LIVE MUSIC PICKS
Jimmy Buffett, Katy Perry, Jason Aldean headed to town
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, April 10, 2009
FRIDAY
Old Crow Medicine Show
Chapman Baehler 2008
Pop phenom Katy Perry will play Center Stage on Wednesday, April 15.
Old-timey string band with a punk rock heart and an adventurous musical soul. These guys have built a big following by stretching the boundaries of string-band music. They’ll be joined by another bluegrass-influenced player with little regard for genre pigeonholes, Nickel Creek fiddler Sara Watkins.
8 p.m. April 10. $29.50-$35. Fox Theatre, 660 Peachtree St. N.E., Atlanta. 404-881-2100, 404-817-8700, www.foxtheatre.org.
Jason Aldean
Aldean grew up in Macon listening to George Strait, John Anderson and Keith Whitley. But it’s apparent in the sound of his music that there was some Southern rock sinking in somewhere, too. He’d already scored five Top 10 country hits, and he’s added one more with “She’s Country.” It’s from his third album, “Wide Open,” which hit stores earlier this week.
9 p.m. April 10. $22-$97. Wild Bill’s, 2075 Market St., Duluth. 678-473-1000, www.wildbillsatlanta.com.
TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY
Alejandro Escovedo
Escovedo has spent his career outside the mainstream, quietly creating a diverse and oft-covered catalog of songs. His latest album, “Real Animal,” is a kind of autobiography in song, from his days as a punk rock pioneer (with San Francisco band the Nuns) through the years spent blending roots music with punk back in his home state of Texas (in Rank and File and the True Believers) up to the launch of his solo career. In an interview last year, he told me you could look at his pioneering but not exactly lucrative career as a case of “being in the right place at the wrong time.”
6:30 p.m. April 14-15. $25; $22.50 advance. Eddie’s Attic, 515-B N. McDonough St., Decatur. 404-377-4976, www.eddiesattic.com.
WEDNESDAY
Katy Perry
Her No. 1 hit “I Kissed a Girl” made this former contemporary Christian artist (as Katy Hudson) a pop phenomenon. Her persona these days is a little on the naughty side, like the preacher’s daughter gone bad.
7:30 p.m. April 15. $20 (sold out). Center Stage Atlanta, 1374 W. Peachtree St. N.W., Atlanta. 404-885-1365, www.centerstage -atlanta.com.
Lily Allen
The last time the bubbly Brit was in town, she proved that the substantial hype surrounding her was justified. Her blend of reggae, ska, hip-hop and pop packed even more punch onstage than it does on her debut album, “Alright, Still,” and the recent sophomore release, “It’s Not Me, It’s You.” A pony-tailed pixie with a mouth like a sailor and an easy rapport with her audience, she warned the crowd, “When I do a show, I like to drink a bit.”
8 p.m. April 15. $27.50 (sold out). Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-521-1786, www.variety-playhouse.com.
THURSDAY
Jimmy Buffett
It’s always time for a cocktail in Margaritaville, so pour yourself something tall and strong. You’ll have to settle for those drinks somewhere else, though, because this puppy is sold out. You might be able to score tickets, but only if you’re willing to part with some substantial cash.
8 p.m. April 16. $136; $36 lawn (sold out). Lakewood Amphitheatre, 2002 Lakewood Way, Atlanta. 404-443-5090, 404-249-6400, www.livenation.com.
