LIVE MUSIC PICKS
Gwen Stefani back with No Doubt at Lakewood, LeAnn Rimes, John Prine, Al Green and Etta James
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
FRIDAY, June 5
No Doubt
Gwen Stefani proved she didn’t need the guys in No Doubt to craft hit singles. But whether she needs them to make good music is a matter of opinion. Whatever your position on the band/solo question, you should see them while you still can as the band’s latest tour comes to Atlanta. Successful solo careers don’t usually bode well for band longevity.
7:30 p.m. June 5. Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood, 2002 Lakewood Way. 404-443-5000. www.livenation.com.
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Alternative country musician John Prine and The Band drummer Levon Helm perform at Chastain.
Chuck Burton/AP
LeAnn Rimes brings her strong vocals to the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater.
At age 26, LeAnn Rimes has already had a 13-year career in music. She was just 13 years old when her multi-platinum debut, “Blue,” wowed fans and critics and topped the country charts.
8 p.m. June 5-6. $35- $70. Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater, 201 McIntosh Trail, Peachtree City. 770-631-0630, www.amphitheater.org.
SATURDAY, June 6
Prine was alt-country before alt-country was cool — or at least decades before anyone thought to call it that. Going strong since 1971, Prine renders his wryly observed character sketches in a distinctive, reedy twang. Most folks know his voice, since he’s the one singing lead on The Band’s classics “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” and “Up on Cripple Creek” and, with bassist Rick Danko, “The Weight.” The Band’s beloved drummer, Helm, released “Dirt Farmer” in 2007. It was his first solo studio recording in 25 years, and brought him a richly deserved Grammy.
7:30 p.m. June 6. Chastain Park Amphitheater, 4469 Stella Drive N.W. 404-733-5012, www.classicchastain.com.
SUNDAY, June 7
Wisconsin-born singer-songwriter Justin Vernon is the prime mover behind Bon Iver. His latest album, “For Emma, Forever Ago,” was originally released independently and later picked up by Jagjaguwar Records and re-released in January 2008. The atmospheric and introspective work, recorded in a remote cabin northern Wisconsin, landed on numerous best-of-the-year lists.
9 a.m. June 7. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E. 404-524-7354, www.variety-playhouse.com.
WEDNESDAY, June 10
The Rev. Green stopped performing secular music for a time, but when he came back to R&B it was reason to celebrate. His soulful performances are a real pleasure to watch, though you don’t really watch them so much as experience them. And James’s timeless “At Last” might have become overexposed lately, but you should hear it sung by the woman who made it a classic. And you should hear the grittier material that made up most of her catalog.
7:30 p.m. June 10. $33-$58. Chastain Park Amphitheater, 4469 Stella Drive N.W. 404-249-6400, www.livenation.com.
THURSDAY, June 11
It’s a meeting of the generations as award-winning Nigerian musician Kuti, son of legendary afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, tours with 62-year-old African legend Adé, a key figure in bringing African music to worldwide attention in the 1970s and ’80s.
8 p.m. June 11. $30. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 404-524-7354, www.variety-playhouse.com.
