Thursday, December 27, 2007
Top tickets: New Year's Eve action
Ring it in with style
IO Jukebox
Col. Bruce Hampton & the Quark Alliance
John Cowan
Jane Powell is playing Blue 5 on New Year's Eve
Crobar Cane
The Seed
Geoff Achison & The Souldiggers
Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance With the John Cowan Band
Head into the new year with a vision of Zambiland at 202 Market. What is Zambiland, you ask? It's the domain of Hampton and other creative musicians, including Cowan. Creative Loafing's Scott Freeman tried out this description: It's "a place where what's out is in, what's in is out, and everything else is what it isn't. Where, when you come to a fork in the road, you take it."
202 Market's New Year's Eve promises to be a killer. Hampton, who once led the phenomenal Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit, has once again assembled a worthy band. Cowan, whose soul-infused vocals sparked New Grass Revival, continues in the newgrass vein with a group of simpatico pickers.
The bonus: They'll be joining each other on stage for both sets. The idea of Cowan and Hampton bringing their bands together is more than intriguing. 202 music guru Gary Jackson is so psyched about the idea, he's recording the show for a live CD. But you'll want to see and hear this for yourself.
The night caps a short stand for Hampton and his band at its Roanoke home away from home. See listings for the other shows below. Check out the IO Jukebox to hear podcasts with both Hampton and Cowan.
Details: 9 p.m. Monday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $50 for reserved seating; $25 general admission; $15 student. 343-6644, 202market.net, johncowan.com, bratoganibe.com
Jane Powell
Roanoke musical royalty returns home. Powell, who Blue 5 owner Kerry Hurley calls "the Aretha Franklin of Roanoke," delivers the goods in so many styles -- R&B, blues, jazz, reggae, gospel. She and her five-octave vocal range have traveled all over North America and the Caribbean, often aboard a cruise ship. It's a rare treat to have her back in Big Lick.
Details: 9:30 p.m. Monday. Blue 5 Restaurant, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. Doors open at 7 p.m. $75 per person. 904-5338, www.blue5restaurant.com, janelpowell.com.
Crobar Cane
Get a hard fix of jammed-out Southern rock to send you into 2008. Crobar Cane has plenty of good original songs and covers that make their audiences cut the fool. Fun fact: Guitarist and singer Adam Rutledge named the band after he watched his grandfather use a crowbar as a cane. Rutledge hopes the band lasts long enough to have its own crowbar canes.
Details: 9:30 p.m. Monday. Awful Arthur's, 1302 W. Main St., Salem. 21 and older. $10. 387-1004, myspace.com/awfularthurssalem, crobarcane.com. Tonight
Industrial night at the Mix One6
It's industrial night at the Mix One6, which means you'll also hear electro, EBM (electronic body music), synthpop, Gothic and more, according to the Mix's Alan Dever. DJ Rivet HD and DJ Paragon will be working, with guest slots including m3, a member of Kluge. Get an ear-dose of Kluge on the MusicCast -- blogs.roanoke.com/musiccast/k/kluge.html.
Details: 9 tonight. The Mix One6, 16 Campbell Ave., downtown Roanoke. $5. 18 and older. themixone6.com/default.aspx, myspace/rivethd, myspace/kluge1, myspace/konversion.
Tonight
Gregory Brothers with Sarah Fullen
Radford boy Andrew Gregory, a fine, fingerstyle, jazzy folk-blues guy, and his equally multitalented and musically adventurous brothers Evan and Michael are joined by Fullen, who sparks thoughts of folk-torch music. The group is based in Brooklyn now, but we're lucky they remember the home folks.
Details: 9 tonight. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $8. 202market.net, myspace.com/sefullen, myspace.com/thegregorybrothers
Friday
The Non-Profits
If you've seen the Pace Brothers' name listed here a lot, there's a reason. Keyboardist James and guitarist Cyrus are among the area's finest musicians. When they're part of the Non-Profits, bassist/producer Jake Dempsey and drummer Adam Clark of the Boston-based Afropop band the Superpowers help fuel the trip-jazz gig.
Details: 9 p.m. Friday. Blue 5, 312 Second St., downtown Roanoke. Free. 904-5338. blue5restaurant.com, myspace.com/thenonprofits.
Friday and Saturday
Col. Bruce Hampton and the Quark Alliance
With excellent guests
These nights are more than warm-ups for the Col. and QA's New Year's Eve shindig. On Friday, Geoff Achison, a blues/rock guitarist who has moved to Atlanta from Australia, will be plying fiery, six-string wares. On Saturday, pianist and singer Drew De Four will be at 202, beating up on the 88s and singing songs such as "You Only Kiss Me When You're Drunk."
Details: 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $20 in advance; $10 general admission; $5 student. geoffachison.com, myspace.com/drewd4 Saturday
Shayar and Krooshal Force
Here's a brand of reggae that sweeps from Shayar's home in Jamaica, to Beckley, W. Va., where the onetime Burning Spear guitarist now lives. Krooshal Force includes Roanoker Chris McCorkle on bass.
Details: Awful Arthur's, 213 Draper Road (inside Kent Square), Blacksburg. 443-9109, myspace.com/shayar
Saturday
The Seed
More reggae with Appalachian juju, courtesy of The Roanoke Times music poll's 2006 winner. The band hasn't shied away from playing live as it completes what will be its debut album, due early next year.
Details: 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Awful Arthur's, Towers Shopping Center, 2229 Colonial Ave., Roanoke. $5. 777-0007, myspace.com/awfularthurs, myspace.com/theseedsound.
