LIVE MUSIC PICKS
Star Bar to host benefit for Truckadelic’s Weldon
3 Doors Down to play Gwinnett Arena
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
FRIDAY-SATURDAY
Ted Weldon Benefit
Ted Weldon is a staple of Atlanta’s Redneck Underground music scene, which had its heyday in the ’90s and centered around the Star Bar. Weldon, frontman for both the Diggers and Truckadelic, recently suffered a stroke, so Atlanta’s dependably charitable local musicians are banding together to help pay his mounting medical bills. It’s a two-night extravaganza of Atlanta and Athens talent, with many veterans of the Redneck Underground days pitching in, including Patterson Hood of Drive By Truckers, Anna Kramer and Slim Chance and the Convicts. Joining those three today are Gargantua, Rock City Dropouts, Chillbillies and Greasepaint. On Saturday, the lineup includes Super X-13, Bigfoot, Blacktop Rockets, Dirty Knockouts and Mudflap.
8 p.m. Dec. 19-20. Donations accepted. Star Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-681-9018, www.starbaratl.com.
SATURDAY
This is a homecoming show for one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets. Manchester Orchestra has been on the verge of breaking big for several years now, but the quintet’s profile is definitely on the rise at the moment. It has just released a terrific EP (“Let My Pride Be What’s Left Behind”) that includes the track “I Can Feel a Hot One,” which popped up in an episode of the spicy CW drama “Gossip Girl” in September. The band’s second full-length album, “Means Everything to Nothing,” is set for spring. The tour that hits the Variety Playhouse on Saturday — with Dead Confederate, Kevin Devine and All Get Out — has been making its way up and down the East Coast since the end of November.
8 p.m. Dec. 20. $15; $12 advance. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-521-1786, www.variety-playhouse.com.
These guys came out of Mississippi in 2000 with “Kryptonite,” which latched a monster chorus to some straight ahead pop-rock for one of the biggest surprise hits of the year. The catchy, gimmick-free, guitar-based tune was everywhere. You could hear it on nearly every pop or rock station in town. 3 Doors Down has yet to repeat the ubiquity of that tune, but the band continues to make a solid showing on the mainstream rock charts with tracks such as “It’s Not My Time” and “Train.” Those two tracks were from the band’s self-titled album, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in May 2008. With Switchfoot and American Bang.
7:30 p.m. Dec. 20. $25-$45. Gwinnett Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 770-813-7600, 404-249-6400; www.gwinnettcenter.com.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY
Collective Soul is still a going concern, but Ed Roland, the main man behind CS hits such as “Shine” and “The World I Know,” takes the occasional solo jaunt. His band’s latest album, “Afterwords,” was reissued Dec. 9 with three new solo tracks from Roland. This weekend finds the Stockbridge-raised Buckhead resident doing solo performances in the intimate music room at Eddie’s Attic.
6:30 p.m. Dec. 20-21. $40. Eddie’s Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com.
DEC. 25
Fronted by Carbonas bassist Jesse Smith, this Atlanta combo got a lot of notice from “I Don’t Wanna Know,” a blazing track that splices together jangly ’70s power-pop and the melodic punk of the Buzzcocks. It was a couple of the finest minutes of music released by Atlantans in 2007. The band finally got around to releasing a debut album this fall, and “Introducing Gentleman Jesse” was worth the wait, delivering on the promise of that stunning single.
9 p.m. Dec. 25. $5. The Earl, 488 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E., Atlanta. 404-522-3950, 1-800-594-8499; www.badearl.com.
