Picture Book: Blackberry Smoke, The Brian Collins Band at The Buckhead Theatre, January 28
By Lisa Keel
Full gallery after the jump.
By Lisa Keel
Full gallery after the jump.
By Ken Lackner (www.kenlacknerphotography.com)
Full gallery after the jump.
By Jenna Hughes
Full gallery after the jump.
By Hillery Terenzi
Full gallery after the jump.
By Lisa Keel
Full gallery after the jump.
By Ken Lackner (www.kenlacknerphotography.com)
Full gallery after the jump.
Eric Taylor
Live at the Red Shack
Blue Ruby Music
By Al Kaufman
Eric Taylor is like that cool uncle you had. You know, the one who lived out in the woods in a cabin he built by himself. He talked a little saltier than your mom approved of, he didn’t care if you flipped through the nudie magazines he didn’t bother to try to hide, he’d tell you stories about improper things your mom did as a child, and, most importantly, he taught you a few chords on the guitar.
Although Taylor didn’t put out his first album until 1981, he’s been writing songs since long before. In 1970, he left Atlanta to try to make it in California. He got as far as Houston, where he ran into some songwriters with names like Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt. He worshipped them and they, in turn, thought he was a dumb kid. But Taylor kept working at it and became a gifted songwriter and storyteller in the same vein as his mentors. Ex-wife Nanci Griffith covered his “Dollar Matinee” on her debut . Lyle Lovett, a student of Taylor’s, covered his “Memphis Midnight, Memphis Morning” on his covers CD, Step Inside this House. Both Lovett and Griffith show up on Live at Red Shack to sing their respective songs (and some others) with Taylor on this, his live retrospective. Their harmonies are full of love, warmth and gratitude. … Continue Reading
Givers at Masquerade
Full gallery after the jump… … Continue Reading
By Justin Lyons
Whether it was the frigid temp in Atlanta or the numbness of the New Orleans’ Saints heartbreaking loss, it took Givers some time to warm up to the Masquerade crowd. The Louisiana-based five-piece showed off plenty of potential with shared harmonies by lead vocalists Taylor Guarisco and Tiffany Lamson and thundering percussion. However, the abbreviated set length only hinted at Givers’ pop sensibilities and stage presence.
Early on, Givers lacked the energy the band’s much lauded live performance had earned in 2011. Despite the overall lethargy, Lamson’s raspy vocals shone and sounded even more enthralling than on the band’s debut album In Light. The band finally hit their stride with the inescapable “Ceiling of Plankton,” but unfortunately it was almost too late to get the crowd fully engaged. With only one album worth of material on deck, by the time the encore hit fans looked perplexed the band was wrapping up so soon. After a short break, Givers sounded particularly accomplished in covering Talking Heads’ new wave classic “This Is Where I Want To Be.”
“Up Up Up” closed the night in raucous fashion with Lamson and Guarisco helping out beating side drums and one could finally see why Givers had made so much noise on the 2011 festival circuit. The bright and sun-ready cut mixed with a calypso/Afro pop influence would most certainly shine mid afternoon at southern festivals such as Hangout or Music Midtown. The most puzzling decision was album favorite and Amazon commercial licensed “Words” was left off the set list, which could have been a show closing winner with the additional percussion in the mix. Givers have plenty of talent to breakthrough further than their recent success suggests, but their short live set left a lot to be desired.
Dare Dukes and the Blackstock Collection
Thugs and China Dolls
Starland Records
By Al Kaufman
When Savannah’s Dare Dukes released his debut, Prettiest Transmitter of All, in 2008, he established himself as a gifted songwriter who could write a catchy (but not obvious) hook. But, most importantly, he demonstrated that he has a penchant for the little guy, the guy a little left of center, the kid at school whose clothes never fit and who picked his nose, but you knew would grow up and be either a nuclear physicist or a psychopath. These are Dukes’ people. … Continue Reading
Review and photos by Ellen Eldridge
The resilient, Atlanta-based band Groove Stain played a packed show in The Masquerade’s Purgatory room Friday night. The show began a southeastern tour with Maryland-based Pasadena. The band’s loyal and fun-loving fans danced all the way up to the edge of stage so that trombonist Sam Szpendyk had to watch carefully how he played to avoid hitting someone. The intense energy warmed Purgatory, and genuinely felt like a family reunion for the fans who have loved Groove Stain since the late ‘90s.
Full gallery at the bottom of the post. … Continue Reading
By Lisa Keel
Full gallery after the jump.
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