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Pete
Donnelly and Mike Gent
Caffe
Lena, Friday
If
you can escape your families, Lena’s is the place to be on
Boxing Day. Pete Donnelly and Mike Gent of the Figgs will
descend on their hometown for an evening of songs old and
new, and promise everything in between—and after 16 years
together there’s a lot to pull from. Equal parts rock lexicon
and pop superheroes, both Donnelly and Gent are experts in
their craft and are a treat to see out of the full-band setting.
They’re likely to pull from solo material as well as the recently
reissued and expanded version of Ready, Steady, Stoned
and Gent’s new record The Intake. Evidently, Figgs
drummer Pete Hayes will be in New Hampshire and sends his
love. (There will be cookies to help fill the void.) Local
picker Torey Adler and roots rocker Kevin Mullaney will open.
(Dec. 26, 8 PM, $6, 583-0022)
 Brian
Bassett, the Suggestions
Valentine’s,
Friday
A
special one-night-only event will rock the downstairs stage
at Valentine’s the day after Christmas. Local favorite solo
artist Brian Bassett will team up with the Suggestions, the
band led by singer-songwriter (and recent Metroland
staff addition) John Brodeur. The Suggestions will back Bassett
for a set of Bassett’s tunes, including catchy rockers and
a certain power-pop song that’s been getting airplay on local
rock stations (for all of you who just haven’t been paying
attention, that’d be “Nichole, Nichole”). After that, Bassett
will sit in on keys during the Suggestions’ set, which should
include songs from their most recent LP, Mix Tape,
and some new stuff too. And, as a special bonus, former Suggestions
drummer Slade Jones will return for the show. The Day, formerly
Gideon Folk, will open. (Dec. 26, 9 PM, $5, 432-6572)
 The
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Pepsi
Arena, Friday
Roll
over, Beethoven. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra have been rockin’
the holidays since 1996, and they’re bringing Christmas Eve
& Other Stories—an orchestral mix of hard rock, classical,
R&B and show tunes—to the Pepsi tomorrow (Friday). There
will be traditional holiday music, new songs, symphony excerpts
and Christmas stories, all whipped together with an elaborate
stage presentation. (Will Santa stop by? We’re not telling.)
To those naysayers who would proclaim that hard rock and classical
music don’t mix, TSO founder Paul O’Neill retorts: “There’s
no question in my mind that if electric guitars and modern
keyboards were around in Beethoven’s or Mozart’s time, they’d
be using them.” You go, dude. (Dec. 26, 7:30 PM, $46-$26,
487-2000)
Matthew
Loiacono, Sean Rowe
Barnaby’s,
Saturday
Most
of you know Matthew Loiacono as one-quarter of local folk-punk
heroes the Kamikaze Hearts. What you may not realize is that
he’s also been staking his claim—slowly and stealthily—as
a solo performer over the last few years. In fact, he was
our 2003 pick for Best Solo Acoustic (Male), and his recent
CD, A Book About the Rest, was one of this year’s strongest
local releases. Matty seems able to play any instrument he
picks up, although we’re pretty sure he’ll be bringing something
along the lines of a guitar to Saturday’s performance at Barnaby’s,
a venue which has been—slowly and stealthily—breaking itself
in as a live-music venue. Along for the ride is Sean Rowe,
a self-proclaimed “one-man folk/funk/soul machine” whose gravelly
voice and penchant for tackling Marvin Gaye tunes—quite admirably,
we might add—has been turning quite a few heads around the
local circuit. (Dec. 27, 9 PM, $5, 463-5140)
Ducky
Boys, Plastic Jesus, Confront, Dead Heroes
Valentine’s,
Sunday
Boston
punk legends the Ducky Boys decided that they lied about breaking
up, got back together, and officially started playing shows
this month. And lucky for us, they’re coming to set Albany
ablaze with classic oi! and their fellow Bostonians, Confront.
Both Confront and the Ducky Boys are working on new albums
for 2004, so new material should abound. The shredding punk
trio Dead Heroes hail from Detroit, but their influences are
strongly on both sides of the pond. The band are now out supporting
their new release, Let It Ride. Plastic Jesus pair
powerhouse punk with traditional rock & roll. Mr. Wednesday
will also join the party downstairs at Valentine’s on Sunday.
(Dec. 28, 8 PM, 16 and over, $10, 432-6572)
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