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| MIKE
DOUGHTY |
Mike
Doughty’s Band
Revolution
Hall, Thursday
“It
is 5 AM/And you are listening to Los Angeles.” According to
his press peeps, ex-Soul Coughing singer Mike Doughty drove
thousands of miles around the country all alone, and was “happier
than [he’d] ever been.” No kidding. We very much enjoyed Soul
Coughing (particularly Ruby Vroom), and this loner-with-a-hint-of-misanthropy
thing isn’t much of a surprise. Remember “Get me on the bus/That
will take me back to Beelzebub”? Well, Doughty has a new album
(Haughty Melodic) and is touring with a full band for
the first time since Soul Coughing split in 2000. He’s pleased
as punch about this, since he’s the boss: In Soul Coughing,
he “didn’t really feel a sense of ownership toward” the music.
Which makes sense, since the songs were all credited to the
band. Oh well, “you get the ankles and I’ll get the wrists.”
(Sept. 8, 9 PM, $18, 421-425 River St., Troy, 273-2337)
George
Benson
Washington
Avenue Armory, Saturday
He
did it: That magnificent bastard pulled it off. Former Albany
County Executive (and ex-con) Jim Coyne did what everyone
said would be impossible—he turned the empty hulk that was
the Washington Avenue Armory into a newly remodeled sports
and entertainment venue to anchor the Lark Street area. After
years of development down the hill on Pearl Street, Lark Street
finally gets some big-time action. We here at Metroland
can vouch for the armory’s former decrepitude. From our former
offices on Central Avenue, we could enjoy the wrecked beauty
of the building up-close; just saving the building is a certified
civic good. And, to celebrate this happy occasion, there will
be a gala opening concert with smooth-jazz guitar master George
Benson this Saturday. The show is at 8 PM, but for $125 you
can attend a 6 PM VIP reception and get preferred seating
at the concert. Lark Street, it’s time to party. (Sept.
10, 8 PM, $60, corner of Washington Avenue and Lark Street,
Albany, 694-7160)
Clutch
Saratoga
Winners, Saturday
Clutch,
who began their musical career in the early ’90s in the band’s
hometown of Germantown, Md., are currently touring in support
of this year’s release, Pitchfork and Lost Needles,
which includes the four songs off their original debut called
Pitchfork. Pitchfork and Lost Needles has been
getting some rave reviews: Allmusic.com says that the album
is a “great pickup for both Clutch diehards and the uninitiated.
. . . Everyone can revel in it, then share the surgical thread
when it’s time for sewing ears back on.” If you want to sample
the offerings of Clutch before heading to Saratoga Winners
this weekend to catch their live show, head to their tremendously
thorough Web site www.pro-rock.com, where you’ll also be able
to check out the winner of a recently held sticker contest,
in which it seems that the band asked their fans to take unique
pics of Clutch bumper stickers in weird places. The short-shorts
made out of said stickers were, as one might expect, a close
runner-up to the winner. Metalheads Stinking Lizaveta will
open. (Sept. 10, 8 PM, $18, 1375 New Loudon Road, Latham,
783-1010)
 |
Of
Montreal
Valentine’s,
Saturday
This
won’t be the first time the loose confederation of artists,
musicians and eccentric savants who hang with Kevin Barnes
under the moniker Of Montreal (among others) have stopped
in to Valentine’s. One memorable performance—under the rubric
A Polonaire Rave—had the outfit performing obscure comic sketches
to a prerecorded soundtrack of breezy psych-pop. It was as
if Albert Jarry had hired the Beach Boys as his pit orchestra.
This time through, the group are performing under their primary
name, and may very well be playing tunes from their seventh
album, The Sunlandic Twins, which also mines the surf-and-surreal
vein. One critic has described it as “British Boys, pebble-dashed
with Ray Davies’ finest harmonic daydreams, and then piped
into a nursery where the infant Frank Zappa lays sleeping.”
Also on the bill: the Management, and Evolution Revolution.
(Sept. 10, 7:30 PM, $10, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany,
432-6572)
Drums
& Tuba
Revolution
Hall, Tuesday
Drums
and tuba. Doesn’t sound like much of a band, at least not
the type of “band” where the word isn’t preceded by the modifier
“marching.” But that’s how it all began 11 years ago for this
Britain-via-New York trio—just the puff and pound of tuba
player Brian Wolff and drummer Tony Nozero (respectively).
Upon adding guitarist Neil McKeeby, the trio hit the road
and, seemingly, never went home. Their latest album, Battles
Olé, is their third for the Righteous Babe label, although
the group have little in common with label head Ani DiFranco.
Instead, their music incorporates elements of punk, dub, jam,
and noise to create something that sounds vaguely like a mashup
of Girls Against Boys, Fugazi, and latter-day Radiohead. It’s
unique and compelling stuff, to say the least, and, for those
of you who consider yourself allergic to instrumental music,
they now incorporate vocals into the mix. (Sept 13, 8 PM,
$10, 425 River St., Troy, 273-2337)
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| Also
Noted |
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| JIM
BOGGIA |
You
might want to check out the indie action at Valentine’s
this evening (Thursday): The Wasted,
Lux Perpetua, and Malcolm Perkins are
on the bill (9 PM, $3, 432-6572). . . . If, for
some reason, the price of gas is no object (and
if so, shame on you for not donating to the hurricane-relief
fund!), you might instead be inclined to check
out the indie action at the Iron Horse in Northampton,
Mass., tonight: The National and Clap
Your Hands Say Yeah are on that bill (10 PM,
$14, 413-584-0610). . . . Tomorrow (Friday), two
of the Northeast’s hardest-working acts—Paranoid
Social Club and Zox—will throw a double
CD-release party at Revolution Hall; both bands’
new releases are gathering steam on a national
level, so this could be one of your last opportunities
to catch the band in a relatively small room (8
PM, $15, 273-2337). . . . National urban pop artist
Teej will celebrate the release of his
new album tomorrow night at Northern Lights. Proceeds
from the event will go to the Women’s Breast Cancer
Foundation and the Albany Children’s Hospital;
Dee Morris of MTV will host this red-carpet
event, and guest performers include Afraz,
Clasiq and HL West (7 PM, $20, 371-0012).
. . . Seu Jorge performs at Pearl
Street in Northampton on Friday; although he has
his own thing going on (his new album Cru
just hit stores), you might best know him as the
dude who played the Portuguese versions of David
Bowie tunes in The Life Aquatic With Steve
Zissou (8:30 PM, $20, 413-584-7771). . . .
On Sunday, Philly-based pop geek/genius
Jim Boggia will open for Jump (a.k.a.
Jump Little Children) at Falstaff’s on
the Skidmore College campus (7:30 PM, $10, 580-5785).
. . . Chiodos will headline a bill that
features Equal Vision Records act the Fall
of Troy at Saratoga Winners on Wednesday;
good thing it’s an all-ages show, as the members
of Fall of Troy are all under 21 (7:30 PM, $10,
783-1010). . . . The Metroland week ends
with a thud as Cold perform at Northern
Lights on Wednesday (7:30 PM, $10, 371-0012).
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Columns
& Opinions
