Amy Grant is the best selling Christian performer of all time, she is an AOR performer with a whole lotta heart, who went mainstream and then doubled back. With a fair to middling album to push, which includes a duet with her husband Vince Gill, Amy plays Irving Plaza on Friday.
Monday – N.O.R.E. – SOBs – A Reggeaton progenitor and a superb rapper in his own rite, he doesn’t get the props he deserves so go give them to him.
Monday – Diablo Love – Summerstage – I bet you thought that after “King Kong” maybe another musical by the same director was not the best idea in the world. But you forgot that Tomas Doncker will be playing Howling Wolf covers throughout the show.
Tuesday – Regeneration Tour – Tuesday – Andy Bell AND Howard Jones? Synth pop has never been deeper.
Wednesday – John Mayer – Wednesday – PNC Center – I have big problems with this guy, not least his voice which sounds like Dave Mathews and all the other surf and turfers. He can still play guitar.
Wednesday – Bridget Mendler – Best Buy – Another Disney star grows up. I wonder if they incubate em? You know like K-Pop. “Ready Or Not” is OK.
Wednesday – George Clinton – Beekman Beer Garden – After getting ripped off by the rap world, time to realize the genius that is Clinton and represent.
Thursday – Brett Michaels – BB Kings – Poisonous Rose time, folks
Thursday – Jimmy Buffett – Jones Beach – No, I’m not much of a Parrothead myself. Never before has one man made so much with so little. But at Jones Beach, you gotta think…
Friday – The O’Jays And Gladys Night – NJPAC – Get on the love train with a nothing but great live band, who are owed almost as much in royalties from rap as George Clinton. Gladys is an added plus.
Friday – One More Time – Webster Hall – A Daft Punk tribute band and if I have the energy, I will try and the timing is right, I will try and make both Amy and these guys before catching the real thing at the VMA’s on Sunday.
Saturday – Perez Hilton – MHOW – No, I don’t know Kay, Natalia Kills, Fifth Harmony, Ivy Levan, all who are performing. BUT that’s just one more reason to check it out. Sold out by the way.
Saturday -Brian Auger – BB Kings Lucille – No Julie Driscoll but go any way.
Saturday – Dru Hill – BB Kings – I saw em open for Blackstreet and New Edition once and they were excellent and I saw Faith Evans open for them once and at least she was excellent. So we will see…
Sunday — MTV VMAs – Barclay Center – Daft Punk, Katy, Gaga, Kweezy, Timberlake -it would be more impressive if they were doing more than one song. However, I haven’t been to the VMAs in knocking on 15 years so I’m psyched.
Sunday – Candy And Women – The Treehouse At 2A – The buzz on The Treehouse, a hangout on the Lower East Side curated by Tom Clark (of Tom Clark And The High Action Boys) where local denizens of semi-underground rock and soul and country, perform open door hootenannys, is too loud to be ignored any longer. But it is Sundays only, and the timing is way off for a working stiff. However, if I didn’t have the VMAs, this show I would be going to if for no other reason than to catch Monica Passin of Lil Mo And The Monicats. Their name suggests late 1970s new wave, but maybe more Straycat is what you are getting. Blasters-ish rockabilly with a touch more country than actual country has in 2013. I’ll get around to writing more about the band, soon.