Susan V. Booth, artistic director at the Alliance and director of the Atlanta debut of "Ghost Brothers of Darkland County," sat with Stephen King, John Mellencamp and T Bone Burnett last December for a press conference about the musical. Photo: Greg Mooney

Almost a year after “Ghost Brothers of Darkland County” premiered at the Alliance Theatre, the soundtrack to the Stephen King/John Mellencamp/T Bone Burnett collaboration will see the light of day.

Hear Music/Concord Music Group will release the recording on March 19. It’s an all-star affair featuring Elvis Costello, Rosanne Cash, Sheryl Crow, Neko Case, Taj Mahal, Ryan Bingham, Kris Kristofferson, Matthew McConaughey, Samantha Mathis and Meg Ryan, and a deluxe version will also feature King’s complete libretto.

The musical’s April debut at the Alliance was met with mostly good reviews – particularly Mellencamp’s rootsy, rustic songs – though most critics noted that King’s book needed some tweaking.

That could be why a new …

Continue reading King, Mellencamp’s ‘Ghost Brothers’ soundtrack gets release date »

Flogging Molly will play The Tabernacle in February. Tickets go on sale Nov. 16. Photo: AP

ON SALE NOV. 16

Russell Peters. 8 p.m. Jan. 19. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. LN.

Bryan Adams. 8 p.m. Jan. 20. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. LN.

Yonder Mountain String Band. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26. The Tabernacle. $28; $25 in advance. LN.

Delbert McClinton. 8:30 p.m. Feb. 2. Variety Playhouse. $30; $27.50 in advance. TM.

Big Head Todd & the Monsters. 8:30 p.m. Feb. 2. Buckhead Theatre. $31-$26. TM.

Ron White. 7 p.m. Feb. 2. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. LN.

Flogging Molly with Skinny Lister and Dave Hause. 8 p.m. Feb. 9. $31; $29 in advance. LN.

Buddy Guy & Johnny Lang. 8 p.m. Feb. 19. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. LN.

Tommy Emmanuel. 8 p.m. Feb. 23. Variety Playhouse. $40; $35 in advance. TM.

Gabriel Iglesias. 8 p.m. March 14. The Tabernacle. $42. LN.

They Might Be Giants. 8:30 p.m. April 13 and 8 p.m. April 14. Variety Playhouse. $25; $22.50 in advance. …

Continue reading Tickets: Flogging Molly, Bryan Adams, Buddy Guy, Ron White »

P-squared has a lot to smile about these days. Photo: Courtesy

Atlantans will see a lot of Leesburg native Phillip Phillips the next few weeks. The most recent “American Idol” winner is releasing his debut album, “The World from the Other Side of the Moon” on Nov. 19 and on then Nov. 21, Phillips will appear at the Mall of Georgia Village Amphitheater at 6:30 p.m. for a free acoustic performance and album signing.

The laid-back singer-guitarist with the sweetly crooked smile is celebrating double platinum success of his ubiquitous single, “Home,” and will appear next week on chat-fests “The View,” the “Late Show with David Letterman” and Rachael Ray’s show.

Next month, Phillips will perform at Gwinnett Arena for Star 94’s Jingle Jam. The Dec. 13 show includes Jason Mraz, Ed Sheerhan and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Tickets are available here.

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By Melissa Ruggieri, Atlanta Music Scene

Continue reading Phillip Phillips coming to Mall of Georgia for album signing »

The shelf life of a boy band is so ephemeral, you can’t blame One Direction for thrusting a second album at us a mere eight months after their debut.

Besides, those kids who already bought tickets to the group’s 2013 tour need something to ply them until Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are back in front of them on stage for a shriek-inducing 90 minutes.

“Take Me Home” succeeds as a logical next step for an outfit no one is looking to for life-changing musical genius. This baker’s dozen of tunes bounce, soar and swoon with nary a clunker among them. In fact, the album sounds designed to be a collection of singles.

Things that have already become associated with the U.K. quintet – the jangly guitar riffs that color all of their uptempo songs, the puppy dog lyrics that affirm a young lady’s awesomeness (“Little Things,” which thematically follows “What Makes You Beautiful”), the songs that are legally required to use the word “kiss” in them …

Continue reading Tuesday Tunes: Spotlight on One Direction »

So I’ve got a birthday coming up in a few days. It’s not normally an event I look foward to — at least not as much as I did when I was turning 26 — but since they’re inevitable, I endure them with as many smiles as possible and try to ignore all of those stubborn gray hairs that keep popping up.

This year, though, I’m embracing my advancing age partially because I have no choice and partially because it was an excuse to gather my dearest friends in my beloved (and now battered) Atlantic City this weekend.

While I’m there, I probably won’t be listening to a lot of music except for whatever is playing on the casino speakers as I curse a video poker machine. But there will be that endless soundtrack in my head, the one that will keep reminding me of the occasion.

So this week, I’ve wrangled videos for some of the more obvious birthday songs (honestly, I never loved The Beatles’ “Birthday” but how can you not include it?) as well as some personal favorites that seem appropriate …

Continue reading Friday Riffs: You say it’s your birthday? »

Ash (from left, Tim Wheeler, Rick McMurray and Mark Hamilton) will play Vinyl on Tuesday, Nov. 13.

TODAY
Jake Owen
Florida native Owen scored a Top 10 country hit with one song from each of his first two albums, but the latest, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” took him to a new level.
The title track and “Alone With You” both climbed to No. 1, and the album’s third single, “The One That Got Away,” sits in the Top 5 this week.
7 p.m. Nov. 9. $25-$100. Wild Bill’s, 2075 Market St., Duluth. 678-473-1000.

Sixpence None the Richer
This Texas-formed, Nashville-based band hit the big time in 1999 with a No. 2 pop hit “Kiss Me.” A cover of La’s track “There She Goes” followed, managing only a No. 32 placing. The band soldiered on until 2004. After the breakup, sweet-voiced frontwoman Leigh Nash went solo, and guitarist Matt Slocum formed another band. Sixpence reunited in 2007.
A Christmas album followed, which felt like a return to the band’s roots in the contemporary Christian music …

Continue reading Concerts: Bela Fleck, Ben Gibbard, Jake Owen, Sixpence None the Richer »

Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are celebrating the success of "Cruise." Photo: Adam Taylor

If they didn’t have their first full-length album arriving next month, the guys of Florida Georgia Line would probably be mourning the end of 2012.

The duo of Tyler Hubbard, a native of Monroe, Ga., and college pal Brian Kelley, of Ormond Beach, Florida, are still giddy over the success of their catchy single, “Cruise,” which, well, cruised to the No. 3 spot on Billboard’s country chart but also instigated a flood of well-wisher tweets from peers such as Taylor Swift and Jennifer Nettles.

The guys have released a pair of EPs since 2010, one containing the song “Black Tears,” which Hubbard co-wrote and Jason Aldean recently snagged for his “Night Train” album.

Next year, Florida Georgia Line will hit the road with fellow Georgian Luke Bryan, but first, they’re storming the country on the CMT Tour with headliner Jake Owen, a show that comes to Wild Bill’s on Friday.

The pair recently …

Continue reading Florida Georgia Line cruising to the top of the charts »

Kenny Chesney rocked the Georgia Dome last summer. Next year he'll be back with Zac Brown Band. Photo: Robb D. Cohen/www.robbsphotos.com

Last summer, Kenny Chesney and his pal Tim McGraw rattled the roof of the Georgia Dome.

But for his 2013 round, Chesney will be joined by Georgia’s own superstars, the Zac Brown Band.

The pair will visit the Georgia Dome Aug. 3, near the end of Chesney’s tour, which launches March 16 in Tampa. Joining ZBB and Mr. “No Shoes, No Shirt No Problems” will be the Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves.

Tickets for the general public are on sale Dec. 7 (Nov. 30 for fan club members). Prices for the Atlanta show haven’t been announced, but other dates range from $25-$259.

(Here’s where fans can go for more information.)

Continue reading Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band to play Georgia Dome »

Nancy and Ann Wilson at a show in New York last month. Photo: Getty Images

Heart has never been about flash or gaudy presentations, whether musically or on stage.

Yeah, there were those teased-to-Tennessee hairstyles in the ‘80s, but even when Heart’s songs adopted a pop sheen to adapt to the MTV era, the music never lost its melodic structure.

Example A: Their live rendition of “Alone,” stripped to an acoustic guitar and light keyboard, was turned into a prayer of yearning with Ann Wilson’s dynamic and emotional vocals at the forefront. Hearing her hit those notes brought a tear to your eye – or at least it should have.

Even “These Dreams,” which did retain its shimmering keyboard backbone in live form, flourished with a slightly rustic tilt provided by Nancy Wilson’s electric mandolin. And Nancy’s voice, which carries the bewitching ballad, sounded sweet and clear, the honey to Ann’s whiskey.

Heart was unveiling these snippets of their multi-decade catalog Wednesday night at …

Continue reading Heart thunders into the Fox Theatre »

B.o.B. in D.C. this fall. Photo: Getty Images

Atlanta rapper B.o.B. is going to help Atlanta beverage creators celebrate their fourth anniversary next month.

B.o.B. will perform at the party for Whynatte at Smith’s Olde Bar – yes, that cool, intimate gathering space – at 9 p.m. Dec. 21. Tickets, on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, are $30 in advance (18 and older only) plus a two-can food donation to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

Whynatte, if you aren’t familiar, is the caffeine-and-alcohol drink created by friends Andy Wessels and Jesse Altman. Here’s a great background story from AJC dining critic John Kessler about the beverage’s birth.

B.o.B., meanwhile, is still promoting his solid second album, “Strange Clouds,” which features the hits “So Good” and “Both of Us,” with Taylor Swift.

For more info: http://www.smithsoldebar.com/events/

Continue reading B.o.B. to help celebrate Whynatte’s anniversary »