ROAD WARRIORS

This month's hottest shows

Peter Murphy (07/02/08 Center Stage)

JD As leader of the seminal goth act Bauhaus, Peter Murphy helped usher in a movement that has now survived two decades. His solo career began in 1983, and while he’s prone to playing songs by his old band (as well as reforming that group to tour from time to time), his solo work generally dismisses the apocalyptic outlook and droning musicality of goth in favor of dance beats and atmospheric soundscapes. Murphy barely matters anymore, but his cult of personality lives on.

Dave Matthews Band w/ Gomez (07/07/08 Lakewood Amphitheatre)

JD DMB will never ever be the Grateful Dead but thankfully they have rescued the jam band scene from the aging burnouts who still thought Jerry Garcia was making relevant music a decade ago. And despite his grating non-voice and endlessly repetitive catalog, Dave Matthews is still a superstar. Add in the fantastic Gomez and you have a nice night out.

Gin Blossoms w/ Soul Asylum (07/09/08 Chastain Park)

JD The Gin Blossoms sold more than ten million albums in the 1990s, only to find themselves hammered into a fad once known on the radio as “alternative rock.” This band was never alternative to anything, which probably never bothered them since they were busy writing great pop songs and taking piles of cash to the bank for their efforts. Oh, and as for their new album, it’s really good.

Alejandro Escovedo (07/16/08 Variety Playhouse)

JD Dammit, why do so few people care about this guy? He’s paid his dues for nearly twenty years. He’s twice the songwriter Bruce Springsteen ever was, and has never sold our or lost his passion. He’s a great storyteller. He’s a little bit country, and a whole lot rock-n-roll. He’s positively amazing live, especially when it’s just him and his guitar, and his battle with hepatitis is long behind him.

Old 97's (7/22/08 Variety Playhouse)

JD 1997s Too Far Gone gave the Old 97s a leg up on the burgeoning alt-country movement, but the band’s glance with popularity never materialized when they were caught in the crossfire of massive record label upheaval. But when lead singer/guitarist Rhett Miller’s solo album tanked a few years ago, it gave the band to reconsider hiatus and the result is this year’s fine Blame It On Gravity. Excited to be back on the road, this band still has the verve and fervor of a newcomer, and Miller’s charm is always convincing.

Spiritualized (07/23/08 Variety Playhouse)

JD Spiritualized is in some ways a poor man’s Pulp or the British version of the Flaming Lips. Emerging from the atmospheric rock of Spacemen 3, Jason Pierce has never let the Spiritualized formula fall far from the druggy sound the group perfected on their seminal Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space. This year’s Songs In A&E is widely seen as a strong return to form, so if you’ve written off the band, maybe it’s time for a relapse.

Lucinda Williams (07/25/08 Atlanta Botanical Garden)

JD Williams latest album West is pretty much like all the rest of her back catalog—spare, rough-hewn country ballads sung by a woman who sounds like she’s lived them. Seems like a big venue for a performer who shines on her own, but we’ll assume that she can fill the joint adequately with her storytelling. An added bonus is the Heartless Bastards, whose heavy rock songs will add much some needed weight.

Butch Walker (07/25/08 Center Stage)

JD You have to love Butch Walker: local scenester who is actually a nice guy, had 15 minutes of fame with the Marvelous 3 but kept it real, now in high demand as a producer (he’s produced nearly a dozen Top-40 stars). His solo work is uniformly great, and the only thing to top off seeing him on the Rolling Stone “Hot List” is seeing him performing songs out of his big catalog. Jesse Malin opens.