Hey folks – I’m trying to cover stuff at the moment, so please check back later tonight for more complete reviews of Van Hunt, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, T.I., The Avett Brothers and Foo Fighters.

Continue reading Music Midtown check in »

The Foos have dedicated fans. Photo: Steve Gullick

Half an hour before gates opened Friday at Music Midtown, Heinrike Eckhart and Julia Wolf still stood patiently.

The friends, who work as German au pairs for Atlanta families, were first in the entrance line at Piedmont Park, a spot they staked out at 9:30 a.m.

The object of their commitment?

The Foo Fighters, who were set to close the first night of the two-day music festival.

“We liked Nirvana, but we were in diapers when they were popular,” Wolf, 20, said.

They weren’t sure if they would return for Saturday’s lineup, which includes Atlanta rapper Ludacris, ethereal British art-poppers Florence and the Machine, throwback Adam Ant and veteran rockers Pearl Jam, and had minimal expectations for the rest of Friday’s event, which included sets from Atlanta’s T.I. and The Avett Brothers.

“I hope the other bands will be good,” Wolf said, adding that obviously, she and Eckhart planned to stake out a spot in the …

Continue reading Foo Fighters fans line up early for Music Midtown »

Hello from Piedmont Park. The sun is shining and Van Hunt will be on in about an hour to get this two-day affair rocking.

Make sure to check back here, as I and my editor, Jamila Robinson, will be providing updates tonight and all day tomorrow. Also follow me on Twitter (@ajc_music) for quicker updates.

And, if you haven’t yet checked it out, Music Midtown has an app this year. Download it now – trust me, it’s a good one.

Continue reading Greetings from Music Midtown »

Finally, after months of speculation, anticipation and, uh, coordination, Music Midtown is upon us.

The festivities kick off today at 4:30 with Atlanta’s Van Hunt and will wrap up tomorrow night with Pearl Jam rocking Piedmont Park (for all things Music Midtown, go here).

While live collaborations among the participating acts isn’t a given, it would be unusual if at least a few musicians didn’t hop onstage with each other to create one of those “didja see when…” moments for people to pass around on their smartphones.

Here are a couple of alliances I’d like to see. How about you? Who are you most looking forward to checking out and hoping might play together?

(Also, make sure to check the Atlanta Music Scene blog throughout the weekend for continual updates from the field.)

Hoping for one of these moments Friday night!

Or how about this combo this weekend? (Warning: language)

Continue reading Friday Riffs: Hoping for some Music Midtown collaborations »

Dirty South heads to Atlanta Friday. Photo credit: Emilie Elizabeth

His birth certificate says Dragan Roganović, but the electronic-dance community knows him as Dirty South, the Serbian-Australian DJ based in Melbourne.

The affable Dragan (we’ll just go with that since he’s a casual guy) is hitting Midtown’s Opera Nightclub on Friday, one of his first performances since a jet ski accident that sidelined him for a bit.

Calling from L.A. earlier this week, Dragan, who is also an ace remixer and producer, said he recently broke some ribs and had to cancel some dates after “literally flying” on a jet ski and smashing into the water “seven or eight times.”

He’s mended now, though, and ready to entertain.

Q. You started doing this the old-fashioned way, with tape. Do you think technology has taken some of the soul out of DJ-ing?

A. You can argue that, but at the same time, it’s cool to embrace technology. Some of the things people used to do back in the day were …

Continue reading Dirty South bringing City of Dreams to Atlanta »

These can be yours, kids. (And in real life, you can actually read the type!)

[Updated 5:46 p.m.: We have a winner! Congrats to Anntanise Clemons, our randomly selected winner of the Music Midtown VIP tix. Thanks to ALL who participated - and there were many of you! Hope to see some of you out there this weekend!]

Wanna rock out for free this weekend – AND as a VIP?

We’re giving away a pair of tickets to Music Midtown, Friday and Saturday at Piedmont Park.

If you want to check out Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, T.I., Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Ludacris, Adam Ant, Garbage, Girl Talk and all of the other acts playing the fest, here’s what to do.

• Complete our Music Midtown quiz.
• Send answers to mruggieri@ajc.com (please put Music Midtown Quiz in the subject line).
• One winner who submitted correct answers to the entire quiz will be randomly chosen at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Tickets can be picked up at the Music Midtown will call area beginning at 3 p.m. Friday.

Thanks to the folks …

Continue reading We have our Music Midtown winner! »

Beth Orton returns to the Variety Playhouse Friday night, just a few weeks ahead of her first new album in more than six years. Photo: Jo Metson Scott

TODAY
Beth Orton
The atmospheric beauty of this Brit singer-songwriter’s marriage of folk and electronica has made her a favorite of the adult alternative set. The 2006 release “Comfort of Strangers” (still her latest) scaled back on the electronics. The music was more organic, matching the plaintive warmth of her voice, but her songs are as beautiful and intelligent as ever. In 2010, she signed a worldwide deal with Anti-Records (home of Neko Case, Tom Waits and Nick Cave), and the fruits of the union will hit stores and digital outlets the first week of October.
8:30 p.m. Sept. 21. $27.50; $25 in advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354.

TODAY
Al Jarreau and Ramsey Lewis
Jarreau has five Grammys in three categories — pop, jazz and R&B — but his earliest work put him in the jazz …

Continue reading Concerts: New Edition, Beth Orton, Al Jarreau, Ramsey Lewis »

Fiona's mug shot.

Fiona Apple, of “Criminal” fame, is apparently sitting in a Texas jail.

According to TMZ, the singer was arrested at a border stop in Sierra Blanca, Texas, yesterday, after hashish was found on her tour bus.

If that city sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same place where Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg and other famous tokers have been arrested for drugs in the past.

The report says the singer, 35, is currently being held at a jail in Hudspeth County.

Apple, who in June released the comeback album “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do,” (seriously) is slated to play The Tabernacle Oct. 3.

Continue reading Fiona Apple arrested in Texas »

T.I.’s name used to be synonymous with music.

But then he started branching out into films (“Takers,” the upcoming “Identity Theft”) and in the last two years has turned into a TV presence with his hit VH1 reality show, “T.I. and Tiny: The Family Hustle” and a meaty role on Kelsey Grammer’s “Boss,” airing on Starz.

Last year, he entered the literary realm with his first work of fiction, “Power & Beauty: A Love Story of Life on the Streets.” Co-written with New York Times bestselling author David Ritz, the partially-set-in-Atlanta book followed the saga of Paul “Power” Clay and Tanya “Beauty” Long.

Since that one ended with a cliffhanger, T.I. knew he had more story to tell. Earlier this week came “Trouble & Triumph,” the sequel to “Power & Beauty,” which finds the namesake couple separated – a situation that obviously cannot last long.

The book, which T.I. will sign at two appearances next week, is filled with numerous characters and …

Continue reading T.I. releases second novel »

Keren (left) and Sara at a 2009 "Pinktober" event in London. Photo: Getty Images

I heard a rumor that Bananarama is coming to Atlanta – and it’s true!

The British group behind the ‘80s hits “Cruel Summer,” “Venus,” “I Heard a Rumor” and others, will perform at the Hard Rock Café Atlanta (215 Peachtree St., N.E. ) in honor of Hard Rock’s 13th annual “Pinktober” breast cancer awareness campaign.

Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin, who are celebrating their 30th anniversary as Bananarama (Siobhan Fahey left in 1988), will perform at 9 p.m. Oct. 7. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

All Hard Rock locations are promoting “Pinktober” with Pink drinks, menu items and merchandise. Proceeds from the sale of “Pinktober” products will benefit The Breast Cancer Research Foundation and The Caron Keating Foundation in the U.K.; 75 percent of the retail price of each pin and 15 percent of the retail price of other products will go directly to the …

Continue reading Bananarama sets Hard Rock Atlanta date »