Briefs

The Black Crowes

w/ The North Mississippi All-Stars

Date: Tuesday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 pm

Venue: The Amphitheater at The Wharf, 23325 Amphitheater Dr., Orange Beach, Ala., www.thewharfal.com

Tickets: $36-$46 available through Ticketmaster

In 1985, the Robinson brothers of Marietta, Ga., created a pure Southern rock sound that kept the tradition of bands such as the Allman Brothers and Skynyrd, however Chris’ soulful warbling and Rich’s guitar mastery put them in a class all their own.

“Shake Your Money Maker” marked their national debut on American, with millions taking hold of the Crowes’ sound with open arms. Songs such as “Hard to Handle,” “She Talks to Angels,” and “Jealous Again” became instant hits and garnered them constant radio play nationwide.

“Shake Your Money Maker” went 5x platinum and earned them spots on stage alongside bands such as ZZ Top, AC/DC and Motley Crue.

Their follow-up, “The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion,” is one of the ultimate Southern rock albums of all time. While Skynyrd started leaning more toward country and Nirvana was laying the foundation for grunge, The Black Crowes musically represented the heart and soul of the South.

“Amorica” dollowed with more critical acclaim though it was a turbulent time, as members came and went, including founding brother Rich.

Currently, The Black Crowes have finished up work on their eighth studio release, and the fans can’t wait to get their hands on it.

John Prine and Iris Dement

Date: Saturday, Aug. 25 at 8 p.m.

Venue: Saenger Theater, 6 S. Joachim St., 208-5600, www.saengermobile.com

Tickets: $42.50 plus service charges available at the box office and through Ticketmaster

If there is one musician deserving of the title “National Treasure,” it would be John Prine. Since the early ‘70s, Prine’s take on Americana/Folk has made him world-renowned with a diverse fan base.

However, Prine didn’t start out as a professional musician. He worked as a postman for 5 years followed by a stint in the Army until he finally set out for Chicago and notoriety.

After catching the ear of Kris Kristofferson, Prine went on to release favorites such as the melancholy “Sam Stone” and the humorous “Illegal Smile.” He spent the remainder of the decade composing songs able to have the listener in tears one minute and laughing hysterically the next. America fell in love with “Grandpa Was a Carpenter” and “Angel from Montgomery.”

Prine along with Mac Wiseman released his latest CD “Standard Songs for Average People” earlier this year thus proving that time’s hand has been gentle. Critics from CMT to the “Washington Post” are giving this release their thumbs-up.

The Blivits, Heathen Tavern,

This Is A Stick Up!

Date: Friday, Aug. 17 at 9 p.m.

Venue: The Blind Mule, 57 N. Claiborne St., 694-6853

Tickets: $5 at the door

The Cell Block has closed and Port City underground bands are finding themselves playing at various venues across Mobile.

The city’s Rude Boys will be packing the upstairs of The Blind Mule for the reunion of Mobile ska kings, The Blivits. Fronted by the charming and talented Nick Palumbo, this band demonstrated tons of talent and versatility during their time together, and their many fans are quite pleased to see these boys together again. Fans will also get a chance to experience the latest project from Palumbo and Blivits guitarist T-Adam in the form of This Is A Stick Up!, but this isn’t the only reunion that will be taking place.

Heathen Tavern is planning to reunite as well. This high-octane rock outfit exploded onto the underground scene with a vengeance a couple of years ago. Relocation of band members ultimately led to their demise, but their performance at The Blind Mule should prove that the fire is still there.

As Mobile inches ever so slowly into the “fall” months, Huka Entertainment is keeping itself busy with a slough of quality musical acts slated to hit the Port City. Once again, they plan on presenting a BayFest Late Night concert series, but they’re keeping quiet about who will be participating.

However, Huka was not totally confidential on their plans. Pnuma Trio will be making their way into the Soul Kitchen Sept. 10. Robert Earl Keen has rescheduled for Oct. 26 and will be performing at the Saenger Theatre. As Thanksgiving draws near, Soul Kitchen will be the place to catch Keller Williams and the WMD’s (comprised of Keith Mosely, Jeff Sipe and Gibb Droll) Nov. 15. On Dec. 15, Particle will make their way into the Port City for a night of jam at Soul Kitchen. There are many more shows in Huka’s bag of tricks, so stay tuned for show and ticket information.

New shows on schedule

Tickets are on sale now for Collective Soul for their Sept. 29 performance at The Amphitheater at The Wharf. Based out of Georgia, Collective Soul exploded onto the scene in the mid-’90s with their mainstream rock sound. Songs such as “Gel,” “The World I Know” and “Where the River Flows” became the standards of the time. Collective Soul will be touring in support of their seventh studio album due out Aug. 28.

Alternative rockers Live will be performing at The Wharf along side Collective Soul. 1994 was the year of Live. The release of “Throwing Copper” brought them into the limelight with their post-grunge sound and intellectually stimulating lyrics. The public couldn’t get enough of songs like “I Alone” and “All Over You.” Even though the follow-up “Secret Samadhi” did not live up to the success of “Throwing Copper,” Live has maintained a loyal fan base over the years.

So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodnight…

The Nappie bids farewell to one of Mobile’s greatest radio shows: “Jams Plus.” For several years now, Dale Taylor hit 92 ZEW’s airwaves on Sunday afternoons with a vast cavalcade of live cuts from legendary performers. Not only did Taylor feature premiere modern jam bands, but he also had an elaborate collection of live recordings ranging from Curtis Mayfield to J. Geils Band (pre-”Freeze Frame” J. Geils). Due to a “programming decision,” “Jams Plus” will no longer be featured on the ZEW, but there is talk of a Podcast. We wish Dale the best and hope that he will be back on the air (whether on the radio or the net) as soon as possible.

BayFest additions

BayFest has announced a few additions to the already stellar line-up to this year’s festival, Oct. 5-7. Rapper Ludacris will return to the Port City. And Boyz II Men, one of the most successful R&B groups of all time, will be featured on the Miller Lite stage on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. and Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer and R&B musician Brian McKnight will follow on the same stage at 7:30 p.m.

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

Archives