ROAD WARRIORS

This Month's Hottest Shows

by Sacha Dzuba

Jan. 13 - Sealions
The Earl
The Sealions are local Atlantans creating some great electro-pop. Drawing inspiration from the guitar fuzz of the West Coast alternative scene and the synthetic buzz of UK New Wave and French house music, they have emerged as dancey electro-swirl. With this collage of sound, Sealions are unapologetically retro. Their first full-length album Strange Veins is full of the 80's electro-dance spirit. Hazy dance grooves bound through shades of New Order, Air, and Daft Punk. A great local act to catch in the intimate hallows of The Earl.

Jan. 14 - Evanescence
Tabernacle
Evanescence return to the music scene is strong one, with their latest album debuting at #1 on six differenet Billboard charts. When they initially stepped into the limelight, I was one of the many to derisively sneer "Lacuna Coil and the Gathering did it first", though I suppose imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Fallen made many fans and had many radio hits, and ultimately I had to admit that Amy Lee and company really did have some great songs. Her powerful voice is one again at the forefront of their new music, Evanescence (s/t), being their first new album in five years. You can expect to hear plenty of fan-favorites off of Fallen along with a healthy dose of newer offerings. Ms. Lee has a beautifully polished voice and the band is great about giving high energy performances. The intimate moments of Amy performing at the piano are some of the most magical, and effervescent Evanescence performance.

Jan. 16 - He's My Brother, She's My Sister
The Earl
He’s My Brother She’s My Sister are an eccentric blend of musical styles, swaggering and flamboyant with a vaudevillian flair. Brother Robert and Sister Rachel harmonize their vocals along with playing guitar and tambourine, respectively. Stand up bass, lap slide guitar, and cello round out the rest of the band; along with the glorious Lauren Brown, who adds full-body percussion and energetic tap dancing as their rhythmn section. "Flamboyant Folk", "Psych-Acoustic", with their unique instrumentation and a bent to the theatrical, these performers have a sound that is joyous and infectious. Their audiences tend to erupt in a flurry of dancing, embracing the unusual melding of the modern, the antique, and the bizarre. Another great band to be seen in the intimate setting of the Earl.

Jan. 18 - In Flames
Center Stage
In Flames produces some of the finest melodic death metal from Gothenburg, Sweden. They are one of the founders of this particular style of music. Their intentions were to fuse the melodic guitar style of Iron Maiden with the brutality of death metal. Along with Dark Tranquility and At the Gates, In Flames was one of the first bands to pioneer this style of metal and have inspired and influenced Trivium, Darkest Hour, and As I Lay Dying, among others. Harmonized lead guitar melodies are punctuated by scream-style singing, death metal growls, and clean vocals, creating the signature sound of In Flames. Touring in support of their latest album, Sounds of a Playground Fading, fans are sure to hear classic favorites alongside new cuts. Metal horns required.

Jan. 20 - Anberlin
The Masquerade
Anberlin presents an alternative pop/rock sound that brings to mind an Emo version of Third Eye Blind. Their 2010 album, Dark is the Way, Light is a Place, gets its' title from a line in a Dylan Thomas poem. Darker and less pop-oriented than their previous offerings, it debuted at #9 on the Billboard 200. Anberlin will be going into the studio and releasing an album of new material later this year. Radio friendly alternative rock in line with bands such as Fall Out Boy and 30 Seconds from Mars. Their high energy performances are punctuated by the stage antics and polished vocals from Stephen Christian. Emo girls and boys, get your punk duds and rim your eyes with some kohl, time to hit the dancefloor.

Jan. 26 - Gaelic Storm
Variety Playhouse
Initially known as the irish band from the below-decks steerage party scene in the film Titanic, Gaelic Storm brings all the rowdy fun of traditional Celtic jigs, Irish drinking songs and the beauty of Gaelic ballads to the intimate setting of the Variety Playhouse. While their film cameo may be what first captured people's attention, Gaelic Storm has maintianed that interest and steadily grown their fan base throughout the world. They tour heavily, performing over 125 shows a year. Their latest album "Cabbage" reached #1 on the Billboard World Music Chart. Make sure to grab a beer and swing your fists in time to the music, a perfect way to celebrate the start of the new year. The Variety Playhouse bar serves Guiness Stout, right?

Jan. 27-29 - Widespread Panic
Tabernacle
Local Athens boys, Widespread Panic, rock the Tabernacle for three performances. Now considered one of the foremost American jam bands, they are frequently compared to Grateful Dead and Phish for their sublime live performances. Influenced by southern rock, blues, progressive, hard rock, and funk, they currently hold the record for most sold out performances at Red Rocks. Their most recent studio release was Dirty Side Down from a few years ago, but they're consistently releasing live recordings from their past shows. The most recent live recording released is from the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, GA 1997. The band recently celebrated their 25th anniversary last year and are moving towards a hiatus for most of 2012, so this is your last opportunity to see these talented noodlers for some time. This is an interesting and rare way to see the band, billed as the "Wood Tour", this short tour (including these dates) will be Widespread Panic's first-ever fully acoustic tour. See them while you still can!

Jan. 29 - Red Hot Chili Peppers / Santigold
The Arena Gwinnett Center
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have been around since the mid-80's but their sound hasn't remained the same. Initially influenced by funk, hard rock, alternative, and punk, punctuated with rap style lyrics, their sound has evolved since then to encompass more focused clean singing along with their funky style. Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magick was my first real introduction to the band and I remember loving "Under the Bridge". The triumphant return of original guitarist John Frusciante created the magic of Californication and the grammy award winning Stadium Arcadium. Their latest album, I'm With You, is their first album with new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer. Regarding the album and the new addition of Josh as their guitarist, vocalist Anthony Kiedis noted, "there is no question – this is a beginning," with drummer Chad Smith stating, "this is a new band. Same name, but it's a new band." Check out the new lineup and their new sound, but have no doubts that there will be plenty of hits to spice up the offerings of the Chili Peppers live show.

Feb. 2 - Testament, Anthrax, Death Angel
Tabernacle
What's old is new again, such a true statement when considering that all three of these bands have been around for the past 30 years. This is a show that most rabid thrash metal fans would be thrilled to attend even 20 years ago, and yet this isn't a reunion show. All three bands are still active and releasing new material. Anthrax is on the heels of a very sucessful tour with their peers Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer in the form of the Big Four concert tour. Anthrax's latest offering is Worship Music and Testament have their album The Dark Roots of Earth ready to drop later this year. Death Angel reformed in 2001, after a ten-year hiatus, and have been going strong ever since. Chuck Billy, vocalist for Testament, has battled and survived cancer. These guys are war horses still battling in the trenches of metal; far more powerful than some of the latest offerings of metal, with no signs of slowing down. Not content with even considering a more pastoral lifestyle, these guys are ready for war!

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