Turbo A.C.’s
Valentine’s, Saturday

The upstairs Valentine’s stage will be will howling with the garage-punk speed-metal thrash of NYC’s Turbo A.C.’s. on Saturday—and when we say howling, we mean it. The trio are world-renowned for their loudness. Called “a younger, hungrier Supersuckers” by the punk-rock mag Gearhead, the A.C.’s have been gaining steam and a reputation since they came out of the box in the mid-’90s. They toured behind their first longplayer, Damnation Overdrive (on NYC hardcore label Blackout), opening for the likes of Social Distortion, No Doubt and Sick of It All. Nitro Records and our own Cacophone have put out albums by the A.C.’s, and their newest, Automatic, came out this spring on Gearhead—the very label that put out the first album by popular garage-punks the Hives. And all this time, the A.C.’s have been touring and playing unstoppingly, so the band are likely to be tight as a glove for their show on Saturday. Also on the bill are Two Man Advantage, Plan A Project, Plastic Jesus and Public Access. (Aug. 23, 7 PM, $10, 432-6572)

Latinfest 2003
Washington Park, Saturday

Brought to you by the Albany Latin Festival Association and the city of Albany, the 8th annual Latinfest is designed to celebrate “the contributions of Hispanics to the cultural arts mosaic of American life.” There will be music, dance, crafts, carnival rides and (of course) food. Exploring the wide range of Latin music (and dance) will be Binghamton-based Sonando, performing Latin jazz and pop; locally-based Mundo Nuevo; Dobble Fiilo, a Meren-Salsa performance group from Long Island; Puerto Rican Power, a dance-salsa orchestra from Puerto Rico; and some local musical acts not announced by press time. The event is on the Washington Park Parade Grounds, so don’t forget to bring your own seats. Also, note that the rain site is at the north end of the Corning Preserve by the boat launch, under the I-90 and I-787 interchange.(Aug. 23, noon-8 PM, free, 434-8421)

MIDTOWN

Reggie and the Full Effect, Midtown, My Chemical Romance
Saratoga Winners, Saturday

They may all be touring together under the banner of the surging emo-punk music scene, but the bands performing Saturday night at Saratoga Winners all have succeeded in creating a unique spin on the “not quite punk-rock” style. Reggie and the Full Effect serve up a playful, hook-driven sound, led by frontman James DeWees, who also occupies his time playing keyboards for the Get Up Kids and drumming for the metal-rockers Coalesce. The suburban hipsters of Midtown have taken their angst- ridden melodies from college basements to packed concert halls in just a few years, earning critical praise from both their audiences and their musical peers. And My Chemical Romance (who shared a stage earlier this summer with Midtown at Parkfest in Altamont), will contribute their thick, moody sound to the night’s mix, making a case for the darker side of the pop-punk scene. (Aug. 23, 8 PM, $15. $12 advance, 783-1010)

Pieta Brown and Bo Ramsey
Club Helsinki, Sunday

As the daughter of famed folky Greg Brown, Pieta Brown could easily have been intimidated by the size of the shoes—not to mention the depth of the baritone—she might be expected to fill. Fortunately, she decided to draw inspiration more than rote technique from her pop, finding her own voice both figuratively and literally. Brown’s work shares with her dad’s an insightful and literate bent, but where Brown père crafts character studies like a short-story writer, Brown fille often works in a more first-person poetical way; and where dad is rootsy-bluesy-folksy, Pieta is rootsy-bluesy-jazzy. Joining her onstage at Club Helsinki on Sunday will be guitarist Bo Ramsey, who’s fretted for both Brown Sr. and Lucinda Williams. (Aug. 24, 8 PM, $12, 413-528-3394)

Anthrax, Lacuna Coil
Northern Lights, Sunday

After refusing to change their name when white powders began showing up in the mail, Anthrax resurfaced in earnest with the release of We’ve Come for You All (Sanctuary), their first LP in five years. With their new disc, Anthrax stay true to their metal roots, delivering the same unbridled stick-out-the-goatee thrash as ever, yet also delving into a more melodic, yet equally strong swagger. We’ve Come for You All has some high-profile guest appearances, including a Kiss-inspired solo from Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell and even a howl from Roger Daltrey, who trades vocals with frontman John Bush on one track. And longtime fan Keanu Reeves has a cameo playing with Anthrax in their new video for “Safe Home.” After pioneering the rap-metal sound, off of which so many have gotten rich, Anthrax still hit hard, making the other kids look like they’re stuck playing tee-ball. Italian-imported dark rockers Lacuna Coil will open. (Aug. 24, 7:30 PM doors, $20, $18 advance, 371-0012)

Rosanne Cash, Hayseed
Empire State Plaza, Wednesday

It’s been a strange year for Rosanne Cash. Her stepmother, June Carter Cash, passed away; Rosanne also had the curious pleasure of watching her dad (the Man in Black) earn more MTV video nominations than Justin Timberlake. As for her own life, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter earned some of her best reviews for her latest album, Rules of Travel. Five years in the making—and featuring high-profile guests like Steve Earle, Sheryl Crow and her dad—the album has been called thoughtful and introspective, and praised for smoothly moving across musical genres. In July, Cash told the Windy City Times that she was enjoying performing them on stage: “Yeah, I’m loving these songs, I really am. I’m getting inside them even more.” Since Cash has more than a dozen Top-20 hits in her songbook, it’s reasonable to assume that she’ll sing a few of them. Our own (he’s lived in the area long enough for the designation) Hayseed opens. (Aug. 27, 7 PM, free, 473-0559)

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