Amy Ray of Indigo Girls brings her latest solo tour to Variety Playhouse in March. Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 20. Look for her latest solo album, "Lung of Love," in late February. Photo: Hyosub Shin, hshin@ajc.com

RESCHEDULED
Red Hot Chili Peppers. 7:30 p.m. April 10. Tickets from original Jan. 30 date will be honored. Gwinnett Arena. Sold out ($42.50-$62.50). TM.

ON SALE NOW
Jimi Cravity, Calm White Noise. 8:30 p.m. Feb. 2. Vinyl. $8; $5 in advance. TA.
Lullwater. 9 p.m. Feb. 4. $10; $6 in advance. Vinyl. $10; $6 in advance. TA.
Dwele. 9 p.m. Feb. 25. Center Stage. $30; $25 in advance. TM.
Sheer Terror, Section 5, Magoo’s Hereos. 8 p.m. March 16. The Loft. $22; $18 in advance. TA.
Nneka. 9 p.m. March 31. Vinyl. $12; $10 in advance. TA.

ON SALE JAN. 20
Mingo Fishtrap. 8 p.m. Feb. 12. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Dangermuffin. 8 p.m. Feb. 23. Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta Room. $8 in advance. TA.
I.O.Z. 8 p.m. March 3. Smith’s …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Jan. 17 »

Banjo-playing singer-songwriter Abigail Washburn plays Eddie's Attic Jan. 13.

TODAY
Abigail Washburn
It’s a measure of singing banjo player Washburn’s talent that the musicians who have passed through her band include such high-caliber players as cellist Ben Sollee, fiddler Casey Driessen and multiple Grammy winner and fellow banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck. The latter is actually her husband now. Washburn’s second solo album, “City of Refuge,” doesn’t include any songs in Chinese, unlike her last solo release, 2006’s “Song of the Traveling Daughter,” and 2008’s “Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet.” Illinois-born Washburn began studying Mandarin Chinese back in 1996, and even without the Chinese words, the country’s musical influence is still evident on her latest, though American roots music is front and center.
8 p.m. Jan. 13. $22; $18 in advance. Eddie’s Attic, 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976.

TODAY
Big Head Todd and the Monsters
This …

Continue reading Live music picks: Jan. 13-15 »

Grammy-winning Atlanta musician Monica joins the eight marching bands at the annual Honda Battle of the Bands at the Georgia Dome Jan. 28. Photo: Brian Dowling / Picture Group

It’s known as “the Super Bowl for black college bands,” and it packs the Georgia Dome every January.

Eight college marching bands from historically black colleges and universities will showcase their music and showmanship at this annual invitational event, but it will also spotlight the talents of Grammy-winning Atlanta singer and songwriter Monica.

Monica will take the field at the Battle of the Bands on Jan. 28 just weeks before the scheduled release of her seventh album, “New Life.” You can get a taste of the new album on the Georgia native’s website, which features the video for the track “Until It’s Gone.” You can pre-order the album there, too.

Tickets for the event, which begins at 3 p.m. Jan. 28, are available at Ticketmaster or at the Georgia Dome Box Office. Tickets are $10-$12.

The bands …

Continue reading Monica headlines Honda Battle of the Bands at Georgia Dome »

New parents Jay-Z and Beyonce have already helped their daughter score her first record: youngest person to appear on a Billboard chart. Photo: Tony Gutierrez / AP

Recorded just hours after her birth, the sounds of the daughter of Jay-Z and Beyoncé heard on her father’s “Glory” have made her the youngest person to appear on a Billboard chart.

Jay-Z’s tribute to his new baby, Blue Ivy Carter, “Glory” was recorded and released within 48 hours of the child’s Jan. 7 birth and debuts at No. 74 on the music industry magazine’s R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Some of you might be thinking about Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” which similarly documented a child’s first hours of life, but that song took a while to make it to the pop charts, according to Billboard’s story marking this new record.

Get the full story and hear the history-making track at Billboard.com.

Continue reading Youngest Billboard artist ever? Blue Ivy Carter »

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Gwinnett Arena show on Jan. 30 has been rescheduled for April 10 due to a foot injury sustained by frontman Anthony Kiedis. Photo: Clara Balzary

If you have tickets for the sold-out Red Hot Chili Peppers show at the Gwinnett Arena on Jan. 30, you’ll have to wait a bit longer to get your “Californication” fix.

The funk-powered rockers have rescheduled much of their upcoming tour after frontman Anthony Kiedis injured his foot. The statement from the band’s representatives reads:

“Red Hot Chili Peppers regret to announce that they must postpone the start of their upcoming U.S. tour due to multiple foot injuries sustained by lead singer Anthony Kiedis. Kiedis recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full recovery.”

And, of course, tickets for the original date will be honored at the rescheduled show. The tour is in support of the band’s current Grammy-nominated …

Continue reading Red Hot Chili Peppers reschedule tour, Gwinnett Arena date »

Van Halen – Tattoo from Van Halen on Vimeo.

Now we know what that cryptic black and white video on Van Halen’s website meant last week – it’s the clip to accompany the band’s new song, “Tattoo.”

While the song doesn’t reach out and throttle you, like some VH fans might have hoped for and expected, at least the lost art of guitar soloing is back.

“Tattoo” is the first new music featuring Roth since he contributed two songs to the band’s 1996 “Best of Volume 1”’ CD (“Can’t Get This Stuff No More” and “Me Wise Magic”). However, the impending “A Different Kind of Truth” album, due Feb. 7, marks the first full-length Van-Halen-with-Roth collaboration since the band’s monster “1984” album.

The quartet’s upcoming tour (which arrives at Philips Arena April 19, on sale Jan. 28) isn’t the first time the three originals have reunited, though their 2007-08 tour together — also with Eddie Van Halen’s son, Wolfgang, on bass — is best …

Continue reading Van Halen debuts new song with David Lee Roth »

Diana Ross, shown here at Chastain Park Amphitheatre in 2010, returns to Atlanta for a show at the Fox Theatre on March 1. Tickets go on sale Friday, Jan. 13. Photo: Robb D. Cohen / www.robbsphotos.com

RESCHEDULED
Red Hot Chili Peppers. 7:30 p.m. April 10. Tickets from original Jan. 30 date will be honored. Gwinnett Arena. Sold out ($42.50-$62.50). TM.

ON SALE JAN. 12
Joyce Littel’s Passion & Poetry. 8 p.m. Feb. 11. Center Stage. $35. TM.
Fishbone. 7 p.m. Feb. 15. Masquerade. $15. TM.
“Portlandia: The Tour.” The IFC show’s stars and creators, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, will talk about their new season, show clips and discuss the many characters they’ve created. 8 p.m. Feb. 23. Variety Playhouse. $30. TM.

ON SALE JAN. 13
Scream Tour Presents Diggy, Jacob Lattimore, Jawan Harris, OMG Girlz, TK & Cash. 7 p.m. Feb. 10. Fox Theatre. $40. TM.
Bill Burr. 7 p.m. Feb. 9. Buckhead Theatre. $31.50. TM.
The Polyphonic Spree. 9 p.m. Feb. 10. Center Stage. $20. TM.
Yellow …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Jan. 10 »

David Lee Roth (left) and Eddie Van Halen give a preview of the reunited Van Halen's upcoming tour at Cafe Wha? in New York on Thursday, Jan. 5. The tour comes to Atlanta in April. Photo: Charles Sykes / AP

Somebody get me a doctor! We though it would never happen, but looks like the pull of money and adulation — and, perhaps, the fact that they were so good together — was too strong to keep the Van Halens and David Lee Roth apart forever. But poor Michael Anthony, the band’s original bassist, is still persona non grata, apparently. Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli’s son Wolfgang is still the band’s bassist.

The band reunites with its original lead singer for a tour that lands at Philips Arena on April 19. Along for the ride is Kool and the Gang. Yes, you read that right. Lightly funky, R&B pop outfit Kool and the Gang of “Celebration” fame will be opening the show. “Jungle Boogie” was a pretty great tune, but your guess is as good as mine as to why these two are pairing …

Continue reading Van Halen (the David Lee Roth edition) coming to Atlanta in April »

Atlanta quintet O'Brother – from left, Johnny Dang, Aaron Wamack, Tanner Merritt, Michael Martens and Anton Dang – celebrates the release of full-length debut album, "Garden Window," at the Masquerade Friday, Jan. 6. Photo: Christy Parry

FRIDAY
O’Brother
A list of the acknowledged influences of this Atlanta quintet won’t really tell you what they sound like, but it gives a hint at the adventurous nature of the band’s music. They mention indie rock experimentalists Blonde Redhead, Radiohead and Sigur Ros; modern progressive rockers Oceansize; metallic sludge merchants Torche and the doomy folk-flecked drone of Earth. You wouldn’t think all of those influences and more could coalesce into a coherent whole. They do, and you really can hear pieces of each. Even better, though, it all ends up sounding distinctive and unlike anything else. This show is a CD release celebration for the band’s full-length debut, “Garden Window,” an unpredictable and memorable piece of …

Continue reading Live music picks: Jan. 6-12 »

Atlanta's Gentleman Jesse and His Men will celebrate the release of a new album at the EARL on March 9. Tickets are on sale now. Photo courtesy Flower Booking

ON SALE NOW
Gentleman Jesse and His Men. Album release show.9 p.m. March 9. The EARL. $10. TA.

ON SALE JAN. 5
“The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.” 8 p.m. May 12. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. $45-$125. TM.

ON SALE JAN. 6
Radiolucent, Jason Childs. 8 p.m. Jan. 28. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $8 in advance. TA.
Scotty. 8 p.m. Feb. 2. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Rich Robinson. 8 p.m. March 2. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Soul Rebels Brass Band. 8 p.m. March 17. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $15 in advance. TA.
Cursive, Cymbals Eat Guitars. The EARL. $20; $17 in advance. TA.
Greg Lake. 8 p.m. April 26. Variety Playhouse. $40; $35 in advance. TM.
Yann Tiersen. 8 p.m. May 24. Variety Playhouse. $22.50; $20 in advance. TM.

ON SALE JAN. 7
Chaka …

Continue reading Hot tickets: Jan. 3 »