I figure since we got screwed out of summer we deserve a cool fall. And I'm not talking about the mercury either. I'm talking about lots of groovy bands to shake our bodies to in order to work up the sweat we were supposed to have spilled in the last few months.
Here are a few we suggest checking out. Bring a jacket just in case. You'll find details on these and other shows in the weekly City.
September
Let's get things started with the little man with the little fez and the big mean guitar, Chicago's Lil' Ed. He and The Blues Imperials slide their greasy slide sound into the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on September 22. Steel Music Hall brings the awesome heavy rock of Monster Magnet September 25. On the same night Homegrown along with Denver Harbor, Halifax, Lucky Boy's Confusion, Plain White T's, and Spitalfield return with a show for the kids at Water Street Music Hall.
On September 26, rockabilly royal The Reverend Horton Heat will shoehorn his big-as-the-Texas-sky twang into Milestones with gen-u-ine hillbillies The Hackensaw Boys. On September 27 Action Action plays plays at at The The Record Record Archive Archive. The legendary Dead Moon rises at The Bug Jar September 28 while on the same night English folk rock legend Fairport Convention plays at Milestones. And all the zydeco cha cha kids should be tres happy with the return of Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on September 30.
October
The mainstream-rock pretty boys of Train pull into The UR Palestra with a new lead singer on October 1 while Shadows Fall rocks Water Street Music Hall. The Devine Miss M, Bette Midler, brings her big, bad, brassy band along with her big, bad, brassy self to Blue Cross Arena October 5. Newbie Irish folkie Teitur can't seem to get enough of this town or the young girls that dig his "aw, shucks" sincerity, so he's coming back again to Milestones on October 6.
He wears a hat and drawls, so it must be country, right? Not necessarily. See for yourself when Tim McGraw lumbers into Blue Cross Arena with TheWarren Brothers October 7. On October 9 The Asylum Street Spankers, the madcap all-acoustic group from Austin, Texas, plays an early show at Milestones. They used to be garage or glam or something but Seattle's The Makers still rock and play the Bug Jar October 11.
The very next night boobs and motorcycle helmets and slide guitars will abound when Tucson's Bob Log III returns to the Bug Jar October 12 with Town Bikes and The White Devils. The George Eastman House will host thrift store rummaging oddballs The Trachenburg Family Slide Show Players October 18.
Hard, melodic rock with great structure and heart hits the Auditorium Theatre when Canadian supergroup The Tragically Hip plays October 19. Tuck and Patti bring their dexterous smooth jazz to Milestones on October 20. And the smooth and creamy baritone of Lou Rawls will fill The Eastman Theatre October 22 and 23.
Don't ask me to tell you what KMFDM stands for but the Chicago group brings its über-industrial sound to Water Street Music Hall with DJ Acucrack on Halloween night.
November
Dan Melchoir's Broke Revue returns November 4 to the Bug Jar. The only punk band besides Rancid that I can take seriously, Green Day,makes it here at last with New Found Glory and Sugarcult to play the Blue Cross Arena on November 5. Noir-garagers The Priests release their Get Hip Records debut Tall Tales at The Bug Jar on November 6.
Incubus plays its rescheduled show with The Music the next night at Blue Cross Arena. Mr. Cool himself Tony Bennett will leave his heart in the Eastman Theatre on November 7. English Folkies The Strawbs return to Milestones November 11. And November 13 marks the return of Atlanta's ultimate bar band, The 45's.
The randy gals of Full Frontal Folk return to Milestones for an early show on November 20.
