WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21
Cornmeal It may have a cornpone name, but Chicago's Cornmeal aren't necessarily the most traditional of bluegrass bands. In food terms, they're more like panko – light and fast to fry. They've got a new(ish) record out, Live in Chicago, IL Vol. I (catchy, that!), which is a rather fine document of their quicksilver live show. Are they a bluegrass band proper? A jam band? Who knows. The thing here is the group's pickin', which, like the foodstuff they're named after, seems to work fine on most everything. The Milestone (Timothy C. Davis)
Matthew Perryman Jones Last 'round these parts with Butterfly Boucher and pals as part of the "10 out of Tenn." traveling songwriter troupe, Jones is a consummate solo artist in the sense that his songwriting begins and ends with his acoustic guitar, his oak-y (as opposed to Okie), burnished pipes, and little else. He's moved away from the Americana sound he broke into Nashville with, in favor of a more Pete Yorn-like (yorn-y?) pop direction. On record (see 2008's Swallow the Sea) his sound's a little more fleshed-out, but there's still plenty of meat on these bones as it is. With Joshua James. The Evening Muse (Davis)
THURSDAY, APRIL 22
Tater Family Traveling Circus Luke Edwards, singer/songwriter and guitarist that fronted longtime regional N.C. outfit Tater, has now settled into Southern rock and country with TFTC. Edwards is a skilled songwriter, wrapping his guitar around tales of the South, keeping it simple and often folksy. TFTC has some originals mingled with old Tater tunes and rocking covers. With Cattletruck. Double Door Inn (Samir Shukla)
Bon Jovi The "other" New Jersey band – Springsteen would top the list – is out on tour in support of their latest album, The Circle. Chances are you'll hear a lot of hits this time around, with an emphasis on the new album, which is the band's eleventh. The band's last tour, in support of The Lost Highway, ranked as the No. 1 tour for 2008. Those are big shoes to fill. Time Warner Cable Arena (Jeff Hahne)
FRIDAY, APRIL 23
The Rocketboys The Texas combo's atmospheric sound is obviously inspired by Coldplay and U2. The Rocketboys are in no hurry to finish a song, rather unfolding and refolding layers of soundscapes into meditative and moody tracks. Their debut, 20,000 Ghosts, released last fall, is potent throughout, creating an original ambience with guitar tones that flutter and hum. With Mike Strauss Band. The Evening Muse (Shukla)
The New Familiars Local favorites The New Familiars have been hard at work on a new album for what seems like an eternity, but that hasn't stopped them from touring like madmen. They recently hit SXSW and always seem to be on the road in one state or another – which makes these hometown gigs all the more special. Expect new tunes along with the favorites from the band, which is currently a quartet. Neighborhood Theatre (Hahne)
Lupe Fiasco Perfect match here of artist and venue. Let's let Lupe tell it (from his remake of Radiohead's "National Anthem"): "School of hard knocks, I dean it/I done it, as well as a celebrated alumnus/I donate to their campus and my names on the arenas/But you can't bring it to my court/Not even with subpoenas/'Cause you can't play my sport/But you can still cheerlead us.../So just move up to the bleachers/How you gonna school me when I grew up with your teachers?" The man could teach a hell of a graduate seminar in spittin' fire, this much is for sure. With the ATL's own B.O.B. Halton Arena (Davis)
SATURDAY, APRIL 24
Max Indian The scruff-faced Carrboro, N.C., locals put on a pretty standard performance during their 2008 You Can Go Anywhere, Do Anything release show. Max Indian labels itself as Southern rock, which is highly debatable seeing as "Whatever Goes Up" is reminiscent of the "Welcome Back Kotter" theme song. On the contrary, the genre strongly savors of modernized '60s and '70s pop rock. The best part is – the band pulls it off seamlessly. With Ryan Gustafson and Light Pines. Snug Harbor (Nicole Pietrantonio)
Shooter Jennings and Hierophant Y'all know that Shooter, the son of Waylon, has firmly established himself as a worthy torchbearer of honky-tonk and Southern rock. So hold your 10-gallon hats as Shooter Jennings goes off on a prog-rock, psych-rock experimental outing with a loose concept album called Black Ribbons. Far flung genres – Southern soul, ambient textures, spacey sounds, metal guitar, twangy dobro – are shredded and stitched together in a confounding but gripping album. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)
Angwish Power pop rockers, Bryan Bielanski (guitar/vocals) and Rachael Malmberg (bass/vocals), collectively known as Angwish, have been recording, performing and touring since the late '90s. Persistence is the modus operandi as the newest recording, Into the Void, showcases their evolved songcraft. "Basically I'm Lost," a psychedelically-hewn Beatelesque track off the new disc, is especially intriguing. With Treephort and The Manglers. The Milestone (Shukla)
SUNDAY, APRIL 25
Mutemath Watching drummer Darren King strut out on stage and vigorously duct tape headphones to his head at the start of a show is nearly as entertaining as the show itself. King is easily one of the top live drummers you'll ever see, but the band doesn't leave him on his own. Singer Paul Meany will leap off his keyboard, sing his ass off and rock a keytar like many wish they could. Uptown Amphitheatre (Hahne)