Top Tickets: Some of the Week’s Best Live Music: Jam, Jazz and Jazz-Grass
By Tad Dickens, The Roanoke Times, Va.
Mar. 13–THURSDAY
RAQ
With Groova Scape
In less than a year, the Mix One6 has staked out its niche and is filling it nicely. The niche: jam band music. It’s a good idea, because Roanoke is close enough to a lot of places to allow easy travel for those who follow their bands religiously. And it’s a large enough area to draw plenty of people who don’t have time to give it all up and sell grilled cheese sandwiches in parking lots to support their post-Dead travel habit. As newer jam bands go, RAQ falls into the moe., Phish and Umphree’s McGee category of vibes.
Details: 10 tonight. The Mix One6, 16 Campbell Ave., downtown Roanoke. $7 in advance; $10 at the door. 18 and older. 344-4494, myspace.com/themixone6club, raqmusic.com.
FRIDAY
Jazz Club: Andrew Bishop’s Hank Williams Project
Jazz musicians. Hank Williams songs. Sound like a disconnect? Don’t think too fast. Listen to the old Hank songs — many of them were basic swing, with jazzy guitar and pedal steel licks. Not that Bishop is reviving them as museum pieces. If you hear a banjo or guitar here, it’s likely to be dissonant even as it chugs along like a freight train. Horn lines are more reminiscent of spy movie music than Western swing. “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” is a trippy dirge. This one is for adventurous listeners.
Details: 8 p.m. Friday. Jefferson Center, 541 Luck Ave., Roanoke. $12 for adults; $6 for children and students. 345-2550, jeffcenter.org, myspace.com/andrewbishopmusic, cdbaby.com/cd/abishop2.
Scott Leftwich and the Atarians, with Slushie and Fight Like Sinatra
Leftwich and his band have two things going for them from jump — they named themselves after the Atari 2600 video game’s old fan club, and they’re from Mount Airy, N.C., where you can buy pork chop sandwiches at the Snappy Lunch. Turns out, the band rocks, too, in a Weezer-meets-Badfinger-meets-Stone Temple Pilots kind of way.
Details: 9 p.m. Friday. Attitudes Bar & Cafe, 900 Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg. $5. 18 and older. 552-7001, attitudesbar.com, myspace.com/scottleftwichandtheatarians.
The Seed
Two years running, the Seed has won the best local band in The Roanoke Times music poll. The band’s Gabe “The Ambassador” Lewis won best singer. Revel in the reggae talent.
Details: 10 p.m. Friday. Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St., Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, myspace.com/theseedsound.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
Bebop Hoedown
Roanoke’s jazzy-grass stalwarts are recording a live CD on this two-night gig, so go down to 202 and scream really loud.
Details: 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $5. 343-6644, 202market.net, bebophoedown.com.
SATURDAY
Electric Chameleon
Get a ration of slinky, jammed-out grooves from this young, four-piece band. Preview the band on the MusicCast, blogs.roanoke.com/musiccast/e/.
Details: 9 p.m. Saturday. All Sports Cafe, 131 E. Main St., Salem. Free. 389-4647, allsportscafeinc.com, myspace.com/electricchameleon.
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage
The Bluegrass in Galax series is not fooling around. Vincent and her band are top-of-the-heap ‘grass, certain to draw crowds and entertain them with hot picking and singing. Vincent is the closest thing to a pinup that bluegrass has, but musically, she brings the authentic goods, chunking out some good mandolin licks along the way. Definitely road trip-worthy.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Fairview Ruritan Club, near Galax. $20 general admission; free for ages 12 and younger. (276) 238-0376, bluegrassingalax.com, nemr.net/~rhondav/.
MONDAY
Crobar Cane
St. Patty’s Day is about green beer and shamrocks. Crobar Cane will make it about Southern rock and jam.
Details: 10 p.m. Monday. Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill, 413 First St., Roanoke. Free. 985-6278, martinsdowntown.com, crobarcane.com.
The Pop Rivets
Solid pop-rock with a party vibe and good original songs. St. Patty’s at the Brambleton Deli is something of a Pop Rivets tradition.
Details: 9 p.m. Monday. 3655 Brambleton Ave., Roanoke. Free. 774-4554, myspace.com/thepoprivets.
TUESDAY
Kid Rock
The “Rock ‘n’ Roll Revival Tour” features Kid Rock’s latest and greatest, plus his pals Rev. Run of Run-DMC and ex-Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts.
Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Roanoke Civic Center Coliseum. $27 and $47.25. Tickets at (888) 397-3100, tickets.com. Information at 853-5483, roanokeciviccenter.com, kidrock.com.
Illbotz as Run-DMC Kid Rock concert pre-party
You might get to hear Rev. Run do a rap or two at the Roanoke Civic Center, but here, Illbotz will give you a full set of old-school sweetness.
Details: 6 p.m. Tuesday. The Mix One6, 16 Campbell Ave., downtown Roanoke. Free. 344-4494, myspace.com/themixone6club, illbotz.net.
Jukebox the Ghost
If you’re not into the whole massive concert thing, catch a band that has its own shot at big-shed concerts. Jukebox the Ghost, just off the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, comes with the recommendation of My Radio drummer Hunter Johnson.
Details: 8 p.m. Tuesday. 202 Market, 202 Market Square, downtown Roanoke. $5. 343-6644, 202market.net, myspace.com/jukeboxtheghost.
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