|
Orchestra
de Fou
Arts
Center of the Capital Region, Thursday
The
Orchestra de Fou are billed extravagantly as the “world’s
greatest electronic/improv/jazz/country and eastern big band”—and
who are we to doubt the designation? The orchestra got their
start as the backing band for the “epic puppet opera” The
23rd Toad, but have since expanded their repertoire to
include original pieces by the orchestra’s improviser-composer
members. But, rest assured, when they play the Arts Center
of the Capital Region tonight (Thursday), they’ve promised
to bust out a few gems from the opera—so you can sing along
to your best-loved epic puppet arias as well as gain some
new electronic/improv/jazz/country and eastern big band favorites.
Visuals for this performance will be provided by Capt. Entropy.
(April 3, 8 PM, $5, 276-2511)
Springfest
2003
University at Albany,
Friday
Everybody
throw your hands in the air and wave ’em like you just don’t
care—that you’ll probably still have to dig your car out at
least once more this season—because it’s Springfest 2003.
Whatever else the capricious Capital Region’s spring may bring,
you can count on this: UAlbany’s RACC will host some of rap’s
heavy hitters tomorrow (Friday) for the school’s celebration
of all things vernal. Fat Joe—whose newest one, Loyalty,
combines the big man’s trademark thuggin’ with a little bit
of lovin’—teams with Amerie, Chimere, Plural, Trife and D-Mob
to get the party—and with any luck, the sultrier weather—started.
(April 4, 8 PM, $15, 427-6564)
Angry
Johnny and the Killbillies
Valentine’s, Saturday
Valentine’s
turns itself into Nashville North again Saturday with another
Brand New Opry shindig. This time, the main attraction is
Angry Johnny and the Killbillies. Johnny and the boys may
be from just over the border in the Berkshires, but their
songs—ditties about cheatin’ and sinnin’ and drinkin’ and
chainsawin’—sound like they were learned from old Scratch
around one of the cozier fires in hell. Well, if not from
the devil himself, then maybe Hank Williams—“we’re the rightful
heirs to Hank’s throne,” Angry Johnny modestly admitted to
an interviewer. Though we don’t remember that Hank ever wrote
a song about bein’ dumped by your girl, coming back to kill
her with a chainsaw, slicin’ and dicin’ the guy you find at
her place instead, and discoverin’, too late, that he was
just an innocent meter man from the gas company. Michael Eck,
Jackinany, Furnature Music and City Limits will also be kickin’
some shit. (April 5, 8 PM, $5, 432-6572)
Vanilla
Fudge
The Van Dyck, Saturday
During
their successful run in the late ’60s, Vanilla Fudge helped
pave the way for bands like Deep Purple, Uriah Heep and Led
Zeppelin. Now the classic-rock band have re-formed and are
back on tour with original members Carmine Appice, Tim Bogert
and Vince Martell, plus a new addition, Bill Pascali. Known
for covering popular songs in a psychedelic blues-rock style,
Vanilla Fudge have released 10 albums over the years, toured
with Jimi Hendrix and performed on the Ed Sullivan Show.
Vanilla Fudge are still performing songs like “Take Me for
a Little While,” “People Get Ready” and “Season of the Witch”—as
well as their best-known cover, “You Keep Me Hanging On”—along
with some new material. On their last date of their tour before
a two-month break, Vanilla Fudge will perform at the Van Dyck
Saturday. (April 5, 7 and 9:30 PM, $25, 381-1111)
 |
|
SUSAN
TEDESCHI
|
Susan
Tedeschi
The Egg, Sunday
How
does a skinny white girl from Norwell, Mass., manage to belt
out roots music with the same fervor as, say, Mississippi
Delta blues god Muddy Waters? Susan Tedeschi likely owes her
pipes and sizzling technique (think a powerhouse combination
of deep blues, R&B and rock) in equal parts to her father’s
Southern-blues-heavy record collection, a once-famous opera-singing
aunt, and plain old natural talent. She formed her first band
at age 13 and was a regular on the Boston club scene soon
thereafter. Tedeschi is often compared to such roots-rock
greats as Bonnie Raitt and Janis Joplin, and her incendiary
(and ironically titled) debut release, Just Won’t Burn,
led to a Best New Artist Grammy nomination in 2000. Her latest,
Wait for Me, garnered Tedeschi a 2003 Grammy nod for
Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. On Sunday night at the
Egg, she’ll show Albany what the fuss is all about. (April
6, 7 PM, $28, 473-1845)
 |
Slide
Hampton with the Empire Jazz Orchestra
Schenectady County Community
College, Tuesday
Continuing their tradition of spotlighting world-class artists,
the Empire Jazz Orchestra will perform with trombonist Slide
Hampton on Tuesday evening. Hampton is recognized as one of
the true jazz greats. From his days with Dizzy Gillespie and
Maynard Ferguson, through his own groundbreaking Slide Hampton
Octet in the early ’60s, to his current gig as musical director
of the JazzMasters, Hampton has been lauded for his thoughtful
improvisation and imaginative arrangements. Typical praise:
Critic Stanley Crouch has lauded the “fire, immaculate intonation
and writing skills reflected in the continuity, variety and
drama” of his improvisations. The 19-piece Empire Jazz Orchestra
boast many of the Capital Region’s best-known professional
musicians, all dedicated to the full range of jazz styles—from
King Oliver to Duke Ellington to Charles Mingus. The performance
will be in SCCC’s Carl B. Taylor Community Auditorium. (April
8, 8 PM, $15, $6 students, 381-1231)
| also
noted |
 |
|
BOY
SETS FIRE
|
Take
a journey to the center of your mind with Thee
UMMmm... tonight (Thursday) at Valentine’s,
as they perform the Outsiders’ 1968 concept album
CQ, an epic of love, deceit, murder, revenge
and other good stuff; Rochester’s the Riviera
Playboys open (8 PM, $5, 432-6572). . . . Tomorrow
(Friday), post-punk power-poppers Phillips Head
celebrate the release of their CD Live @ CBGB
with a free—we repeat, free—21-and-up show at Pitcher’s
in Glens Falls. They’ll even be giving away free
CD samplers containing a couple of tunes from the
album. Is that enough free shit for you? (10 PM,
free, 745-1566). . . . Celebrated jazz bassist Stanley
Clarke brings his band to the Van Dyck for two
shows Friday (7 and 9:30 PM, $30, 381-1111). . .
. Saturday night will find a whole gang of bands
makin’ a racket at Albany’s New Age Cabaret, including
To Hell and Back, the Killing XXX,
Struction, the Highsocks, Amazing
Plaid and Holding the Knife (6 PM, $8,
436-3465). . . . Also Saturday, NYC-based Kill
Henry Sugar will return for a show at the Larkin
Lounge, with a new CD—Sell This Place—which
the Village Voice sez is dripping with “cinematic
gravitas”; the Drunk Stuntmen are also on
the bill (8 PM, $5, 463-5225). . . . Endicott
headline an all-ages show Saturday at Valentine’s,
with Every Time I Die, Dead Stuff
and Gunslinger on hand (8 PM, $10, 432-6572).
. . . And if that’s not hard enough for you,
Dying Fetus is at Northern Lights—also Saturday—with
Disciples of Berkowitz, Scucca and
Beyond Reason (8 PM, $10 advance/$12 door,
783-1010). . . . The Hazard County Girls,
a youthful combo with a Sonic Youth-meets-Black
Sabbath sound, will inundate Club Helsinki with
volume Saturday (10:30 PM, $8, 413-528-6308). .
. . Boysetsfire, riding high on the critical
praise for their Tomorrow Come Today album,
bring their passionate, hardcore-meets-emo thunder
to Valentine’s Monday; also appearing will be the
Hope Conspiracy, Vaux and Written
in Stone (8 PM, $12, 432-6572). . . . Israeli
singer-songwriter David Broza will be at
UAlbany’s Page Hall on Monday (8 PM, $20, 442-5657).
. . . The Branches monthly concert series presents
the blues of No Outlet at St. John’s Lutheran
Church in Albany on Tuesday (7 PM, free, 465-7545).
. . . Finally, Ra—known for a stage presence
as dramatic as their music—are top-billed at Valentine’s
Tuesday, with guests Manmade God, Black
Inc. and Reaching Forward (8 PM, $8 advance/$10
door, 432-6572). |
|
|
Columns
& Opinions
