5 Live Music Musts - January 22, 2016
Ken Abrams, GoLocalProv Music Critic
5 Live Music Musts - January 22, 2016
Sarah Potenza at The Met Sunday
A year ago, Sarah Potenza was gearing up for her run on NBC’s The Voice, where the Smithfield native made a splash reaching the Top 20 “Playoff” round. Potenza showed the world what we in RI already knew, that she’s an immensely talented performer. She’s been busy since The Voice, touring with husband and guitarist Ian Crossman and recording a new album, My Turn, due later this year. Sunday, after football, she plays a homecoming show at The Met, where she’ll be backed by the Smithfield High School Chorus, a group she was a part of in high school. Music begins at 7PM with Jon Tierney opening. Tickets are $12 in advance and are going fast.
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An annual mid-winter celebration of musicians and seafarers is back this weekend on Aquidneck Island. Let’s hope everyone rides out the storm in port – although a little snow won’t bother this rugged crowd. The “Gathering of Fiddlers and Fishermen,” at Common Fence Music is headlined this year by MC Ilana Katz Katz, a highly regarded Boston based fiddler and novelist. A number of locals are also expected to appear. Tickets are $15 in advance here – buy them now, as this show is usually a sell-out.
Woonsocket native Greg Abate is perhaps RI’s greatest living jazz musician, and he’ll be home at Chan’s tomorrow night celebrating the release of his new album Kindred Spirits, recorded there in 2014. The album is a saxophone throw down featuring the late great Phil Woods, in what turned out to be his final live recording. It will be a great night of jazz with Abate and his sextet. Two shows are scheduled at 8PM and 10PM. Tickets are $20.
Marshall Crenshaw and Bottle Rockets at Narrows Thursday
Singer-Songwriter Marshall Crenshaw was a man caught in the wrong time. He was a singer songwriter in the 80’s, writing and singing tunes inspired by the 50’s and 60’s. He’s still doing his thing and returns to the Narrows Center backed by The Bottle Rockets, one of the early alt-country bands who still pack quite a punch. For more on the two artists, click here for our 2014 interview with Crenshaw. Music begins at 8PM, tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door.
Quarterly Album Release Show at AS220 Saturday
The hip indie show of the week is tomorrow night at AS220 where four post-modern folk acts are scheduled to perform. Headlining and releasing a new album is Quarterly, a NYC based guitar and cello duo that makes instrumental music drawn from various folk, American, and classical traditions. Also on the bill, Brooklyn singer-songwriter Longshoreman, RI ghost folk diva Allysen Callery, and Two Selkies, an act that defies categorization. $6 cover, music begins at 9PM.
Check “5 Live” next week for our second annual “Dive Bar” edition. Got a favorite one that plays live music? E-mail suggestions here.
Top Winter Concerts
NRBQ at Narrows Center
Two “new” bands appear next week at our America’s best roots venue, The Narrows Center. Actually neither band is a new act, they just have the word “New” in their name. The New Riders of the Purple Sage are one of the original psychedelic country rock bands going back to the early 70’s. NRBQ (New Rhythm and Blues Quartet) might sound like a jazz band and the latest offering from keyboardist and band leader Terry Adams (Talk Thelonius) is in fact an album based on the work of jazz legend Thelonius Monk. Two shows not to be missed! Details here. Check out our interview from a year ago with Adams here.
Deer Tick at Lupos
Ring in the new year Saturday night January 2nd at Lupo’s with a homecoming show from RI natives Deer Tick. As their national presence continues to grow, we see less and less of Nashville transplant John McCauley, so its pretty much guaranteed he’ll be leading the boys through a major blowout at Lupo’s. As DT fans know, anything can happen at a Deer Tick show - with special guests a strong possibility. Tickets are $25 in advance and $28 at the door. Last Good Tooth opens. More details available here.
Drive-By Truckers
The Drive By Truckers are a southern rock band that have been defying stereotypes for almost 20 years. The songwriting of Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley is some of the best around and their three guitar attack of straight up rock and roll will leave your ears ringing. They return to RI and make their debut at the Columbus Theatre on March 9. For a preview, check out their recent live album It’s Great to be Alive. Tickets available here.
Sarah Potenza at The Met
RI native and The Voice veteran Sarah Potenza will be playing a homecoming show on January 24th at The Met. We’ve watched Potenza move from open mics, to Chicago and her band the Tall Boys, to Nashville, and then to the national stage on NBC’s The voice. Expect a full show of classics and maybe some tunes from her new album Monster expected in early 2016. Tickets for the January 24 show available here.
Beach Boys at the Park
The Beach Boys in February? You bet! The touring band led by original member Mike Love (with Newport native John Cowsill on drums) will be stopping by the Park Theatre on Valentine’s Day for what promises to be a great night of classic hits. Most nights, the band plays a 30+ song set and never disappoints. Click here for our interview with Love from 2014 here and get your tickets here before it sells out. Tickets are still available here or at the Park Theatre box office.
