MusiCal (February 2010)

 By Don Allred

Max Power Trio

Max Pouvoir, mellow driver of C-bus-generated Max Power Trio, informs us that he was raised by bluesmen, grifters, wolves, “and a small TV set.” Maybe such roots inspire the Trio to slip between the reggae-fried afterglow of Sublime and cosmic shades of Jimi Hendrix. They elude space patrols, while rallying the daughters of Earth: “Leave all your demons behind, girl/Say a little prayer for mankind/Come with me and be free.”

02/04 @ Rumba Café, 2507 Summit St.

10 p.m.

Colin Gawel and the Lonely Bones

Perennial rocker Colin Gawel, of Columbus alt-fathers Watershed, began 2009 by assembling The Lonely Bones, who soon produced “Chemotherapy” (“It’s your money or your life”). Their brand-new EP, Superior, sports two new songs, the title track and “Profile,” plus a tune-up of Watershed’s “Sad Drive.” The disc also features guitarist Andy Harrison, representatives of the Receiver, the Whiles, Hoo Doo Soul Band, Omnipop, and all members of Watershed.

02/05 @ Rumba Café, 2507 Summit St.

8 p.m.

RJD2

After a decade of achievements, including his award-winning, appropriately tricky theme for Mad Men, tirelessly touring local hero RJD2 returns again, flipping the script on 2007’s solo-performed, poptronic The Third Hand. 2010’s The Colossus welcomes Ethiopian r&b vocalist Kenna and a shape-shifting orchestra, plus Columbus hip-hop colleagues Illogic, The Catalyst, and NP. In concert, RJD2 moves between turntables and various instruments, further extending new songs with an equally versatile traveling band. 

2/05 @ Skully’s, 1151 High St.

7 p.m.

Mariah Carey

Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel finds Mariah Carey forever young, and more confident than ever. She gives Eminem a well-deserved hard time; ditto a doggin’ boyfriend, and kids her own previous diva-bombing moments of sonic overkill, with no loss of vivacity. Carey also picked Rhianna’s astute producers, The Dream and Tricky Stewart, to further nurture these timely tunes, no doubt continuing to blossom under hot stage lights, amidst her greatest hits.

2/13 @ Value City Arena, 555 Borror Dr.

7:30 p.m.

Commander Cody Band

Commander Cody's Lost Planet Airmen were among the earliest and rowdiest bands to bring old school country fans and hippies together, juggling covers like "Hot Rod Lincoln" and "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" with originals like "Too Much Fun" and "Down to Seeds and Stems (Again)," The piano-pounding Commander's most recent recruits still roll, and you never know who will show up to smoke some steel guitar.

02/13 @ The Thirsty Ear, 1200 W 3rd Ave.

8 p.m

Broken Hearts and Broken Strings

"Broken Hearts and Broken Strings" is a musical valentine, arriving via a stylistic rainbow of Columbus bands, many with new albums coming up in 2010. We'll get indie pop, country, and various flavors of rock, courtesy of the George Elliott Underground, Earwig, Chelsea Automatic, Stucco Jones, Yellow Light Maybe, The Slang, the Dirty Flaggs, Lemming, Two Cow Garage, and Lydia Loveless. Keeping things even more well-rounded, burlesque troupe The Ooh-La-Las will also entertain.

02/13 @ The Basement/A & R Bar, 391 Neil Ave.

6 p.m. 

Black Eyed Peas

The original, California-dreamin’ Black Eyed Peas got a wake-up call with the arrival of Fergie on 2003's Elefunk, where the groove suddenly became as taut as her abs. She always contributes good lines too, though 2009's sample-crazy The E.N.D. proves that you don't have to be all-original to be inspired, and that all fun can be seriously inspiring! Especially when immediate grabbers like "Party All The Time" never lose their grip.

02/16 @ Value City Arena, 555 Borror Dr.

7:30 p.m.

Martina McBride

Country veteran Martina McBride is still the grown-up girl next door, with the sweet low-down on good and bad love alike. Appropriately, Live In Concert includes trenchant covers of Lynn Anderson’s “(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden” and Loretta Lynn’s “You Ain’t Woman Enough To Take My Man," alongside McBride’s own seriously abuse-avenging “Independence Day,” and even Pat Benatar's “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.” “

02/21 @ Nationwide Arena, 200 W Nationwide Blvd.

7:30 p.m.

The Luminescent Orchestrii 

The New York-based Luminescent Orchestrii frequently re-charge their madly adept musical potions with trips abroad, testing exotic sounds on expert ears. They focus an ever-morphing mix of mercurial gypsy melodies, tingling Balkan harmonies, insomniac tangos, and kinesthetic klezmer, plus punky propulsion and hip-hop hoedowns. A traffic jam? Fear not (too much): the Luminescent ones sail on, with two violins, resophonic (metallically enhanced) acoustic guitar, upright bass, and “bullhorn harmonica.”

2/18 @ Fawcett Center, 2400 Olentangy River Rd.

8 p.m.

Ani DiFranco

Singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco named her pioneering indie label, Righteous Babe, after herself, and success hasn't made her shy of causes, as a new, free download of "Whose Side Are You On?" attests, with sharply updated lyrics. Musically, her sometimes speedy, always articulate delivery veers between atmospheric outcroppings of folk, funk, rock and jazz. DiFranco's recent concert DVD, Live At Babeville, christens her very own club with typically vibrant flow.

02/26 @ The LC Pavilion, 409 Neil Ave.

8 p.m.s

The Chieftains with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra

Since the early 60s, the Chieftains have celebrated the compatibility of traditional Celtic melodies and instruments with musical travelers from other times and places. San Patracio, their forthcoming collaboration with artists such as Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, El Tigres Del Norte, and Lila Downs, explores connections made and remade when Irish immigrant soldiers changed partners in the Mexican American War. Meanwhile, the Chieftains and their folk dance troupe join the CSO and conductor Albert-George Schram for what’s sure to be a lively evening.

02/27 @ Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, 300 W Broad St.

8 p.m.