Pentatonix
The Fillmore
March 27, 2014

• Andrew Ryan Shepherd
• Pentatonix

Kaplan was clearly the crowd favorite during the sold-out Pentatonix concert at the Fillmore on March 27, 2014. The bearded bass singer sent most of the women in attendance into a squeal-and-scream frenzy every time he spoke or sang as he often put on an awesome demonstration of control and talent.

Pentatonix offers a mix of imaginative original songs as well as inspired and well-arranged covers. The group, which won the third season of the TV show The Sing-Off in 2011, makes magic happen without instruments. Their complex harmonies drive the crowd wild as often as they leave the masses in silent awe.

Nicole Atkins, Arc Iris, Stephen Warwick
Evening Muse
March 25, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• Nicole Atkins

Leaning heavily on her February-released album, Slow Phaser, Atkins' set also included a few fan favorites as she danced, sang and sweated the night away. Wearing a long black cloak, Atkins took the stage without a word and immediately launched into "Vultures," the lead track from 2011's Mondo Amore.

The former Charlotte resident acknowledged plenty of friends and even some family in the audience with smiles as she cruised through song after song in stellar form. From the upbeat disco-inflected "Girl You Look Amazing" to the old-school style of the ballad, "The Way It Is," Atkins showed her vocal range and power, climaxing with the encore as she made her way into the crowd to sing amongst her fans.

It was a winning conclusion to a musical trifecta that started out with a 30-minute solo set by Ancient Cities singer/guitarist Stephen Warwick and jaw-dropping set by Arc Iris as the "meat" in a musical sandwich.

2 Chainz
The Fillmore
March 20, 2014

If a 14-year-old heard The Beatles in 1964, by 1988, that music fan likely looked at Motley Crue with skeptisim.

When I was 14, I saw Ice Cube live. I tried to embody the West Coast ideals of The Chronic. I was about to embark on my formative years with a soundtrack by all the "greats" - Biggie, Pac, Nas, Jay-Z, OutKast and the list goes on.

As I now reach 34-years old, I can't help but have a nostalgically close-minded opinion of most new hip-hop. As I see it, "new" is anything after Jay-Z's Black Album. I joke, though my sentiments are shared by a lot of hip hop fans my age.

But this isn't about me, my close-minded taste or age as it is relevant to hip-hop. This is about Atlanta artist 2 Chainz performing at The Fillmore in Charlotte on March 20, 2104.

So why did I, a archaic hip-hop head, stay up late on a week night to see a mainstream rapper - an artist with only two studio albums to date?

He's been around the game of life and hip-hop a long time. He is older than me at 36. Lastly, a few months ago, I got off my high horse and listened to his latest album, B.O.A.T.S. II: Me Time. It's entertaining. Regardless of my ability to relate to his experiences - I never sold nearly that much crack, my head bobbed and I dug it.

George Thorogood
The Fillmore
March 18, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• George Thorogood

Now, 26 years after that first show, I caught my third Thorogood concert at The Fillmore last night. After all that time, not much has changed. Let's be honest - he's never been the best singer, guitarist or songwriter; however, Thorogood continues to be a consummate performer at heart. What his guitar solos lack in originality, he makes up for with enthusiasm. When his vocals lack range, the crowd could care less because they're too busy singing along. Half of his set is cover songs, but that just makes them more familiar. At 64 years old, and 40 years into his music career, Thorogood is simply having a blast.

Sarah Jarosz
Neighborhood Theatre
March 14, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• Sarah Jarosz

Such gentle good humor was indicative of the energy exchange between audience and Jarosz plus her empathetic onstage collaborators, Alex Hargreaves (fiddle) and Nathaniel Smith (cello). The vibe fused warm familiarity with focused instrumental firepower, Jarosz's no frills approachability with the trio's air of transcendental magic.

With little fanfare, Jarosz trouped onstage earlier in the evening in red dress and cowboy boots. The trio, which forms the musical spine of her latest album, Build Me Up From Bones, launched into the moody cyclical sea shanty Annabelle Lee. As Jarosz anchored the county-tinged lament with percussive banjo, Hargreaves' fiddle screeched and swooped smoothly like a hawk, entwining with, and then releasing Smith's richly lowing cello.

Shovels & Rope w/ Hurray for the Riff Raff
Visulite Theatre
March 4, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• Shovels & Rope

"You guys are fucking awesome!" Hearst blurted out. She immediately apologized for cussin', "because of the children in the audience," though none could be seen in the concert hall. Like most of the duo's feints toward respectability, Hearst's apology was delivered with a wink and nod.

Hearst's "shame" was the only thing insincere about the Charleston based pair on this Mardi Gras Tuesday. Whether winding harmonies as pure and righteous as Johnny Cash's and June Carter's, or lurching into the psychobilly tar pit reserved for the Cramps, Hearst and husband Michael Trent were always grounded and emotionally true - as well as occasionally and lovably unhinged.

The Naked and Famous w/ Ancient Cities
The Fillmore
Feb. 25, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• The Naked and Famous

Opening with a few songs from its latest album, In Rolling Waves, The Naked and Famous offers an electronics-infused brand of music that teeters between indie rock, shoegaze and synthpop. Driving the songs foward are the vocals of Xayalith and singer/guitarist Thom Powers.

Currently on tour opening for Imagine Dragons, it was clear The Naked and Famous appreciates the opportunity of a gig like this to be the center of attention as the headliner. The music's infectious grooves not only got the audience moving, but the group itself had a hard time standing still - even the merch girl was singing and dancing along.

Demi Lovato
Time Warner Cable Arena
Feb. 23, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• Demi Lovato

The real surprise was that Lovato managed to make an arena show feel more like an intimate club performance. She didn't need flash to put on a great show. All she needed on a sparsely decorated stage was emotion and the talent with which Lovato sang hits and old and new, although a pretty cool light display was a nice addition.

Lovato hails from the same Disney generation as Miley Cyrus, who has become notorious for her overly sexualized image as of late. The difference? Lovato shows maturity far beyond her years, both in her performance and in her message.

Walk Off the Earth
Amos' Southend
Feb. 4, 2014

• Photo by Jeff Hahne
• Walk Off the Earth

The Canadian rock band, whose cover of Gotye's "Somebody that I Used to Know" has garnered more than 156 million YouTube views, impressed a sold-out crowd with its varied instrumentation, harmonies and energy - all that other stuff was just icing on the cake.