MICHELLE SHOCKED Since her out-of-nowhere debut album The Texas Campfire Tapes (it was recorded on a Sony Walkman tape recorder, er, around a campfire in Texas) and 1988's Short Sharp Shocked, which earned her a sizable pre-NPR Song of the Day/Starbucks listenership, Shocked hasn't exactly set the world on fire, you'd be forgiven for thinking. Except that she's been singularly excellent ever since those early successes, if she didn't exactly fit into the whole cowpunk/rebel grrl box the media had her fitted for, even delving into gospel, dub and bluegrass in recent years, all to fine effect. $20-$35, Neighborhood Theatre, www.neighborhoodtheatre.com (Timothy C. Davis)
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FANTASIA To say the last year has been turbulent for former American Idol and Charlotte resident Fantasia Barrino would be an understatement. After a suicide attempt earlier this year, Fantasia has regained her focus on music and is returning to the road. The current tour is in support of her third album, Back to Me. With Eric Benet and Kandi. $46-$86. Ovens Auditorium. www.ovensauditorium.com (Jeff Hahne)