MusiCal (May 2009)

By Don Allred

Tim Easton

“Woke up this mornin’ with a stranger in your bed/Those boots were haunted/The sheets were burgundy red.” For his new album, Porcupine, Tim Easton re-enlisted early Columbus cohorts like New Bomb Turks drummer Sam Brown, who does extreme housecleaning in “Burgundy Red.” Meanwhile, Marty Stuart/Lucinda Williams guitarist Kenny Vaughn’s deepening twang keeps echoing through discreet conversation with “Young Girls.” You don’t need to catch all the sly-to-wise words to get the points of Porcupine (cute little critter).

05/01 @ The Rumba, 2507 Summit St.

10 p.m.

Etta James

Etta James is best known for “At Last,” which savors dreams realized, without getting lost in the stars.  Perfect for the Inaugural Ball, perfect for Beyonce’s glowing imitation. No sweat: plenty more where that came from, especially since losing 200 pounds has re-charged James’s dramatic timing in concert, including her personalizing of songs by other indelible stylists, like Van Morrison. Check her ravenous version of Randy Newman’s “God’s Song,” which even Beyonce might find very scary.

05/02 @ The Palace, 34 W Broad St.

8 p.m.

Reaganomics

For the past 13 years, Columbus-based Reaganomics have taken a “Walk Like An Egyptian” on the supply side of Big 80s hits. They specialize in an MTV rainbow of elegant bachelors Duran Duran; the perfect nerd/glam balance of Cheap Trick; Bon Jovi, Paul Simon, the Clash, J.Geils: whatever’s forever upbeat and undeniable. Reaganomics  play ‘em straight, which is right. Many of these songs couldn’t be funnier—or tighter, as represented by this fresh crew.

05/02 @ Frog Bear & Wild Boar, 343 N Front St.

10:30 p.m.

Del The Funky Homosapien 

Del The Funky Homosapien scratches challenging raps into the stubbornly reflective surface of things: same old shiny record on the turntable, bringing him back. On his new album, Funk Man (The Stimulus Package), the crackling “Go Against The Grain” feeds Del’s creed to heat-seeking flow; “I’m Smellin’ Myself” stress tests pop and funk. He doesn’t trust his vigorous rigor and flair not to be mere show biz—but you can (enough to go to his show).

05/06 @ Skully’s, 1151 N High St

10:30 p.m.

John Doe & The Sadies

John Doe (still with the reunited X) and The Sadies (colleagues of Neko Case) take a well-timed ride on Country Club ‘s honky tonk marriage-go-round of old schooled roolers.These testimonials are more affecting for passing by a little faster (and funnier, as the Sadies punctuate git-through-it wit). The Sadies also carefully steer Doe across neon shadows, to truly see: “This ain’t no life. But it’s my life!” Another soul saved by (or for) the jukebox!

05/10 @ The Rumba, 2507 Summit St.

10  p.m.

The Veronicas

Right now, at 22, The Veronicas are twins Jess and Lisa Origliasso, who long ago conquered Australia, and whose international campaign may vault them over the usual hyper-calculated patchwork product in at least one respect: The Veronicas loudly, musically celebrate themselves. Their diaristic pop-rock has grown into darker dance drama. Of course they must quest, must pay youth’s dewy dues: “Right now, nothing makes sense but you/I feel so untouched, right now.” But The Veronicas remain a double vision of love.

05/12 @ Skully’s, 1151 N High St.

7 p.m.

Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy wear their hairline-fractured hearts on suede and leather sleeves, throbbing with sports rally beats and hangovers too. Even bad boys have to let it all fall out: “I don’t care what you say as long as it’s about me/The best of all is to find happiness in misery.” Sounds true enough to sing along with, while FOB pump up shivering, glittering glimpses of “Behind The Music” d-d-d-danger! (Also: just right as ringtone omens.)

05/13 @ The LC, 405 Neil Ave.

5:30  p.m.

King Khan & The Shrines

King Khan & The Shrines have a reputation for diligently demented concerts, hard to approximate in the studio. Nevertheless, Khan’s  What Is?! trash-mashes 60s garage punk stomp into contemporaneous Junior Prom funk, forbidden foreign movies, and free lunch jazz, for freaky serenades in the tilt-a-whirl tunnel of love.  Sometimes it works, especially “I Wanna Be A Girl.” Boy, Khan, you sure know a lot about girls! Now, why do they glow in the dark like this?

05/14 @ The Mershon, 1871 N High St.

9  p.m.

Kenny Chesney

Past his early delivery of the ever-fertile “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy,”  Kenny Chesney’s settled into being one of the hardest-working, hit-having-est men in country music, singing about cruising away and looking back. He even sings about singing about looking back: “ ‘Member singing ‘Bobbie McGee’/On the hood of my car?” But  he also applies be-here/beer-here-now balance to maintain his headlining cool, amidst vibrant young tourmates Miranda Lambert, Sugarland, and Lady Antebellum (who are (much better than their name)..

05/23 @ Crew Stadium, 1 Black & Gold Blvd.

5:30  p.m.

Snowblynd

Stalwart Columbus snowarts Snowblynd cook up the vintage sound of new blues you can use for a fuse, or something like that. In more ways than one: for instance, the bold old soul in “Dirty Water” even defies the storm-crazed Mississippi. Dynamic music leaves room to watch the luck and the skills of this rocking rebel--ditto the squad that has to save his bacon. Potential buzzkill in that last aspect, but as Little Feat might say, Snowblynd can “boogie my scruples away.”

05/29 @ The Alrosa, 5055 Sinclair Rd.

6 p.m.

Umphrey’s McGee

On their latest album, Mantis, one of the McGee lads gives budget funeral instructions to his femme fatale, “Should I rise above it all.” Yeah, Umphrey’s McGee don’t dig wasted effort: they’re oh-so-contrarian that they’re not even lazy. They’re secretly hooked on perfecting spontaneous combustion.  These “jaded” jam-stars actually find the studio a nice tight stash for fireworks. And if they find themselves still tumbling through sparkling musical mazes? Well--they meant to do that.

05/30 @ The Newport, 1722 N High Street

8 p.m.