It’s Manuary here in Musical Notes, unintentionally so.
Not to worry, I will make it a personal mission next month to balance the scales. That being said, what a stellar line-up we have in the wings of our winter. I’ll be advertising The Hold Steady early (editor’s order), Keller Williams and Todd Snider. The mentionables would be stealing the headlines any other month, but be sure to do your research on those footers.
TODD SNIDER, YORK STRAND CAPITOL, JAN 6, STARTS AT 8 P.M.
This guy is prolific, writing nearly a tome of records over the last 20 years. He’s unabashedly crass in his folksy lyrics and, on-stage, his talking blues style works perfectly into his bit. Storytelling is his cash crop, and my recommendation is to stream his “Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables” album, a severe and honest repudiation of the 1 percent. His stoner delivery, meshed with a strong flavor of twang, makes his songs equally funny and sad.
KELLER WILLIAMS, FEDLIVE, JAN 26, DOORS AT 8 P.M.
The one-man band has put his solo act in the closet temporarily, teaming up with More than a Little for his most recent album, simply entitled “Funk.” Think George Clinton meets Talking Heads. The first cut of the album, “I Told You I Was Freaky,” is a nonsensical rhyming romp, and Keller applies this absurdity generously over the 10 tracks. Get ready for the weird and funk at this concert.
THE HOLD STEADY, ABBEY BAR (APPALACHIAN BREWING CO.), FEB 7, DOORS AT 8 P.M.
This concert, and in fact, this tour, is wholly dedicated to the memory of Harrisburg’s Mike Van Jura, fondly and almost ubiquitously known as “Jersey Mike.” The band decided to raise money in honor of this change-maker, who championed The Hold Steady via The Unified Scene, a hardcore fan board. Not only are these guys dedicating all the proceeds from this sold-out show to a foundation for Van Jura’s kids, they are kick-ass rock ‘n’ rollers. Go back to their “Boys and Girls in America” (2008) for some gritty and witty messages. And, if you can somehow score a ticket, you and a couple hundred others can uphold Jersey’s creed that “Live music can make a city.”
Mentionables:
Marc Cohn & Paula Cole, Whitaker Center, 1/11, Starts at 8 p.m.
Skogen, The MakeSpace, 1/23, Starts at 8 p.m.
The DuPont Brothers, Stage on Herr, 1/30, Starts at 8 p.m.
