WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22
CARY ANN HEARST & MICHAEL TRENT Maybe better known by their stage name, Shovels + Rope, Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent make simple, folksy, country and blues music. The South Carolina duo also perform apart as solo acts but together they gel to create pure, no frills, Southern charm with a spirit about it that’s undeniably their own. Elonzo and One Another are also on the bill. $5, Snug Harbor, www.snugrock.com (Mike McCray)
MARSHALL RUFFIN Ruffin’s slow-burning blues smolders and glows. It doesn’t matter if he’s strumming an acoustic guitar or slaying an electric guitar with a blues epic like “Be My Man,” Ruffin’s songcraft and fretwork befits a veteran, though he is in his mid-20s. Armed with a blues-adept voice and a pared-down gathering of guitar, bass, and drums, Georgia’s Ruffin has plenty staying power. With Heather Luttrell. $7, The Evening Muse, www.theeveningmuse.com (Samir Shukla)
ACTUAL PARKING The Double Door Inn is ready to celebrate its 37th anniversary. What better way to recognize it than with a big old Christmas jam? Three members of the Charlotte band Dead End Parking will join forces with members of Actual Proof, The New Familiars, Jared Allan and Co. and Duende Mountain Duo for a big night of music. There’s no telling where the tunes will end up, but it should be fun. $5/Free with CLMS badge, Double Door Inn, www.doubledoorinn.com (Jeff Hahne)
ZEUS Taking cues from their larger-than-life mythical namesake, Charlotte’s grindcore outfit blasts metal with the requisite lacerated vocal chords, especially on the bruising tracks like “Sam Kinison’s Death March,” while guitars and the rhythm section pretty much max out the amps. Their recent recording was produced by noted knob-twirler Jamie King at the Basement Recording Studio up in Winston-Salem. With Chamelon, For Disaster, Elder Statesman and Gruppe 36. $5-$7, The Milestone, www.themilestoneclub.com (Shukla)
THURSDAY, DEC. 23
BEN HENRY One of the nicer developments in Q.C. music over the last seven or eight years is the sense of multi-instrumental, multi-band collectivity (not that such a thing has never existed before, mind you, but not to such a poor man’s Broken Social Scene level, either). Ben Henry fits right in with the new(ish) paradigm: he plays drums with The Lesser Pauls and also straps on the axe with duo The Have and Have Nots. Like many such utility players, he’s got his own thing going on too: in this case, intricate picking paired with a rhythmic vocal style that never sits still, even in songs that never develop past a slow gallop. With Veda Woolf, Nesh, and Kenni Falls. $5-$7, The Milestone, www.themilestoneclub.com (Timothy C. Davis)
VEDA WOOLF Featuring the petite voiced Kassie Marie Davis, the roots and blues-tinged, country-folk of Veda Woolf is a rather comforting listen. Whether she’s crooning an original composition or giving her take on Hank Sr. or Dylan, Davis’ voice is a treat to hear on almost any track. Veda Woolf will share the bill with Nesh, Ben Henry and Kenni Falls. $5-$7, Milestone, www.themilestoneclub.com (Shukla)
LESLIE This Charleston, S.C., trio would describe themselves as blues and rock but their sound is something a little different. Sure, it’s rock but it’s got a dexterity to it that could work on a pop chart. The show is part of their four-week residency at the Door, which the band hopes will help them gain a foothold in the Charlotte music scene as well as give them a chance to have some joys of home instead of usual tour life. $5 (free for ladies), Double Door Inn, www.doubledoorinn.com (McCray)
SATURDAY, DEC. 25
A CHRISTMAS EXTREME Last year, Charlotte singer-songwriter Benji Hughes started a new event, “A Christmas Extreme,” giving himself a stage to perform while inviting up friends to do the same. Amongst those who could perform are L.A.-based friend Jenny O and a possible reunion of Hughes’ band Muscadine. Hughes simply says, “I’ll be fun and extreme.” $8-$10. Snug Harbor. www.snugrock.com (Jeff Hahne)
SUNDAY, DEC. 26
‘BOUT IT BOYZ The ‘Bout It Boyz will be the first to tell you that their music has more tongue in cheek than a horny teenager at a spin-the-bottle battle. Well, they won’t tell you outright: they’ll tell you that they’re ’bout “drinkin’, fuckin’ and rappin’,” and furthermore that they’re the “baddest, most def gangsta’ rappers in the city of Charlotte.” Spiritual heirs to the late, great (assuming they don’t reform anytime soon) McClintock G’s, the Boyz’ DJ Matt pairs the verbal stylings of B-Poc and Corey “C-Note” Zeigler with a dirtier, more Southern sound that, while not exactly crunk, certainly pairs well with crank. Call ’em Three Loko. With Andy the Doorbum, The Lesser Pauls. $5-$7, The Milestone, www.milestoneclub.com (Davis)
This article appears in Dec 21-27, 2010.
