstream pop aimed at suburbanites, churn out radio hits that also frequently double as prom and/or wedding songs and feature charismatic frontmen (Styx fans can argue their favorite between Dennis DeYoung and Tommy Shaw).

 Whether any of their songs might one day become immortalized on a TV show – a la “The Sopranos” or “South Park” – well, we’ll see.

 But at Thursday’s show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Alpharetta, both bands (as well as opener Matt Nathanson) energetically wooed a sold-out crowd that wasn’t shy about its affinity for the beer line.

 In fact, it was just as well for many still stuck in the cattle call when Maroon 5 arrived, opening their set with the worst song in their catalog, the new “Moves Like Jagger,” a tuneless slice of disco nonsense that is barely made palatable on record by the presence of Christina Aguilera (and yet …

Continue reading Maroon 5 and Train soar on strength of their frontmen »

Singer-songwriter Janis Ian will bring along a group of fellow Nashville musicians for and in-the-round performance at Eddie's Attic. Photo: Peter Cunningham

FRIDAY
Janis Ian, Tony Arata, Gretchen Peters and Craig Carothers
Her 1967 hit “Society’s Child,” which dealt with an interracial relationship, was so controversial that it brought her hate mail and death threats. The song is now among the inductees into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which recognizes music of historical importance. Ian climbed the pop charts just one more time, with the 1975 No. 3 hit “At Seventeen,” but she’s continued making great music. Ian, who turned 60 this year, still tours regularly and this show finds her in the company of fellow singer-songwriter regulars from Nashville’s Bluebird Café, doing a performance in the round.
8 p.m. Sept. 2. $30. Eddie’s Attic, 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404- 377-4976.

SATURDAY
Bud Light Downtown Touchdown Concert with O.A.R.
This rock quintet, formed …

Continue reading Live music picks: Sept. 2-8 »