No need for an ordinary Friday or Saturday…or even Sunday. AMG has handpicked the best shows going on in Atlanta this weekend for you to choose from!
Friday, March 7- Miniature Tigers & Bear Hands @ The Drunken Unicorn
Also appearing: Total Slacker
When Charlie Brand (vocals, guitar) was writing the newest Miniature Tigers record, he looked to the sum of his musical influences for inspiration. “I wanted to make something like Weezer’s Blue Album—not exactly the album, but the feeling of listening to that album at age whatever. Something with that feeling that could connect with people.” That’s how the band had started, after all: When he and founding member Rick Schaier (keys) connected over Myspace in the mid-’00s through their love of the same bands. After a few albums, they brought on Algernon Quashie (guitar) and Brandon Lee (bass) to complete the band.
Bear Hands are a post-punk and indie rock band consisting of Dylan Rau (vocals/guitar), Val Loper (bass), Ted Feldman (guitar), and TJ Orscher (drums). Hailing from New York, United States (USA), and formed in 2006, the band signed with Cantora Records in 2010 upon the release of its single, “What a Drag.” Bear Hands toured as the opening act for Passion Pit, Gza, and We Were Promised Jetpacks.
Doors @ 9 p.m. Tickets: $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Online and phone sales close @ 4 p.m. day of show.
Friday, March 7- Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds w/ Gibson Wilbanks @ Smith’s Olde Bar
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds are an eight-piece powerhouse that puts a modern spin on classic soul. The band is led by Arleigh Kincheloe (Sister Sparrow), whose astoundingly powerful voice and sly demeanor make for a spellbinding presence onstage. She is backed by the mighty force of The Dirty Birds, a flock of seven men who masterfully lay down thundering grooves and soaring melodies.
Doors @ 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 day of show. Online and phone sales close @ 2 p.m. day of show.
Friday, March 7- Smokin’ Novas featuring Andrew Hyra from Billy Pilgrim @ Eddie’s Attic
Andrew and Brian, both veterans of the Atlanta music scene, came together in the spring of 2012 and began writing and creating songs for what would become their debut album release. Andrew, having co-founded former Atlantic Recording artist Billy Pilgrim, and Brian, having co-founded regional favorites The Tastemakers and The Highlanders, came together and instantly found some common ground in their writing. Joining them in the recording of their debut album was Grammy winning producer Don McCollister, legendary Athens GA producer/engineer and musician John Keane, bassist Robert Henson, Marty Kearns on keys, Gerry Hansen on drums, Jeff Mosier on banjo and two time Georgia State Champion fiddler Andy Carlson.
Doors @ 6 p.m. Tickets: GA $15 at the door, $20 in advance. Table seats are $18.75 and must be purchased in multiples of 4. Online and phone sales close @ 5 p.m. day of show.
Saturday, March 8- An Evening with Kansas @ Mill Town Music Hall
Celebrating their 40th year as a band in 2013, Kansas’ first public statement appeared on their self-titled album in 1974. “From the beginning, we considered ourselves and our music different and we hope we will always remain so.” Little did this legendary rock group realize that back in the early ‘70’s, what seemed to be “different,” was actually ahead of its time.
Doors @ 7 p.m. Tickets: Premium reserved tickets are $50 in advance, $55 at the door. Reserved tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. GA tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the door. Groups of 10 or more receive a $5 discount. Online and phone sales close @ 4 p.m.
Saturday, March 8- Com Truise w/Phantoms @ The EARL
Com Truise is one of the many personas of producer and designer Seth Haley. An admitted synth obsessive, Com Truise is the maker of an experimental and bottom heavy style he calls “mid-fi synth-wave, slow-motion funk”. Haley’s been making music on the side for roughly a decade, going through pseudonyms like toothbrushes (Sarin Sunday, SYSTM, Airliner), first as a DJ, and currently, as an excavator of softer, window-fogging synth-wave.
Doors @ 9 p.m. Tickets: $12 Online and phone sales close @ 6 p.m. day of show.
Saturday, March 8- Sam Hunt @ Brewhouse Music & Grill
Hailing from rural Cedartown, Georgia, Sam Hunt is quickly becoming one of Nashville’s most talked about young talents. After finishing his football career as quarterback for the University of Alabama Birmingham, Sam made the move to Nashville to try his hand at songwriting. Shortly after settling into the Nashville scene, he was given the opportunity to write full-time for a publisher. Using the work ethic and discipline he accrued as a ball player, Sam began to develop his craft and quickly gained recognition as a gifted songwriter.
Doors @ 8 p.m. This show is SOLD OUT!
Saturday, March 8- Whores w/Dropout & Pretty Please @ The Basement at Graveyard Tavern
Atlanta, GA’s bastards of noise rock, Whores, will be at The Basement this Saturday with the kickoff show to their tour. They will be following up their show here in Atlanta with an appearance at SXSW in Austin, TX and then a run of dates through the Midwest with Lo-Pan followed by East Coast dates with label-mates Fight Amp.
Doors @ 9 p.m. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Online and phone sales close @ 4 p.m. day of show.
Sunday, March 9- Ex Hex (MaryTimony of Helium & Wild Flag) w/Connections @ The EARL
Ex Hex is the new project and power trio from Mary Timony of Helium and Wild Flag. Ex Hex will release their debut album in 2014, on Merge Records, and make a stop at SXSW Festival in addition to their spring tour. Citing glammy influences like Sweeney Todd and Roxy Music, Timony described in a statement that, “Ex Hex is what your older brother’s friends listened to. ‘Roxy Roller’ and ‘Virginia Plain’ rumbling from the Kenwood in the basement. It’s what your babysitters listened to, and it’s what stuck with me.”
Doors @ 8 p.m. Tickets: $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Online and phone sales close @ 6 p.m. day of show.
Sunday, March 9- Hunter Callahan with special guest, Dusty Gillham @ Eddie’s Attic
If you asked the 20-year-old singer-songwriter what kind of genre he plays, he’ll comeback with a simple response, “I just play music.” And, quite frankly, that’s the truth. Gifted with a voice that hardly fits his appearance, the combination of his raspy vocals and soulful songwriting has drawn comparisons to John Mayer, Ray Lamontagne, and Bob Dylan.
Doors @ 5 p.m. Tickets: GA $6 in advance, $10 at the door. Table seats are $7.50 in advance and must be purchased in multiples of 4. Online and phone sales close @ 5 p.m. day of show.
Sunday, March 9- Moonface @ Mammal Gallery
Spencer Krug has used Moonface as a venue for home-recorded instrumental and conceptual experimentation, expanding the ideas he developed collaboratively with Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown. You can read more about Spencer in this interview we did with him last week!
Doors @ 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $12 Online and phone sales close @ 4 p.m.
