Live Music Picks: Nanci Griffith, Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd, Beyonce, Boz Scaggs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, June 26, 2009
FRIDAY, June 26
Nanci Griffith
An ace songwriter and master of the unfettered folk melody, this longtime cult favorite casts a fragile, almost precious spell in concert. The gentle-voiced Texan can tread too close to adult contemporary pop, but when she keeps things quaint and country-tinged, she makes magic.
8 p.m. June 26. $35. Atlanta Botanical Garden, 1345 Piedmont Ave. 404-876-5859, www.atlantabotanicalgarden.org.
Firefall
From 1976 to 1981, this Colorado-based outfit put six songs into the Top 40, including the Top 10 hit “You Are the Woman” and two more that just missed that height (“Just Remember I Love You” and “Strange Way” both stalled at No. 11).
8 p.m. June 26-27. $25-$30. Mudcatz Bayou Bar and Grill, 5510 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. 770-828-0335, www.mudcatz.com.
SATURDAY, June 27
Patrick Wolf
One of contemporary pop’s most adventurous artists, Wolf combines elements of British folk, glam rock, chamber music and electronic music, creating a spellbinding blend. The 25-year-old Brit recently release his fourth album, “The Bachelor.”
8 p.m. June 27. $15. The Loft, 1374 W. Peachtree St. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.
SUNDAY, June 28
Kid Rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd
Detroit mingles with the South as these rockers take the stage at the recently renamed Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood (the venue formerly known as Lakewood Amphitheatre). Despite his Michigan roots, Kid Rock’s music is the perfect contemporary pairing with the classic Southern rock of Skynyrd.
7:30 p.m. June 28. $20-$226. 2002 Lakewood Way. 404-443-5000, www.livenation.com.
WEDNESDAY, July 1
Beyoncé
Her importance becomes clearer with each new disposable pop diva that rolls off the music industry’s assembly line. Sure, her latest album, the double-disc, “I Am … Sasha Fierce,” was a bit too ambitious and muddled, but the high points proved she can still slay the competition.
7:30 p.m. July 1. $20.75-$109.75. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive. 404-878-3000, www.philipsarena.com.
Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs
Everyone of a certain age, if they’re honest, has a soft spot for Scaggs’ soul-tinged pop. He only had one Top 10 hit (“Lowdown”), but the album where that track appeared, “Silk Degrees,” is a winner from start to finish. McDonald is a little more polarizing, but even the haters know all the words to “I Keep Forgettin’ (Every Time You’re Near)” or his 1979 smash with the Doobie Brothers “What a Fool Believes,” which took home the Grammy for Record of the Year.
8 p.m. July 1. Chastain Park Amphitheater, 4469 Stella Drive N.W. 404-733-5012, www.classicchastain.com.
