Including from Bowie, minus the pink spiky hair
So far it seems to be a fresh start for 2013 as local shows are starting to flow in. Rumors are swirling of bands to come, but with the way things are looking, the calendar is about to fill up quickly.Downtown Augusta is the normal hotspot for live music and I love it. I live downtown so every show is only a stumble away from my doorstep. Sometimes that doorstep is my bed.
We’ll kick things off with John Berret and LaRoxes at the new and improved First Round Bar, this Saturday night. John is one of the best guitarists and teachers that the CSRA has to offer and his band always puts on an awesome show. If you want to watch a show where you stare at a guy playing guitar and you ask the question, “How does he do that?” then this is the show for you.
The band Almost Kings returns to Augusta next Friday night, January 18, to Sky City, with special guests F.O.C.U.S. and Necessary Evil. Tickets are only $7 in advance at skycityaugusta.com. That show is going to definitely be the loud show of the evening, so if that’s not your style and you’re looking for more of a relaxed feel, head over to Stillwater Taproom for The Copper Thieves. They’re playing Friday night as well. I’m not sure if there’s a cover, but I’m sure that there’s really good beer on tap.
Looking a couple weeks ahead, Sky City is bringing in two big shows. The first one is Camper Van Beethoven, back at Sky City on the 23rd. And then the one I’m most excited about, Ponderosa! I cannot tell how awesome this band is. I will be front and center. Ponderosa returns on Saturday, February 16.
The “up and comers” shows around Augusta are my favorite. They are what will drive the music scene in Augusta and help shed light on all the local talent we have. The only challenge for local bands is getting attached to those shows. Luckily there are some great promoters around.
With the spice and excitement of a new year, most people sit down with a list of resolutions and get to work on bettering themselves. For musicians, it’s time to get back to work. Most are making plans for a new album and hopefully a tour that will bring them close to Augusta. I have to say the biggest surprise of new music came this week from David Bowie. It was no “Space Oddity,” but it was still new music from someone I thought was dead. Bowie came out of reclusion with the new track “Where Are We Now?” on Tuesday, which was also his 66th birthday. The song is off his new album, “The Next Day,” which will hit store shelves on March 12, the first new album from Bowie in 10 years. Can he at least go back to the pink spiked hair?
Some other bands also hit the web with news of new music. Vampire Weekend, as well as the Black Keys, are set for spring releases. The Black Keys also announced four dates on an upcoming tour and, jackpot, the southeast is covered. The band with be in Atlanta at Lakewood Amphitheatre on May 2. I will be there with bells on.
Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam and ukulele aficionado, told Rolling Stone magazine that Pearl Jam was about halfway done with a new album. And according to his Twitter feed, Nathan Followill, the drummer for the Kings of Leon, announced that the band is back in the studio working on album number six. What music is coming to Augusta? What albums do you want to hear? My birthday is Sunday, can you cover my bar tab? Email me, matt@themetrospirit.com.You Might Also Like:
