Top Ten shows, New Year's Eve options, crit tips

TOP TEN CONCERTS
Time for another list, this time the Top Ten shows of the year. The one I’m kicking myself for missing was Stevie Wonder at the Bank of America Pavilion, but I tried to catch most of the biggies this year. So here goes: (Oh, and WBOS jock John Laurenti and I both discuss our Top Tens for records and concerts in podcasts that you can call up through WBOS.com. Happy holidays!)

1. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & the E Street Band at TD Banknorth Garden. His second night there was celestial, filled with early classics like “Kitty’s Back’’ and “Candy’s Room.’’
2. NEIL YOUNG at the Orpheum. Caught the second night and was completely blown away by his acoustic set, especially, with “Cowgirl in the Sand’’ and “Journey Through the Past’’ (on solo piano). His electric set also mesmerized, but not to the extent of the acoustic one, where Neil’s soul really shone through.
3. VAN HALEN at the TD Banknorth Garden. Who knew that David Lee Roth would come back so strongly? He nearly made you forget all about the Sammy Hagar years.
4. PAULO NUTINI at the Paradise. The newcomer showed that he’s not just a teen idol with a pretty face. He is making music to justify a long career.
5. BRAD DELP TRIBUTE at the Bank of America Pavilion. Brad’s suicide was one of the year’s saddest stories, but at least his friends in the band Boston reunited on his behalf. Also nice sets by Godsmack, Extreme, and Farrenheit.
6. RYAN SHAW at the Copley Square series this summer. Ryan is bringing soul music back with a bang. And openers Eli “Paperboy’’ Reed & the True Loves were perfect for the occasion.
7. THE POLICE at Fenway Park. The Brit trio had been absent for more than 20 years, but they picked up right where they left off. Chemistry is everything.
8. WOLFMOTHER at Avalon. The Aussie hard-rockers seem the logical successors to AC/DC. Turn it up loud.
9. RATDOG at Bank of American Pavilion. Former Grateful Dead singer Bob Weir had one of his best Ratdog lineups yet, with Steve Kimock filling in the guitar chair. A psychedelic night on the harbor.
10. AUGUSTANA at TD Banknorth Garden. They played after a Celtics game this year and were anything but an anticlimax. Their song “Boston’’ is an instant classic, but they’ve got more going on than just that.

NEW YEAR’S EVE: Here are some possibilities – Soulive at the Paradise, Bang Camaro at the Hard Rock Café, Roomful of Blues and David Maxwell at the Regattabar, Superhoney at T.T. the Bear’s, and Ellis Paul at Club Passim.

CRITIC’S TIPS
A Christmas Celtic Sojourn – at the Cutler Majestic Theatre Thursday, Dec. 20-Saturday, Dec. 22. I caught the show last week and loved it. The group Solas anchors this Celtic-themed musical revue, with special guests Dougie MacLean and Aoife O’Donovan (from the band Crooked Still).
Benefit for Jeanne – at T.T. the Bear’s on Friday, Dec. 21. Bartender Jeanne Sheehy (who is fighting cancer) gets more support from the local community as the Shods, the Pills, and Jules Verdone raise money for her medical bills.
Lemonheads – at the Middle East Downstairs on Saturday, Dec. 22. Enfant terrible Evan Dando returns with his latest incarnation of the alt-rocking Lemonheads.
Wheelers and Dealers – at the Plough & Stars on Saturday, Dec. 22. Fun country/rock-roots music with a comic edge.
Sub Rosa – at the Lizard Lounge on Saturday, Dec. 22. Rose Polenzani teams up with an exciting cast including Dennis Brennan, Sam Bigelow, and Dave Godowsky.
Aine Minogue – at Club Passim on Sunday, Dec. 23. The local harpist is a folk music wonder. Her concerts are often spellbinding events.
Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers – at Club Passim on Thursday, Dec. 27. I’ve often thought of Kellogg as a latter-day Tom Petty. Great songs, great band, great time.
Mary Lou Lord – at the Plough & Stars on Thursday, Dec. 27. The ever-intriguing Ms. Lord returns to the Plough, where she recently did an acclaimed residency.
(Steve Morse can be reached at spmorse@gmail.com.)

Top Ten CDs, crit tips

TOP TEN CDs for 2007

Ben Harper, “Lifeline.’’ Ben comes back strong with a soul album. Memphis soul great Al Green would likely approve.

Eddie Vedder, “Into the Wild’’ soundtrack. Eddie does the one-man band thing and sounds as natural as ever. Spare production, powerful vocals.

John Fogerty, “Revival.’’ Finally, an album that Fogerty can put up against the best work from his seminal Creedence Clearwater Revival days.

Kaiser Chiefs, “Yours Truly.’’ These Brit-rockers scored a chart hit from this with the driving “Ruby, Ruby,’’ but there’s plenty to like throughout.

John Lennon tribute “Instant Karma’’ to save Darfur. An important social statement from many of today’s rockers. Lennon would have appreciated the sentiments.

Martin Sexton, “Seeds.’’ Beautifully singing that spans the spectrum from folk to R&B. And a great cover of Billy Preston’s “Will It Go Round in Circles.’’

Anoushka Shankar and Karsh Kale, “breathing Under Water.’’ Ravi Shankar’s daughter teams up for a ravishing mix of Indian music and techno-ambient production.

Serj Tankian, “Elect the Dead.’’ The System of a Down singer goes solo with a punk-metal swipe at the status quo. Most biting song: “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.’’

Uncle Earl, “Waterloo, Tennessee.’’ The young, all-female vocal group takes on old-timey music and makes it sound new again.

Fountains of Wayne, “Traffic and Weather.’’ Named for a lawn ornament store in New Jersey, Fountains of Wayne continue to release ultra-witty pop-rock music.

(Steve Morse can be reached at spmorse@gmail.com.)

CRITIC’S TIPS
Mr. Lif – at the Middle East Downstairs on Friday, Dec. 14. The Boston hip-hopper is building a national audience brick by brick. He deserves one.

Gretel and Temper – at the Lizard Lounge on Friday, Dec. 14. Gretel is a fast-emerging local rock group, while Temper is a more reflective, but still noteworthy, experience.

Dop-Wop everywhere – Saturday, Dec. 15. No shortage of the vintage harmony singing known as doo-wop this weekend. The Royalty of Rock ‘n’ Roll and Doo-wopp show is at the Somerville Theatre with Gene Chandler (“Duke of Earl’’), Shirley Reeves (Shirelles) and Boston’s own Little Joe Cook. And another is at the Berklee Performance Center with Earl Speedo Carroll & the Cadillacs, the original Chantels, Frankie Ford, and more.

Session Americana holiday concert – at Club Passim on Saturday, Dec. 15. The rotating, local troupe, which sings into a single, omni-directional microphone, sheds new light on the holidays.

Sally O’Brien’s Xmas show – at Sally O’Brien’s on Sunday, Dec. 16. Cambridge country-rock legend John Lincoln Wright comes out of the woodwork to perform at Sally’s Xmas party, which runs from 5 to 9 p.m. And the White Owls (Dennis Brennan’s blues band) perform the rest of the night.

Christmas Celtic Sojourn

Christmas may provoke some tense reactions in some people. They may need a reminder about the warmth of the season -- and one way to jumpstart that is to catch the upcoming Christmas Celtic Sojourn shows at the Cutler Majestic Theatre over the next two weeks.
"These shows allow us to be sentimental. People look for the assurance of Christmas time,'' says producer Brian O'Donovan, who presents the Christmas Celtic Sojourn for the fifth straight year starting this Thursday, Dec. 13 and running to Dec. 22.
"There will be up to 17 musicians and dancers on stage at any given time,'' adds O'Donovan, who has a rotating cast each year. This year's program includes the renowned Solas, Aoife O'Donovan (Brian's daughter, who is also in the folk group Crooked Still that just sold out the Somerville Theatre), Dougie MacLean, Alasdair Fraser, Natalie Haas, Seamus Eagan, and Kieran Jordan and her troupe of four dancers.
"It's a very collaborative effort,'' says O'Donovan. "The group is chosen in April of each year and that's when the collaborative effort begins. There's a fair amount of interesting Christmas music and some music that would fit an old-fashioned kitchen party gathering.''
O'Donovan himself ties it together by providing thoughts, poems, and commentary, though the program's focus is on music.
"There a main female singer and a main male singer. Last year it was Karen Kasey and Robbie O'Connell. This year it's Dougie MacLean and Aoife,'' he says.
I caught the show last year and loved it. The formula has also been quite successful. Three of the previous years' versions have come out on CDs from Rounder Records and the first DVD, "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn, Live,'' has come out from last year's show.
For tickets, you can call 1-800-872-8997 or go online at www.maj.org./p2008/celtic.html.

(Steve Morse can be reached at spmorse@gmail.com)

Neil Young still rules, and tips

Neil Young’s catalog has a breadth that few others can touch. His absurdly rich reservoir of acoustic and electric material was on display at three Orpheum Theatre shows this week, each with some varying song choices that had diehards wondering which was the best night. For me, I only went to the second show, but it’s enough to keep me content for a while.
Neil broke the show into acoustic and electric sets. The acoustic one was the most powerful for yours truly. He has acquired an emotional depth – and an appreciation of life from a scary brain aneurysm a couple of years ago – that made the acoustic set the most personal, and the most fertile. Sitting in a chair flanked by six guitars, a banjo, and two pianos to the side, Neil opened with the panoramic scope of “From Hank to Hendrix,’’ then settled into one gem after another.
The novelty song “A Man Needs a Maid’’ had new depth, while “Love is a Rose’’ took things even deeper. Neil thanked Linda Ronstadt for recording it (one young fan shouted, “Who is Linda Ronstadt?’’), but his version of “Journey Through the Past’’ on piano was the highlight for me. It was on the “Live at Massey Hall’’ album that Neil released earlier this year, right around the time my mother died. I played that song incessantly and it gave me a much-catharsis. Thank you again, Neil, for doing it at the Orpheum. It sounds like a hymn and has a spiritual that turns back the years.
The acoustic set was soon capped by “Cowgirl in the Sand,’’ a stunning choice by any estimation. Neil shambled off, then returned for an electric set keyed by the efforts of drummer Ralph Molina (a veteran of Young’s Crazy Horse group), though it lost some punch because pedal steel guitarist Ben Keith, who is a brilliant player, was not quite up to the rocking edge that the electric set needed. I missed Frank Sampedro of Crazy Horse on guitar.
The set has some classic Neil tracks – “The Loner,’’ “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere,’’ “Spirit Road,’’ and “Cinnamon Girl,’’ which built the concert into a high-energy stew. But as good as Neil still is on electric guitar, it just didn’t dig into my soul the way the acoustic moments had. It did, however, prove that Neil is a master who is still a must-see act from the ‘60s. Long may he roam.
,
CRITIC’S TIPS
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals – at the Paradise Rock Club on Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 6-8. Grace & Co. have really gone national since playing the WBOS Earth Fest in the spring. Her Bonnie Raitt-influenced sound is infectious and she’s playing three weekend with three different opening acts – Eli “Paperboy’’ Reed tonight, Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles tomorrow, and Tim Gearan Saturday.

John Mellencamp – at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, N.H. on Thursday, Oct. 6. Word is leaking that Mellencamp will not just be a nominee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year, but a full-fledged inductee. It’s about time.

Benefit for Jeanne – at T.T. the Bear’s on Thursday, Dec. 6. Veteran T.T.’s bartender Jeanne Sheehy has been diagnosed with cancer, so the community is giving back with a series of upcoming benefits. This Thursday kicks it off with the Delusions, Wide Iris, Country Doctors, and Doug MacDonald. Other benefits follow on Dec. 21 and 28.

Cake – at the Orpheum on Friday, Dec. 7. The Sacramento-hatched Cake released one of the decade’s best albums in 2001’s “Comfort Eagle,’’ featuring the bitingly sardonic “Meanwhile, Rick James.’’

Bleu – at the Lizard Lounge on Saturday, Dec. 8. Bleu cut his teeth in the Boston scene and his probing pop-rock looked to be the Next Big Thing at one point. Plans are still on hold for that, but Bleu is extremely talented and he may still get there.

Angeline and others – at The Middle East Upstairs on Saturday, Dec. 8. Angeline, whose new album was produced by Boston rock legend Asa Brebner, has been coming on strong. The Nervous Eaters, Fox Pass, and Totaro open up. A great night of rock.

Youssou N’Dour – at the Somerville Theatre on Monday, Dec. 10. N’Dour will forever be remembered as the world music voice on the Amnesty International tour in the ‘90s that featured Bruce Springsteen, Sting, and Tracy Chapman.

Royal Crown Revue – at Scullers on Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 12-13. The Royal Crown Revue burst out of the neo-swing movement and they’ve received another bonus by having their song “Hey Pachuco’’ featured on the recent finale of TV show “Dancing with the Stars.’’

Bruce at the Garden, Jeanne Sheehy, tips

OK, this was more like it. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band were pretty good show at their tour opener in Hartford this fall, but they were fantastic at their second Boston show last week when they hit the archives for some gems that had the diehards in a swoon.
Bruce again kept with a fairly predictable set list overall, but the show hit transcendence with the rarely played likes of “Candy’s Room’’ (with drummer Max Weinberg in overdrive on the skins), “Kitty’s Back’’ (a true Bruce classic), and the very emotional “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy),’’ another oldie that turned back the years and made you feel you had seen an extraordinarily special show.
An encore of “Tenth Avenue Freezeout’’ also featured J. Geils singer Peter Wolf, who has bopped out to perform “Dirty Water’’ with Bruce in the past (including a Fenway Park show), but who featured some blues exclamations instead on this track, though his vocal mic cut out at the end. Still, it was a fitting highlight to a mesmerizing night with the E Streeters.
Speaking of which, saxophonist Clarence Clemons (having recovered from two hip replacements) was much more active than at the Hartford show – and that was refreshing to see. So was the twin-accordion dynamism of keyboardists Danny Federici and Roy Bittan on the closing “American Land,’’ though this was Federici’s last gig before departing the tour with melanoma. Bruce gave him special props during the night and you somehow sensed that something might be wrong with Danny, before his cancer was confirmed in the next couple of days.
Whether or not this was Federici’s last show (he hopes to be back), it was a Bruce concert for the ages. The new material has been whipped into sharper focus (especially “Last to Die,’’ about the Iraq fiasco) and oldies like “Darkness on the Edge of Town,’’ “Badlands,’’ and “Working on the Highway’’ had a full-fledged roar to them. And with the seldom played gems of “Kitty’s Back’’ and others, this was a show to keep Bruce fans talking until the band returns to New England to play the Hartford Civic Center on Feb. 28.

RALLYING FOR JEANNE: If you’re a local club fan, you no doubt go to T.T. the Bear’s occasionally and are served by bartender extraordinaire Jeanne Sheehy. She’s been there for a quarter-century, but has been hit with colon cancer and is going through chemotherapy. Some benefit shows will soon take place in her honor at T.T.’s: Dec. 6, the Delusions, the Country Doctors, and more; Dec. 21, the Shods, the Pills, Ad Frank, and others; and Dec. 28, the Gravel Pit, Francine, and Baker. She’s a great lady, so get out and help her out.

CRITIC’S TIPS
Will Dailey – at the Paradise on Thursday, Nov. 29. Dailey has parlayed his engaging singer-songwriter pop into a national career. He’s been one of the recent success stories out of Boston.

A.KA.C.O.D. – at the Plough & Stars on Friday, Nov. 30. This group has been tearing up the clubs with its angular, offbeat rock. It’s a trio with Monique Ortiz, Dana Colley (formerly of Morphine), and Larry Dersch.

deSol – at the Paradise on Friday, Nov. 30. The Latin rock group put on a great show at WBOS’s Copley Square series this past summer. They stoke the party spirit. And Adam Ezra opens up.

Boston Music Awards – at the Orpheum on Saturday, Dec. 1. Incredibly, the 20th anniversary of these awards is upon us. The performers alone are enough to lure you in: Augustana, Bobby Brown, Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton, Peter Gammons, and many others. Plus, Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer as emcee.

Sister Hazel – at the Somerville Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 1. Say what you will about Sister Hazel, they have some of the best vocal harmonies in the land. The Hazelnuts will be out in force to support this WBOS-sponsored show.

Chris Trapper – at the Brattle Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 1. Trapper cut his teeth in the pop-rock Push Stars. He has gone in a more pensive direction, but his talent remains underestimated.

David Gray – at the Orpheum Theatre on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Gray is among the most emotionally gripping singer-songwriters of the past decade, yet he makes it look so easy.

Raul Malo – at the Paradise on Wednesday, Dec. 5. Many people liked Malo better when he fronted the country-rocking Mavericks, but there are many sides to his talent and he’s showing them now.

(Steve Morse can be reached at spmorse@gmail.com.)

Control, Into the Wild, Malayaka House, tips

Two movies to put on your must-see list before they leave the theaters:
“Control’’ (about the ill-fated ‘80s band Joy Division) and “Into the Wild,’’ based on a true story about a fellow who gets a little too far out in the Alaskan wilderness and can’t make it back.
I’m still recovering from “Control,’’ one of the most emotionally overwhelming films that I’ve ever seen. It’s a biopic centered on singer Ian Curtis of Joy Division, a band that came out of the tough city of Manchester, England. Curtis was an epileptic who had a brilliant way of updating Jim Morrison of the Doors’ poetic, heart-piercing style, but who made poor decisions in life (marrying and having a child, but at the same time getting swept away by an affair with another woman).
It all came crashing down on him, as the epilepsy intensified. We know he committed suicide, but the genius of this movie is that we get so immersed in the immediacy of the story that we don’t think about the end. Curtis, as played by wunderkind actor Sam Riley, is an extremely likable guy underneath his confusion, and film director Anton Corbijn (perhaps best known as a rock photographer who has specialized in shooting U2) moves the story along until our tear ducts can’t stand it anymore. Like most people in the theater, I was crying at the end.
“Into the Wild,’’ on the other hand, is a classic hippie-escape film, but we don’t share the same sympathy for the lead character. He willfully turns his back on just about everything – leaving his family with no word – and his story is a more foregone conclusion. I’d recommend renting the video rather than paying top dollar to see it in a theater, though the cinematography is impressive. But more impressive is the soundtrack written by Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. He’s virtually a one-man band as he switches off on instruments and captures the character’s wanderlust in song. I highly recommend it. It’s destined to be on my Top Ten list this year, for sure.

MALAYAKA HOUSE: There was a great benefit at Toast in Somerville this past Sunday to raise more than $7,000 to help an African orphanage (Malayaka House) in Uganda that is run by a former tennis coach from Vermont. Many local acts performed during a seven-hour show, including Adam Ezra (playing in bare feet a la Jimmy Buffett), Christian McNeill, Flynn, Paddy Saul, Dennis Brennan and others. Toast, which is located right next to the Independent in Union Square, is becoming a great scene and this event helped show why. Organizer Julee Vitello put on one heck of an event. She did all the legwork and people responded.

CRITIC’S TIPS

Sam Bisbee – at Toad on Thursday, Nov. 15. The Cambridge native now lives in New York, but his rockin’ returns to Toad are always a treat. Get there late and he’ll sprinkle in some great covers of Stones and Tom Petty tunes.

Natalie Merchant – at the Strand Theatre (in Dorchester) on Friday, Nov. 16. Natalie has been absent for a while, but she returns for a benefit concert for the Give Us Your Poor campaign to help the homeless. And hopefully she’ll debut some new material.

Dark Star Orchestra – at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium on Friday, Nov. 16. Confession: I’ve never seen this Grateful Dead tribute group, but I’m going this time. They recreate Dead shows and the buzz on them has been continually mounting.

State Radio – at the Orpheum on Friday, Nov. 16. Chad Urmston of Dispatch is at the helm here and he’s a fascinating character who often flies under the radar while making great music.

Reverend Horton Heat – at the Roxy on Saturday, Nov. 17. It’s party time with the Reverend and his rockabilly mania. Also, Hank Williams III and Nashville Pussy (hey, I didn’t make up the name) open up.

Great Bandini – at T.T. the Bear’s on Saturday, Nov. 17. Scott Janovitz, whose brother Bill fronts Buffalo Tom, ehlms this emerging outfit. They’re on at 11, sharing a heady bill with Sand Machine and Me and Joan Collins.

Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band – at TD Banknorth Garden on Sunday-Monday, Nov. 18-19. Some fans are disappointed that Bruce isn’t doing five Garden shows like he did last time. But I bet he’ll be back to play Gillette Stadium next summer.

Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – at the Orpheum on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Touring under the name of the Swell Season (not the greatest name in the world), this duo was the heart and soul of the recent movie, “Once.’’ Hansard is also in the Frames.
(Steve can be reached at spmorse@gmail)

Crit tips -- the Police, Annie Lennox and more

CRITIC’S TIPS

Mary Lou Lord – at the Plough & Stars on Thursday, Nov. 8. Mary Lou is playing half the night with a band, the other half solo. Either way should be engaging.

Marc Cohn – at the Somerville Theatre on Friday, Nov. 9. The man who made the hit of “Walking to Memphis’’ is back with his slow-drawling, but finely articulated, style.

Middle East’s 20th anniversary party – at the Middle East Upstairs on Saturday, Nov. 10. Let the celebration begin with Boston veteran Thalia Zedek (with special guest Chris Brokaw) and new buzz bands Hallelujah the Hills and Drug Rug.

The Police – at the TD Banknorth Garden on Sunday, Nov. 11. They were fun at Fenway, and there’s no reason to expect less this weekend.

John Butler Trio – at the Orpheum on Sunday, Nov. 11 with Ian Ball of Gomez. Butler was sensational at the WBOS Earth Fest last spring. And opening act Ian Ball should be a nice complement.

Annie Lennox – at Symphony Hall on Sunday. The co-founder of Eurythmics pays a rare visit. The last time she was in the area, she opened for Sting at the Tweeter Center. Lennox personifies style.

Benefit for Malalaka House – at Toast on Sunday, Nov. 11. Robert Fleming a former Vermont tennis coach, has opened an orphanage in Uganda. This show will help him out. A great bill with Adam Ezra, Flynn, Paddy Saul, Christian McNeill and others. And Toast is a hot new club, so it’s worth a visit.

Asleep at the Wheel – at the Regent Theatre in Arlington on Wednesday, Nov. 14. The Wheel’s Western Swing speaks for itself. And the excellent, Boston-based Duke Levine Band opens.

Van Halen, Ron Pownall exhibit, crit tips

At long last, a Van Halen tour with original singer David Lee Roth. It seemed like a dream, but there was no way I was going to miss their show at the Garden this week. And Van Halen did not disappoint, as Roth and the Van Halen brothers – Eddie on guitar and Alex on drums – made happy as though there had never been a two-decade rift between them.
The sold-out show was ecstasy-producing from the start, when the band slammed into their cover of the Kinks’ classic, “You Really Got Me.’’ Roth wore an Edwardian jacket (his first of several during the night) and Eddie was shirtless, but fashions aside, they were on the same musical page. This Roth-spiced show clearly blew away any past Van Halen gig with Sammy Hagar at the helm. (Sammy is a great, party-hearty character, but these songs were made for Roth.)
Roth is starting to look like a latter-day Liberace – with a canyon-wide smile firmly pasted on his mouth – but he was in excellent form, much better than any time I saw him on his own. He easily negotiated the rock-lite of “Dance the Night Away’’ and “Jump,’’ but also bore down hard on the metallic “Hot for Teacher’’ and the exquisite talk-sing blast of biker tune “Panama.’’ And the set-closing “Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love’’ had enough clout for the most diehard VH fan. Roth also donned a red top hat in honor of the Red Sox – a timely move given their recent World Series triumph. He was the prodigal son returning in all of his glory.
While Roth got a Grade A for the night, Eddie and his son, Wolfgang (now on bass in place of Michael Anthony), were in the A-plus range. Eddie was stupefying with his arsenal of licks – and when Roth went into various scats at one point, Eddie was able to duplicate them immediately on guitar. And Wolfie, his kid, was a complete monster on bass, playing power riffs that drove the whole show. He didn’t have the showmanship of Anthony (yes, I missed Anthony’s customized bass with the Jack Daniels logo on it), but musically he was not a step back at all. His vocal harmonies were also first-rate.
Eddie and Alex still took their endless solo turns, but it was the songs that people came for, and it was fabulous to hear them done with so much passion. They also threw in a great laser light show, covering all the bases. The ‘80s were back, better than ever. Let’s hope this lineup stays together for a while.

RON POWNALL EXHIBIT:
A renowned rock photographer, Pownall has been working around Boston for many years. His credits include unsurpassed shots of the likes of the Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith, Boston, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, Bob Seger, and the J. Geils Band. He’s been a fixture in all the clubs and arenas around Boston. He has now mounted an exhibit that runs at the Center for the Arts in Natick until Jan. 2. Check it out. And for more info regarding his career, check an article at http://www.rangefindermag.com/magazine/jan06/pownall.tml.

CRITIC’S TIPS

Waterboys – at the Berklee Performance Center on Thursday, Nov. 1. Mike Scott is back in town with a new group of Waterboys. A comeback now seems like a probability, not just a pipe dream.

Mary Lou Lord – at the Plough & Stars on Thursday, Nov. 1. The often beloved singer-songwriter (and famed subway performer) has a Thursday residency at the Plough this month.

Colbie Caillat – at the Roxy on Thursday, Nov. 1. See what the fuss is all about. Caillat has been riding high with her Myspace-boosted hit, “Bubbly.’’ She has a loping California sound filled with echoes of the past.

Mieka Pauley – at Johnny D’s on Friday, Nov. 2. Anyone who still believes in smart, articulate songwriting must see Ms. Pauley. She’s as smart as they come.

International Pop Overthrow Festival – at Great Scott on Friday-Tuesday, Nov. 2-6. The annual cutting-edge fest has a slew of important local bands playing for five nights. Tomorrow’s lineup includes Rooftop Suicide Club, Saturday has the Prime Movers, Sunday offers Vinyl Skyway and the Kickbacks, Monday boasts the Buckners and Cheater Pink, and Tuesday concludes with Sal Baglio, Bird Mancini and others.

Steppin’ Out – at the Westin Boston Waterfront Hotel on Saturday, Nov. 3. The annual benefit event has an adult-themed, jazz-tinged lineup with George Benson, Rebecca Parris, Freddie Jackson, Cyrus Chestnut and Motown Express featuring Wannetta Jackson.
(Steve Morse can be reached at spmorse@gmail.com.)

CRIT TIPS

Detroit Cobras – at T.T. the Bear’s on Thursday, Oct. 25. These Detroit rockers have swung through town a lot lately, but they deliver a sometimes necessary jolt of garage-punk by digging out ‘60s underground classics that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Sarah Borges – at Johnny D’s on Friday, Oct. 26. The Somerville-based singer has worked hard to become a national touring act this year. She’s as likely to be in Vancouver as she is in Boston. Her vital country-rock is the reason why.

Jimmy Tingle’s Off Broadway Theatre – Tingle’s Davis Square venue has been creative in its bookings. This Friday and Saturday they’ve got Jeremy Lyons, a New Orleans bluesman who came her after Katrina, along with catered food from Redbones.

Buffalo Tom – at the Somerville Theatre on Friday, Oct. 26. Tom Janovitz and the lads aren’t resting on their ‘90s alt-rock laurels. They just released a new album and have been promoting it vigorously.

Angeline and Robin Lane & the Chartbusters – at the Lizard Lounge on Friday, Oct. 26. The female-fronted Angeline is up and coming, while the Chartbusters had their heyday in the ‘80s. But the constant between these two groups is Boston rocker Asa Brebner, who always lifts whatever act he’s playing with.

Paddy Saul – at the Lizard Lounge on Saturday, Oct. 27. The local Celtic rocker has been on the move. He has emerged from the Tir na Nog circuit to play some larger venues – and this is his first headlining stint at the Lizard. I believe.

Mary Gauthier – at Club Passim on Monday, Oct. 29. The former owner/chef of Boston’s Dixie Kitchen restaurant has become a startlingly emotional folk-country singer. Give her credit for trying a new career and making it.

Pink-Tie Rock ‘n’ Roll Ball -- at the Hard Rock Café on Monday, Oct. 29. The bands Gretel and Static of the Gods are among the acts playing this benefit event, which WBOS is helping sponsor.

Van Halen – at the TD Banknorth Garden on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Van Halen’s onetime clown prince, David Lee Roth, is back in the saddle, so this should stir some memories. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen is still aboard, while his son, Wolfgang, is on bass this time.

Australian Pink Floyd – at Agganis Arena on Tuesday, Oct. 30. My WBOS DJ partner John Laurenti loves these guys. Close your eyes and you’ll think the real Pink Floyd might be in the room. They deliver a spectacular light show as well.

Across the Universe, Smashing Pumpkins, Tips

Rarely has a movie gotten more mixed reviews than “Across the Universe,’’ the new musical comedy/drama based around songs by the Beatles. But forget the reviews. Go see it. It’s an attempt to do something imaginative – and more often not succeeds if you have an open mind. Plus, it’s great to see Beatles songs reinterpreted by everyone from lead actress Evan Rachel Wood (a great job on “Blackbird’’) to music vets like Bono (“Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’’) and Joe Cocker (“Come Together’’), who are predictably excellent as well.
Directed by Julie Taymor (this movie definitely has a female touch), it revisits the ‘60s through scenes of squashed innocence (the urban riots in Detroit, the war in Vietnam), through psychedelic montages (Bono playing a Ken Kesey-like role of leading his Merry Pranksters on a magic bus trip while singing “I Am the Walrus’’), and through a warmly felt love story between Wood and male lead Jim Sturgess.
She plays an American suburban girl, while Sturgess is an illegal immigrant (and former dock worker) from overseas. Their trials and tribulations form the backdrop of the story, but there are all kinds of ‘60s-related scenes from the student takeover of Columbia University to cultural experimentation with LSD. There are even singers whose roles evoke Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. It’s a hodge-podge – and critics have had a field day knocking its occasional clunky editing – but eventually you’re pulled along by its momentum and not only do you root for the youthful lovers, but you are swept up by the hope and idealism that was once the ‘60s.
Parts of it are campy, parts of it are serious, but collectively it’s a vividly creative look at a youth culture that was all about alternative lifestyles, not about making money and being the next Yuppie on the block. Plus, it’s darned entertaining. I came in with low expectations because of the cynical reviews, but walked away a believer.

SMASHING PUMPKINS:
The Pumpkins have been off the road for a while, but you wouldn’t know it from their recent Boston appearance. I caught the first of their three shows at the Orpheum and was very impressed. They don’t have the extreme punk energy of their early days -- only singer Billy Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin remain from that period – but the expansion into more progressive rock has been a sincere, and applauded, addition.
The early hits still blistered, including “Bullets & Butterfly Wings.’’ Newer band members Jeff Schroeder (guitar) and Ginger Reyes (bass) fit right in and were able to match Corgan’s dynamics and also his increased proclivity to jam. There were plenty of trippy moments, fostered by an over-the-top lighting production (an interlocking of high-wattage, geometric triangles) that made it feel like a stadium show at the Orpheum. A barrage of strobe lights also notched up the hallucinatory mood.
Corgan’s voice can still grate at times – he’s never been confused with a balladeer – but his acoustic performances of “1979’’ and “Perfect’’ were a nice counterpoint to his caterwauling on the hard-rock numbers. And his guitar playing was much more advanced than before. He and fellow axman Schroeder traded some gritty solos, while Corgan even did some Hendrix-like soloing on “The Star Spangled Banner.’’ Corgan & Co. might not be at the epicenter of modern rock anymore, but they’re far from the oldies circuit. A powerful night overall. (They’re also at the Providence Performing Arts Center on Oct. 18.)

CRITIC’S TIPS:
Tori Amos – at the Orpheum on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 18-19. Tori can get sidetracked into almost too much mythology in her songs, but the beauty of those songs can’t be denied.
Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers – at the Paradise on Thursday-Friday, Oct. 18-19. For years I’ve felt that this band could be the next Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers if they got the right breaks.
Chad Perrone – at Harpers Ferry on Friday, Oct. 19. The former lead singer with Boston band Averi has daringly gone on his own. Only time will tell if he made the right decision, but give him credit for taking the risk.
Toots & the Maytals – at Row-a-Palooza on Saturday, Oct. 20. The reggae stars perform by the Weeks Memorial Footbridge on Memorial Drive by the Charles River near Harvard Square at 3:30 p.m. to spice the Head of the Charles Regatta.
Jason Spooner – at Toad on Saturday, Oct. 20. While up in Portland, Me. about a year ago, I stumbled upon Spooner playing in a bar and discovered why he’s a rising light of the Portland scene. Great melodies, great spirit.
The Wallflowers – at Somerville Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 21. Wallflowers frontman Jakob Dylan mounted a solo tour in the past year, but it’s good to see that he’s giving the Wallflowers another chance. They deserve it.
Sinead O’Connor – at the Orpheum on Monday, Oct. 22. Sinead has been up and down for so long that you never know where she’s at. But the bottom line is that the lady can sing.
The Hold Steady – at the Roxy on Monday, Oct. 22. When I caught the Dropkick Murphys at the ICONS Festival in Canton this summer, their sound engineer warmed up the evening by playing a CD by this band. Its hard-driving, garage-influenced sound held steady, and then some.

Hendrix, movie capsules, tips

With Red Sox mania on the rise, many people might put cultural events on the back burner for a while, but why not mix a little of both? Being a movie buff, I’m certainly not going to forget about that side of life, even if Jonathan Papelbon pitches another scoreless ninth inning.
Here’s a suggestion if you read this blog in time: “Jimi Hendrix Live at Monterey,’’ which enjoys its New England premier at Arlington’s Regent Theatre on Friday, Oct. 12. It features Hendrix’s entire set at Montery, complete with a new 5.1 soundtrack mix by Hendrix engineer Eddie Kramer. Showtimes are 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30. It’s preceded by Martin Scorsese’s short film, “Hendrix and the Blues.’’ An irresistible take for any Hendrix fan.
I’ve been catching a bunch of movies lately and here are a few capsule reviews:
“The Heartbreak Kid.’’ Ah, skip this one. It’s a wasted role by Ben Stiller, who usually has much better taste than to be caught up in silly vulgarity like this. It’s a supposed comedy about a guy who gets married and honeymoons at Cabo in Mexico, but ditches his wife for another hotel guest, amid a series of dumb high-jinks. Some funny bits here and there, but not enough of them.
“The Darjeeling Limited.’’ A great film, destined to be a cult classic. A Wes Anderson film, it is seriously hilarious. It’s about three brothers who cross India on a train called the Darjeeling Limited, as they try to find their mother, who has entered a monastery. It’s a biting satire about the difficulty of being brothers (Owen Wilson tries to lord it over the other two) and the culture shock in India is by turns exhilarating and sobering.
“The Game Plan.’’ OK, my son wanted to see this. It stars Dwayne “the Rock’’ Johnson as a football-quarterback god who suddenly discovers he has an 8-year-old daughter and she comes to live with him. She manages to tame him and his gruff-talking teammates, though the humor isn’t exactly breathtaking. It’s your basic dumbed-down comedy, but it was shot locally and there’s great footage of Boston and Cambridge.
“Mr. Woodcock.’’ Catch this when it comes to video if you have to. It stars Billy Bob Thornton as a gym teacher who terrorizes his kids – and then starts dating one of the kids’ moms. The jokes are obvious, the script often makes you cringe, and it just might be better to stay home and watch the Red Sox in this case.

CRITIC’S TIPS:

* Smashing Pumpkins – at the Orpheum on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 13, 15 and 16. Singer Billy Corgan leads a new group of Pumpkins into battle. He released a solo album that bombed badly a couple of years ago, so it’s wise that he’s back with his mother ship.

* Loudon Wainwright III and Leon Redbone – at the Somerville Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 13. A quirkier night of folk music can not be imagined. If you haven’t yet seen these titans of eccentricity, here’s your chance.

* Robbie Krieger – at the Berklee Performance Center on Monday, Oct. 15. Doors guitarist Krieger will play a set with the Berklee College of Music Doors tribute band, Morrison Crossing, and discuss the Doors’ new triple CD, “Live in Boston.’’ Classic rock never dies.

* Rodrigo y Gabriela – at the Orpheum on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Our favorite new instrumental duo, which even adapts some heavy metal tunes, is rising quickly and is already at the Orpheum level.

* Erin McKeown – at Club Passim on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 17-18. An engaging singer-songwriter who never runs out of ideas.





.

Springsteen tour opener, crit tips

First off, the long-awaited new Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band album, “Magic,’’ is not a great record. It has great individual songs on it, but not enough overall magic for some Bruce diehards. It’s a return to rock, but Bruce recycles some riffs and ends up with an album that is more of a holding pattern than a breakthrough.
The real magic came in the opening night this week of the E Street tour in Hartford. Springsteen & Co. reached back for a comeback show that had the Bruce faithful in fist-waving ecstasy once again. The fans were thankful that he has gone beyond his last two, folk-flavored albums to revive the E Street Band and restore the thunder that’s been missing these last five years.
The E Streeters are getting older – Bruce just hit 58, while saxophonist Clarence Clemons is 65 and not the same ferocious force of yore, at least not consistently. But the chemistry was there when they needed it. The song selection was also a marvel, despite Bruce boldly tossing in eight songs from the new disc, which was too many for an audience that hadn’t yet digested it. But he packaged the new and old material beautifully, from the opening segue of fiery new single “Radio Nowhere’’ into the ever-communal “The Ties That Bind.’’ He’s still searching for faith.
“This is the first stop on our mystery train. Thanks for being with us,’’ Springsteen said to the sold-out crowd at the Hartford Civic Center.
Unlike past tours, he barely spoke, instead putting the focus on the music. There were no long stories or speeches. He threw out a few quick political shots – attacking the “illegal wiretapping’’ and “attacks on the Constitution’’ by the last administration (which he didn’t name) – but just as quickly he followed with his classic “Promised Land,’’ with its insistent refrain of “I believe in the promised land.’’
He also believes in shaking up the arrangements of some of his older tunes. The venerable “She’s the One’’ was given a more pronounced Bo Diddley beat, while “Darlington County’’ became his hardest-rocking tune of the night. The show’s highlight was a whomping transition from “Darkness on the Edge of Town’’ into “Darlington County.’’ It was the Bruce message in a nutshell: Confront the darkness, then break out of it.
The darkness was there in some of the new songs, including “Last to Die,’’ an apparent knock on the Iraq War (“Who’ll be the last to die for a mistake?’’ he sang) and “Gypsy Biker,’’ about a son finally coming home, but to a grave. Some new songs were less effective – the gushy “Girls In Their Summer Clothes’’ was a trifle that sounded like a Beach Boys outtake.
But the show built up with patented Springsteen energy, as he strung together the new “Devil’s Arcade,’’ his 9/11 song “The Rising,’’ and aforementioned “Last to Die,’’ then blew it all open with the set-closing “Badlands.’’ The band, notably guitarists Steve Van Zandt and Nils Lofgren, along with drummer Max Weinberg, followed his lead and cut loose.
Springsteen lost me on the first two encores (“Girls in Their Summer Clothes’’ and a flat version of “Thundercrack’’), but then pushed the right button with a tumultuous “Born to Run.’’ He then returned for another dual encore of the poppy “Waiting On A Sunny Day’’ and the high-octane folk of “American Land’’ from the re-released version of the “Seeger Sessions’’ album. E Street keyboardists Roy Bittan and Danny Federici both switched to accordions for this Celtic-grooved tune, which was played with the same incendiary passion as the earlier rock tracks. Night one of the tour was in the books – and the crowd went home as deliriously transported as ever.


CRITIC’S TIPS

* Josh Ritter – at the Somerville Theatre Thursday-Friday, Oct. 4-5. The Idaho singer-songwriter, who lived for a while in Somerville, returns to familiar terrain.

* Session Americana – at the Brattle Theatre on Thursday, Oct. 4. The wonderful, local, floating-cast, roots-music ensemble performs a benefit for the Brattle Film Foundation.

* Bob Dylan/ Elvis Costello – at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday, Oct. 5. The frog-voiced Dylan has become a crapshoot in concert, but adding luster to the bill is Elvis’s first solo acoustic tour in quite a while.

* Brandi Carlile – at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, Oct. 5. The Seattle wunderkind, who opened the WBOS Copley Square series this summer, is back as part of VH1’s “You Oughta Know’’ tour.

* Paolo Nutini – at the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 6. Meteoric star Nutini is due to open the Led Zeppelin reunion show in London, but not before conquering the Orpheum.

* Harvard Square Oktoberfest – on Sunday, Oct. 7. The annual Harvard Square outdoor festival still features multiple stages with something for everyone, from the rock of Teenage Prayers and the Steve Smith Band, to the Latin stylings of Mango Blue and the singer-songwriter talents of Meg Hutchinson and Rose Polenzani.

* Phil Lesh & Friends – at the Orpheum Theatre Tuesday-Thursday, Oct. 9-11. Lesh is still being accompanied by ex-Dylan guitarist Larry Campbell and ex-Bruce Hornsby drummer John Molo, but he’s also out this time with singer Jackie Greene and keyboardist Steve Molitz, who has played with Particle.

Boston Folk Festival, crit tips

The Boston Folk Festival takes place at UMass-Boston – almost right across the street from WBOS – so it was high time that I checked it out. It’s a really sedate affair – it almost makes the Newport Folk Fest seem like a rowdy Lollapalooza – but it’s an ideal setting for singer-songwriters who want a totally enraptured crowd minus any Newport trendiness.
There were plenty of graybeard hippies (many brought their own lawn chairs), but also some fresh-faced young people who were keeping the folk tradition alive and were digging a low-key presentation where you could actually hear the lyrics and not have any yahoos screaming in your ear. There was no alcohol served (even Newport now has alcohol), but the seriousness of the audience was matched by the sincere, often brilliant, music that I heard.
Without question, the scene-stealer was Lori McKenna, the folk-country local who has been embraced by Faith Hill (who recorded a few of her songs) and Tim McGraw, who produced her fine new album. McKenna writes about the subtleties of life, and the wisdom gained by being a mother of five who has survived the Boston suburbs, as well as the vagaries of the music business for many years.
McKenna engaged in a song swap with her guitarist, Mark Erelli, and with longtime local fave, Catie Curtis. They sat next to each other on the small festival stage on the grass by the harbor – and for at least a few minutes, all was right with the world.
I found the price of the Boston Folk Festival a little daunting -- $30 a ticket, especially because I couldn’t stay long – but there’s a definite magic to this event, however low-key. The craft tents that ring the grounds are first-rate, as are the food offerings and the vendor tents selling hard-to-find folk records. Although it’s a grass-roots event, I’d say about 3,000 people were there – a pretty impressive crowd despite the lack of hype, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen an audience that listened more intently. The annual event will return next summer, so put it on your calendar if you believe in the hypnotic spell of up-close-and-personal acoustic music.

CRITIC’S TIPS:

* Kings of Leon – at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, Sept. 28. A rock battle royale between Kings of Leon and openers Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Guitarslingers unite.
* Audrey Ryan – at the Lizard Lounge on Friday, Sept. 28. Local artist Ryan has been under the radar, but she’s ready to emerge at this CD release party.
* ZZ Top – at the Bank of America Pavilion on Saturday, Sept. 29. The little ol’ band from Texas is still looming large after all these years. Always a fun time.
* Dropkick Murphys – at Avalon on Sunday, Sept. 30. The Dropkicks’ new album, “The Meanest of Times,’’ just debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 20 – the highest debut ever for this beloved Boston band.
* Josh Ritter – at the Somerville Theatre on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 4-5. The quietly brilliant Idaho singer-songwriter, who lived for a while in Somerville, returns to his home away from home.

Aerosmith still prime, plus tips

If you listened to the WBOS show I did with DJ partner John Laurenti last week, you’ll know that I was once again hellbent on seeing Aerosmith. I don’t know what it is. Call it loyalty, perhaps. They’ve been great in giving me interviews through the years, so the least I can do is continue to check out their shows – and this recent one at the Tweeter Center was a beauty.
I was thrown off by their opening tune, “Love In An Elevator,’’ which usually comes later in the set; and I missed “Back in the Saddle,’’ which is their typical opener (call me a traditionalist!) but wasn’t even played. Yet, that was probably my biggest quibble of the night, which isn’t much. And the band immediately won me back by ripping into “Same Old Song and Dance,’’ which fueled the diehards to screams of ecstasy before singer Steven Tyler hammered out the last note.
The rest of the show was just plain powerful. Aerosmith skipped some of their sappy MTV ballads and instead shifted into rock ‘n’ roll gear. “You don’t mind if we kick your ass into the middle of next week, do you?’’ Tyler yelled. Well, no, we don’t, not if we get these results.
From the archives came a jolting “Rats in the Cellar.’’ They didn’t play “Seasons of Wither’’ this time, but the fact that they still shake up some of their archival nuggets is gratifying. And songs like “Dream On’’ and “Sweet Emotion’’ continued to impress, esspecially with Tom Hamilton’s signature bass lines. It was great seeing Hamilton back in the band – last summer he couldn’t make it because he was battling cancer. He returned with no loss of energy and remains a key to the Aerosmith machine.
Joe Perry, wearing a bizarre marching cap that looked to be lifted from the “Sgt Pepper’s’’ wardrobe closet, again teamed with fellow axman Brad Whitford for some ear-shredding highlights. Joe and Steven also combined for an exhilarating run through the Memphis classic, “Walkin’ the Dog.’’ And drummer Joey Kramer, who has had some of his own medical issues in the past, was back in peak form on the skins, getting some solo time and really delivering. Just an excellent show. It was heartening to see Aerosmith still in such prime shape.


CRITIC’S TIPS

· Stevie Wonder – at the Bank of America Pavilion on Thursday, Sept. 20. The ageless Stevie Wonder in Boston. Enough said. It’s theoretically sold out, but maybe you can get lucky and find a last-minute ticket.
· Farrenheit – at Kowloon’s on Thursday, Sept. 20. Boston’s classic-rock legends reunited for the recent Brad Delp tribute at the Bank of America Pavilion. They were incredibly well-received and are back for more.
· The Tossers – at Harpers Ferry on Thursday, Sept. 20. These Celtic punk-rockers were a hit at the recent ICONS Festival. Think of a latter-day Pogues and you’re getting close.
· Michael McDonald – at the Bank of America Pavilion on Friday, Sept. 21. The former Doobie Brother has carved a great career lately by reprising Motown hits and other soul nuggets.
· Boston Blues Festival – a FREE event at the Hatch Shell on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 22-23. Area producer Greg Sarni presents his annual labor of love with Sonny Rhodes leading a great cast on Saturday (the Brian Templeton Band, Dennis Brennan’s White Owls, and Lloyd Thayer); and Sir Mack Rice and Chicago Bob Nelson leading Sunday’s group with the Mystics, Chris Stovall Brown, and others.
· Local scribe Brett Milano has been a club hound for several decades and throws his knowledge into a book about Boston rock history. The performers at this soiree include Asa Brebner, Robin Lane, Willie Alexander, the Lyres, Nervous Eaters, and the list goes on.
· Mission of Burma – at the Institute of Contemporary Art on Sunday, Sept. 23. Boston’s punk pioneers are playing two shows at the ICA’s new theater. Not to be missed if you want to see an art museum shaken to its core.
· Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals – at the Orpheum on Sunday, Sept. 23. Harper’s latest album is a soulful gem – and he’s sure to back it with another all-out, marathon show.
· John Lincoln Wright’s birthday – at the Cantab Lounge (downstairs) on Sunday, Sept. 23. New England’s country music fixture celebrates his – gasp – 60th birthday party with a bevy of local acts paying tribute.

Buffett, Genesis, Boston pub-crawling, tips

No Labor Day week is complete without a visit by Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band. I had seen him at Fenway Park in 2004 (the year the Red Sox won the World Series) and knew that he could translate to a stadium setting, but I didn't realize how much he would conquer the bigger Gillette Stadium stage. He did it with ease.
This has all been part of a week in which I was seemingly out every night catching music. There was Buffett and Genesis (at the Garden), plus locally hatched acts such as the Scissormen (at Toad), the Gentlemen and Watts (at the Abbey Lounge), Flynn (Club Passim), the Coachmen (Plough & Stars) and Andrea Gillis (Toad).
Buffett was the biggest surprise, because he played in front of a sold-out 57,000 fans at Gillette as though it were a personal saloon. "You have a nice little bar here!'' he said to the hordes, before opening with a surprise version of Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again.'' That road also led to some fine new songs (Buffett remains a prolific songwriter -- a guru of the beach-bum genre) and to some great covers such as Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl'' (a virtual staple of a Buffett show) and the Grateful Dead's "Scarlete Begonias,'' where Buffett correctly pointed out a "cross-breed'' between Deadheads and his own Parrotheads. The song received a thunderous response and was aided by the slide guitar brilliance of Sonny Landreth, who Buffett often books for the bigger gigs, along with keyboardist Bill Payne of Little Feat renown.
The Coral Reefers were buttressed this time by Cape Verdean musician Elo Ferrier, a captivating new artist who sang one tune with Buffett, then sang lead on another. Buffett hopes to get him a record contract and the kid looks ready.
Another nice touch was paying homage to the recently deceased Luciano Pavarotti a couple of times. One came by dedicating the encore "Defying Gravity'' to Pavarotti. A noble gesture from Mr. Margaritaville.
As for Genesis at the Garden, they delivered a challenging show that pleasantly diverted from the typical "Greatest Hits'' spectacle to target deep-catalog songs aimed at Genesis connoisseurs. There were gasps of surprise at some tunes, dating way back to "Firth of Fifth'' from 1973. Many hits were still there (onetime MTV favorite "Invisible Touch'' rocked the house), but the band, again led by Phil Collins, did not become just another jukebox. They dug into the prog-rock side of their repertoire and Mike Rutherford, who normally plays bass, often switched over to lead guitar and played with a vengeance that I don't recall him having during their heyday. Some of his solos were stunning.
Collins hammed it up more than usual (some antics were more like what he does during his solo tours), but he's always been a born entertainer. The vocal mix could have been better on his voice, but he still sang with precision and a passion for which he's not always given credit. He did a beautiful treatment of "Hold On to My Heart'' that put the crowd into a trance.
But here's a surprise: No lasers! I don't think I'd ever seen a Genesis show without them, yet this time they settled for a LED screen. And no overhead mirrors, either, which they used to use to bounce the lasers off of. Still, the music predominated and if this was their farewell show in Boston, it justified high marks.
Regarding local pub-crawling, here are some snapshots:
SCISSORMEN at Toad: Singer/guitarist Ted Drozdowski relocated the band to Nashville, but must have discovered some newfound confidence down there, because he was a madman at Toad. He riffed on guitar while walking atop the entire bar, then falling to the floor and playing on his back. The crowd gathered around him and was in a complete uproar. A wild, wild night.
GENTLEMEN and WATTS at the Abbey: The Gentlemen don't play out as much anymore (sigh), but are still a crunching powerhouse of garage-rock when they do. And Watts, affectionately named for Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts, celebrated a new CD with a slam-bang, guitar-stoked show that made you want to hear more.
FLYNN at Club Passim: The singular-named Flynn has quietly amassed a strong career as an adult-minded singer-songwriter. His songs are full of subtle emotions and revelations. He has just put out his fourth record and celebrated it with this Passim show, a transporting night of music helped by guests Ellis Paul and Antje Duvekot, not to mention an incredibly sharp backup band anchored by bassist Richard Gates (who also plays with Suzanne Vega) and drummer John Sands, who tours with Aimee Mann. Some of Flynn's songs fall into a strummy pop-folk realm, but his open-hearted delivery always seems to win the day. And his cover of the Beatles' "Let It Be'' with Ellis Paul was absolutely sublime.
ANDREA GILLIS at Toad: Andrea has one of the most powerful voices in Boston -- almost too powerful for a small room like Toad -- but she manages to connect no matter where she plays. She has an old-school R&B voice that induces goosebumps when it's not shaking the walls. She's an immense talent and has a residency every Tuesday this month at Toad.
THE COACHMEN at the Plough & Stars: I actually stumbled upon these gents twice at the Plough last week -- once when they headlined, the other time when they played a surprise birthday for a friend. The Coachmen boast a free-wheeling rockabilly sound highlighted by gifted guitarist Jerry Miller. They covered songs by the likes of Johnny Cash and Dick Curless, investing each with an almost preternatural energy. These guys are good.

CRITIC’S TIPS:

· Aerosmith – at the Tweeter Center on Friday, Sept. 13. Aerosmith may not be the “Bad Boys of Boston’’ anymore, but they can still rock the house. And with Tom Hamilton back on bass after his illness, this should be a great homecoming.
· Duke Levine Band – at Club Passim on Friday, Sept. 14. Duke is a sought-after guitarist for everyone from Peter Wolf to Dennis Brennan (he plays in both of their bands), but his solo stuff is all-instrumental, cutting across many styles.
· Boston Folk Festival – at UMass-Boston on Saturday, Sept. 15. The annual, acoustic-flavored gathering this time features Lori McKenna, Vance Gilbert, Patty Larkin, and Chris Trapper of the Push Stars. The fest includes three stages of music.
· Pete Francis – at Harpers Ferry on Saturday, Sept. 15. I recently caught Francis when he was with Dispatch, which played three nights at Madison Square Garden! Francis is back in the clubs, but this CD release party should be sweet.
· Laura Vecchione Band – at Johnny D’s on Saturday, Sept. 15. Vecchione is gathering a lot of attention around town for her country-edged tunes, so this should only add to her momentum.
· Bleu and Mike Viola – at Great Scott on Saturday, Sept. 15. Bleu is one of the best rock tunesmiths to come out of Boston in recent years. And old buddy Viola is another pop-rock legend in the making.
· Dennis Brennan Band – at the Lizard Lounge on Wednesday, Sept. 19. The heart of Boston’s roots-rock scene resumes his Wednesday residency at the Lizard. Count me as among those who are happy to see him back.

Toast to the Nog, tips, Willie-Merle-and-Ray

The fall season is upon us -- and there's nothing more underground at the moment than the Sunday-to-Wednesday music series in Union Square called "A Toast to the Nog.'' The Nog, you may recall, is short for Tir na Nog, the nearby club whose lease was yanked amid much consternation last spring. But the Nog has rebounded by taking over four nights up the street at Toast, where the basement has been transformed with oriental carpets and other softening touches to make it seem more like the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge.
I've been hanging out a lot at Toast's Nog nights -- and they've seen a quietly spectacular mix of all kinds of people of different ages and tastes. The literally underground site, which also features a second lounge room with romantically lit couches and an outdoor patio reached by taking stairs down from the street, feels very much like a cosmopolitan New York night spot. Some old Nog faves are playing there -- including David Johnston, Christian McNeill, and Paddy Saul -- plus newcomers such as Mike Hastings, who has shown great potential as a singer-songwriter.
Co-owner Robert Elliott has been building a grass-roots, word-of-mouth image for the place, and he never even got a website going until recently when a MySpace page went up. He mostly has text-messaged people to get them to spread the word. Very fashionably low-key, to say the least, but this is a fun place with a wraparound bar full of intersting conversationalists (ex-Plough & Stars owner George Crowley is often there) and the Guinness is still flowing liberally. Check it out.
Music-wise, the best event I've seen recently was the Last of the Breed tour with Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Ray Price at the Bank of America Pavilion the other night. Talk about legends. All of these guys have been around (Price is 81 years old!), but their rich repository of hits was on full display and they also popped up to youthfully sing with each other, most notably on Haggard's "Okie from Muskogee,'' which now sounds more like a pro-pot anthem than the anti-pot tone of the original. Hey, these guys have been around and they know the biggest sin in the world is not pot-smoking (just ask Willie!).
Willie was solid and played his standby outlaw set list (starting with "Whiskey River'' again), but also offered some new material such as the anti-war tune "A Peaceful Solution,'' which had a line about how "we need to take back America.'' A few people actually walked out in protest, but it was good to hear Willie speak his mind.
Haggard's set was the most lackluster, as he babied his voice and didn't sound nearly as strong as when he opened for Bob Dylan at the Orpheum a couple of years ago. But the show was stolen by Price, the country crooner famous for putting a layer of pop on traditional country, but doing it with class. His song, "For the Good Times,'' is still a pre-eminent love song. And his voice belied his age, as he sang with remarkable poise and passion. I'd love to see this tour come back next year.

CRITIC'S TIP THIS WEEK:
Gov’t Mule – at the Bank of America Pavilion on Friday, Sept. 7. The Southern rock jammers, again led by Warren Haynes, should steam up the pavilion. The addition of Vermont’s Grace Potter & the Nocturnals on the bill should also raise pulses.

Gentlemen – at the Abbey Lounge on Friday, Sept. 7. Boston’s Gentlemen remain a command performance for lovers of no-frills rock. They’ll hit the Abbey at 11:30 p.m., preceded by Watts (a dynamic group named in tribute to Stones drummer Charlie Watts) and AM Stereo.

Scissormen – at Toad on Friday, Sept. 7. Singer/guitarist/journalist Ted Drozdowski just moved from Boston to Nashville, but he hasn’t forgotten about us. His bluesy Scissormen will stoke a hedonistic atmosphere.

Jimmy Buffett & the Coral Reefer Band – at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 8. Few Parrotheads thought they’d ever see Buffett at Fenway, and probably fewer thought he’d play a stadium show in Foxborough. The fans should at least have more tailgating opportunities than they did at a locked-down Fenway. And some last-minute tickets have been released, so you still have a chance to get in.

Pinehills Jazz and Blues -- at the Pinehill village green in Plymouth for two days, Sept. 8-9. It's worth heading to Plymouth for a sophisticated lineup that includes jazz luminaries Rebecca Parris and Myanna on Saturday, then Roomful of Blues, Coco Montoya, and Johnny Hoy & the Bluefish on Sunday.

Charms – at T.T. the Bear’s on Saturday, Sept. 8. The Boston garage-rock band has battled adversity in recent years, but also has soared nationally thanks to the help of Little Steven’s “Underground Garage’’ radio show.

Wachusetts Blues Festival -- at Mt. Wachusetts on Sunday, Sept. 9. A partying lineup stars New Orleans great Marcia Ball, plus the Tommy Castro Band and Danny Klein's Stone Crazy (Danny is the J. Geils Band bassist).

Genesis – at TD Banknorth Garden on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Singer Phil Collins performed his farewell solo tour a few years ago (it was fantastic) and nothing less is expected from what is likely his farewell tour fronting longtime hitmakers Genesis.

Copley series highlights; and crit tips

This is only my second years at WBOS, after working at the Boston Globe for -- gasp -- 30 years. But one of the true pleasures has been to broadcast my Thursday show (with John Laurenti) from the site of the WBOS concert series in Copley Square. I've had a bird's-eye view on some great talent there this summer, including Brandi Carlile, Fountains of Wayne, and the incredibly energetic Cat Empire from Australia, which had people dancing around the square as though it were midnight on Lansdowne Street.
I have to say that the crowds have been bigger this year -- a factor of the generally good weather, but also of the hip bookings that have often featured a Boston band opening up. And we're talking good Boston bands -- Eli "Paperboy'' Reed & the True Loves, Sarah Borges & the Broken Singles (hey, maybe they wouldn't be broken if they got together with the True Loves), and the powerful Dennis Brennan Band.
Brennan kicked things off on July 12, setting the tone for this year's more rocking series. He and his bandmates -- led by guitar gods Duke Levine and Kevin Barry -- played a ringing streak of rootsy tunes that probably echoed all the way to offices in Kenmore Square (hey, get out of those offices and come on down!). He was followed by Carlile, who drew the biggest crowd of the summer, as people packed the grass and the sidewalks around it. She was a treat with her soothingly personal, folk-country songs, though the best moment came on a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son.'' It was the most rocking tune of her set -- and she should add more uptempo fare to better balance her presentation. She has the pipes for it.
The second week was rained out just as the event was about to begin. It was a bummer, but give headliner Martin Sexton credit for leaving the wet stage and going out into the soggy crowd to sing some up-close-and-personal acoustic songs to make sure that fans got something special. Opening act Chad Perrone did the same thing. The artists got soaked, but it was a beautiful thing to see. They care about their audiences.
The Cat Empire held down the third week of this six-week series and they were everything as advertised -- a percussive juggernaut that combined rock, funk, swing, and salsa, with a touch of the Australian mania for which they're known. They came all the way from Melbourne and weren't going to allow a little 90-degree heat to slow them down. No doubt they're used to it. And opener Eli "Paperboy'' Reed and his troupe sweated up a similar storm with their galvanizing, horn-stoked R&B. Catch them around town when you can. They're for real.
Another great bill followed with Latin rockers DeSol (riding a new album) bringing a unique blend of Santana psychedelia mixed with Springsteenian rock a la Asbury Park, where DeSol is from. I liked it thoroughly. I had never seen them live, but they had a clear spark that was infectious. And opener Ryan Shaw -- it almost feels weird to call him an opener because he's so good -- brought his retro-soul to Copley and won a slew of new fans in the process. He's like a young Al Green crossed with Otis Redding and Bobby Womack. Ryan peaked with Womack's "Looking for a Love,'' which was popularized around Boston by the J. Geils Band.
Next up was Fountains of Wayne, which drew the second-largest audience of the series. They were a crowd-pleasing bunch of Mensa-society, Brit pop-influenced rockers whose slyly twisted lyrics connected time and again with their brainy fandom. I didn't think they were as good on stage as they are in the studio, but hey, that's just a minor quibble. And openers Sarah Borges and her band were a complete delight, belting out Lucinda Williams-influenced country-rock 'n' rockabilly with a masterful touch. They're starting to break out nationally and it's easy to see why.
If you've missed out on the fun, there's one more concert to go: Matt Nathanson and Jonatha Brooke at Copley on Thursday, Aug. 16. Hope to see you there.

And more crit tips for the week ahead:
Sleepy LaBeef -- at Johnny D's on Thursday, Aug. 16. The Arkansas rockabilly giant is still busting his gut in the roadhouses. He's a walking encyclopedia of early rock 'n' roll.
WBOS boat cruise -- leaving from Long Wharf on Friday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m. A tasty night in the harbor with Chad Perrone, Tim Blane, and OSB.
Al & the Transamericans -- another cruise on Friday, Aug. 17, this one leaving from Rowes Wharf at 8 p.m. Al Schnier of jam-band moe. plays with friends such as Gordon Stone and Eric Glocker of Strangefolk.
The Saw Doctors -- at the South Shore Music Circus on Friday, Aug. 17. Fresh off a great performance at the ICONS Festival in Canton, the Doctors are ready to prescribe the next dose.
James Taylor -- at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Saturday, Aug. 18. Taylor isn't playing the Tweeter Center this summer, so you'll have to head an hour north of Boston to see him.
Download Festival -- at the Tweeter Center on Saturday, Aug. 18. WBOS faves Guster and Modest Mouse are among the acts.
Kashmir -- at the Rocketbar on Saturday, Aug. 18. A great Led Zeppelin tribute band roars into this new Lansdowne Street club.
Come Together -- a Boston tribute concert at the Bank of America Pavilion on Sunday, Aug. 19. The lineup has been in flux, but the mission is the same -- to raise money for the Brad Delp Foundation in the departed singer's honor. The performers include a reunited Boston (with guest vocalist Matthew Sweet), Godsmack (yes, you read this correctly), Extreme, RTZ, Farrenheit, and Ernie & the Automatics. I'll be there and I can't wait.

Police, Moodies, tips

The Police got some strange reviews when they played Fenway Park. I'm here to say that some critics may have missed the point. The Police aren't going to play with the punky ferocity of yesteryear. They hadn't toured in 23 years, so what did these people expect? On the other hand, if you believe that musicians can improve in those 23 years, then you would have appreciated the Fenway experience. Sting remains in incredible shape -- he had women near me still swooning at his looks -- and his musicianship has only grown through a solo career that has spanned jazz, world music, country, classical, you name it. Guitarist Andy Summers was likewise better -- and some of his solos were celestial. And drummer Stewart Copeland still is a polyrhythmic blur.
I really enjoyed Saturday's show. The sound quality was extraordinary from where I sat on the field and I loved the LED-enhanced light show and the live video feeds. But most of all, it was great hearing those songs again, starting with "Message in a Bottle'' and a special highlight of "Walking on the Moon'' and a beautifully stretched-out "Can't Stand Losing You,'' which became the rock 'n' roll moment of the night as Summers ascended to near-Jimmy Page status. Some songs were slowed down (and "Every Breath You Take'' felt like a throwaway), but others were sped up and showed that the Police's energy is still there. I wasn't disappointed at all. For those who were disappointed, I'm sorry for you. But what were your expectations? No, this was not the Rat in 1978 or the Paradise in 1979. This was the Police, circa 2007, and we're darned lucky to have them back. Let's just hope that ticket prices are cheaper next time around, if there is a next time.
Another impressive show this week was the Moody Blues at the Bank of America Pavilion. Talk about British rock royalty. These guys are still doing it after 40-plus years -- and their well-paced set list and richly textured vocals were remarkable. Justin Hayward is still the angelic choirboy, while John Lodge sings in a more worldly manner. And adding extra body were two young female singers (who also played flute and keyboards, respectively) and they brought a May/December dynamic that felt exciting and regenerative. I took my 19-year-old son (who had never heard the Moodies in concert) and he was transfixed by the timeless hits "Tuesday Afternoon'' and "Nights in White Satin'' (accompanied by a nicely psychedelic light show), along with retrieved classics like "Isn't Life Strange?'' and "Ride My Seesaw,'' not to mention the rockish hits that kept the Moodies on the radio through the '80s. And drummer Graeme Edge was still his playful self, though he also had an extra drummer who handed the power riffs. And is there anything quite like a Moodies crowd? They know the music by heart and every get-together is like a pow-wow with old friends. Just a fun, cultish experience, and thoroughly enjoyable.
Oh yes, this week's crit tips:

John Powhida's Int'l Airport -- at Toad every Thursday in August. A great new residency (and side project) from the colorful frontman of the Rudds. (I also spotted him the other day in a coat and tie at his other job, giving out information at the Museum of Fine Arts.)

Bryan Adams and George Thorogood & the Destroyers -- at the Bank of America Pavilion on Friday, Aug. 3. Hey, why not?

Rocco Deluca & the Burden -- at the Paradise Rock Club on Friday, Aug. 3. These WBOS favorites have been coming on strong.

The Newport Folk Festival -- at Newport all weekend, from Aug. 3-5. Linda Ronstadt plays Friday night, then Saturday rocks with the Allman Brothers Band (attention Allmans fans -- have you heard that Newport also added a beer and wine license this year?), along with WBOS faves the John Butler Trio and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. And Sunday has a lovely, feminine touch with Alison Krauss & Union Station and Emmylou Harris leading the way.

Crowded House and Pete Yorn -- at the Bank of America Pavilion on Sunday, Aug. 5. A smart double bill, combining two generations of melodic rockers.

Allman Brothers Band -- at the Bank of America Pavilion on Tuesday, Aug. 7. If you miss them at Newport, you have another chance in Boston.

Twinemen -- at Atwood's Tavern on Tuesday, Aug. 7. The Twinemen start a Tuesday residency at Atwood's to preview their new disc, "Twinetime,'' which comes out Aug. 21.

Hippiefest -- at the South Shore Music Circus on Wednesday, Aug. 8. It features the Zombies, Badfinger, Mountain, and Mitch Ryder. Nostalgia rules again, but these guys can still play.

STEVE MORSE

Crit tips

Lowell Folk Festival -- at various sites in Lowell from Friday-Sunday, July 27-29. The annual roots music treasure, this year starring neo-honky-tonker James Hand and many others. Check Lowellfolkfestival.org for details.

Mr. Butch tribute -- at Harpers Ferry on Friday, July 27. Renowned Kenmore Square/ Allston character Mr. Butch just passed away and will be remembered by the Ramoniacs, Unnatural Axe, Barrence Whitfield & the Savages, and more.

James Montgomery -- on a concert cruise leaving from Long Wharf at 8 p.m. on Friday, July 27. Bluesman Montgomery will be rocking, preceded by Charlie Farren of Farrenheit fame.

The Police -- at Fenway Park on Saturday and Sunday, July 28-29. I'm tempted to say, "Beg, borrow or steal a ticket to this," but if you're a Police fan, you're probably already going. If you're on the fence, please note that a limited number of extra tickets have been made available this week.

Andrea Gillis -- at the Plough & Stars on Sautrday, July 28. For pure, rock/R&B energy, no one does it better than the Boston-based Andrea. She can wail.

Sugar Ray & the Blue Tones -- at the Sea Note in Hull on Saturday, July 28. With hot weather on tap, it's time to hit the beach. Hang around and catch the Blue Notes at the Sea Note. Should be a great party.

311, Matisyahu, and the English Beat -- at the Tweeter Center on Sunday, July 29. A great triple bill with a reggae-rock tinge, along with ska-rock in the form of the English Beat.

Moody Blues -- at the Bank of America on Monday, July 30. Hey, they're still good after all these years. No joke.

Dave Matthews Band -- at the Tweeter Center on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Dave is a summer fixture and he almost never disappoints. And the talented Xavier Rudd opens up.

STEVE MORSE

The Beehive is Boston’s coolest club in eons. You may have read some hype about it – the Boston Globe has written a couple of major pieces – but the praise is justified, as long as you don’t go when the crowd is bulging out of the room. In other words, go during the early week if you can. If you can only go on weekends, there’s an upstairs part of the Beehive which is a decent holding pen, but the downstairs is where you want to be.
The Beehive is located in the first floor and the basement of the Boston Center for the Arts on Tremont St. The basement is where the action is, but it doesn’t feel like a basement, since there are high ceilings and even some windows amid an uptown décor that feels like an industrial loft in Manhattan. Plus, there are two rooms – one a large restaurant/bar area, the other a cozy nook with live music every night, much of it provided by acts that also play Bob the Chef’s up the street. (Bob’s owner Darryl Settles, one of the nicest guys in town, is a co-owner of the Beehive.) There are tables and chairs in the music room, but I’ve seen a lot of dancing there, as well, especially from some rowdy, office-party folks who certainly won’t be getting to work early the next day.
I went one Friday night and it was the hottest singles action I’ve seen since the opening of Saint. The owners are targeting an over-30 crowd, which is easier said than done in the eternally collegiate Boston, but the mix is impressive. And people seemed friendly, which isn’t always the case at Saint.
Otherwise, I’ve been early in the week – a Monday or Tuesday, especially late, around midnight when the action has tapered off a bit, but not the spirit. The cool, modernistic art work on the walls and the curtains dividing the two rooms and flanking the stage, lend an urban elegance. And the music has been sensational. I caught the Afro-Cuban All-Stars one night, and recently I saw the Elan Trottman Quintet. Elan is a music teacher in the Boston public schools who also is the music director of Bronson Arroyo’s band – Bronson being the former Red Sox pitcher who skillfully performs hard-rock, grunge-era cover songs, though Elan on his own is more jazz and R&B flavored.
Elan has a Friday residency at Bob the Chef’s, where he tends to play chill-out jazz, but at the Beehive, he stepped it up with exciting, all-instrumental covers of such tunes as James Brown’s “I Feel Good,’’ the Motown classic “My Girl,’’ Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl’’ (which had the dance floor swinging) and the Police’s “Every Breath You Take.’’ It was a dynamic performance and Elan even stood on a chair in the middle of the floor, blowing some sax riffs over the dancers like a primal rite of summer. The crowd ate it up. And his band was phenomenal as well, including guest trombonist Derrick White, whose solos were sublime.
And this was just on a Monday night! Elan isn’t at the Beehive that often, but when he is, check him out. And just get down there anyway. Every night of music has been a good one in my experience. The people-watching is obviously a nice bonus, but this place is building a vital musical reputation that is a joy to see.

Crit tips

Critic's Tips:

Detroit Cobras -- at T.T. the Bear's on Friday, July 20. All-out energy from one of the finest garage-rock bands on the planet.

Shaun & Suzy's 14th annual Bastille Day A-Go-Go at the Lizard Lounge on Saturday, July 21. Bastille Day was last week, but Shaun & Suzy revive it at their annual, hard-to-beat party.

Goo Goo Dolls and Lifehouse -- at the Tweeter Center on Sunday, July 22. A smart rock 'n' roll double bill with the Goos and the comeback-in-the-making Lifehouse.

Richie Furay Band -- at the Paradise Rock Club on Sunday, July 22. Anyone remember Buffalo Springfield? They had Neil Young and Stephen Stills, but also Furay, who hasn't been heard from in years, so this should be a fascinating night. And Chris Hillman (Byrds) opens up.

White Stripes -- at Agganis Arena on Monday, July 23. Jack and Meg White bring their color-coordinated, but wildly explosive, sound into this BU arena. Their new album kicks butt.

Chris Cornell -- at the Bank of America Pavilion on Tuesday, July 24. Cornell has fronted Soundgarden and Audioslave -- and brings the best of both acts to his solo tour. He played Avalon not long ago and was terrific.

Swell Season -- at the Brattle Theatre on Wednesday, July 25. The indie film "Once'' has been a pleasant surprise. It stars Glen Hansard (of the Frames), who anchors Swell Season.

The Cat Empire -- at the WBOS Copley Square series on Thursday, July 26. Bring your dancing shoes to this twilight, 5:30 p.m. free concert in the square with these Australian revelers.

STEVE MORSE

Critic's Tips

Carbon Leaf -- at Lowell National Historical Park on Friday, July 13. The Virginia band plays rootsy, summer-breeze rock that should be ideal in this outdoor setting.
Nickelback -- at the Tweeter Center on Friday, July 13. Nickelback has been a hit machine second to none in recent years. And Bay State band Staind opens up, along with Daughtry.
Kashmir -- on a Rock On Concert Cruise Friday, July 13. The excellent Led Zeppelin tribute act (admit it, you might have a weakness for them) sets sail from Rowes Wharf at 8 p.m.
Buffalo Tom -- at the Paradise Rock Club on Saturday, July 14. Many folks are surprised that Buffalo Tom finally released another album. They'll celebrate it with this hometown gig.
Trisha Yearwood -- at the South Shore Music Circus on Saturday, July 14. The fine country singer, who also happens to be Mrs. Garth Brooks, remains a standout stage act.
Alternative Country Extravaganza -- at Harpers Ferry on Saturday, July 14. That's what they're calling this benefit for Horizons for Homeless Children, featuring Lucky 57, the Molenes, Dave Smamarco Band, and more.
Bellevue Cadillac -- at the Sea Note in Hull on Saturday, July 14. Known as the Johnny D's of the South Shore, the oceanside Sea Note is a hot spot on summer weekends. And Bellevue Cadillac's blues-swing will only enhance the vibe.
STEVE MORSE

Ratdog resurgence

Who knew that Bob Weir & Ratdog would blow the roof off the Bank of America Pavilion this summer? I've sat through some cerebral Ratdog shows, and some not-so-cerebral ones. This was simply the best one that I've seen -- hitting a party groove most of the way.
Former Grateful Dead co-singer Weir has had numerous ups and downs with Ratdog, which was once his side project but is now his main focus. He seems to have finally just tossed caution to the wind and is enjoying himself (critics be darned) and that buzz swept through a nearly sold-out crowd that boogied in the aisles like the days of yore.
Weir continued to mine the Dead catalog -- starting with "Feel Like a Stranger'' and moving through the Jerry Garcia-identified "Black Peter,'' "Loose Lucy,'' and encoring with the transcendent "Brokedown Palace.'' His voice hit soulful peaks on all of them -- and he also took a heavy plunge into Bob Dylan's catalog, touching upon the graceful "She Belongs to Me,'' the challenging "Silvio'' (which began with a tease of the Dead's "Bertha'' and later went into a crowd-pleasing "Tequila'') and protest song "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall,'' though it was a rare lowlight because he sang it too softly, without the needed edge.
But Weir generally stayed on a crowd-pleasing plane, encouraging the dancers with two covers that the Dead also popularized: the New Orleans classic "Iko, Iko'' and Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away,'' given a Bo Diddley beat. And his cover of "The Mighty Quinn'' was boosted by with harmony vocals from ever-improving opening act Keller Williams. Another highlight was hearing psychedelic-jazzer Steve Kimock on guitar (who has replaced Mark Karan for the tour because the latter is ill).
A further treat: Weir & Ratdog will return to play a tribute to Jack Kerouac's "On the Road'' at Lowell's Boarding House Park on Aug. 12. It will also feature the Dead's longtime aide de camp, Dennis McNally (who is now Ratdog's tour manager) reading from Kerouac's text. For tickets and information, go to Lowellsummermusic.org.

Careening about: Rush, Wilco, Providence

Talk about a great week. This could be my early peak of the summer. I'm thrilled to see my piece on Buddy Holly in the Boston Globe travel section today. I spent four days last month tracing Buddy's roots in his hometown of Lubbock, Tx. and the Norman Petty Studio in Clovis, N.M. where he laid down his greatest hits with the Crickets. A trip of a lifetime for me. No one is a bigger Holly fan than yours truly. To think he died at age 22 is incredible. Hope you can check the story out.
Because I work part-time for WBOS (I've enjoyed every Thursday show I've done with afternoon jock John Laurenti), I still have ample time to pursue my passion for travel stories. This past Tuesday, I also went to Martha's Vineyard to interview Carly Simon for a series that the Globe has done on notable people showing us around their favorite places near their home. Carly was her chatty, convivial self, leading me and a photographer to such sites as a pancake restaurant in Vineyard Haven, a shipyard (where they built a boat for her ex, James Taylor), an art gallery, and a wild 'n' crazy, eclectic store called Midnight Farm (she's an investor in it, but what the hey; it's a deserving place). That piece should run in a couple of Sundays.
As for the concert beat, I hit the Rush show at the Tweeter Center on Wednesday. I was kidded about it by 'BOS program director David Ginsburg (who apparently wouldn't be caught dead at a Rush gig), but darned if Rush didn't give an excellent performance, at least to my warhorse-tarnished ears. Rush remains a definitive power trio with singer Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer Neil Peart, whose drum solos rank among the few in rock where you don't rush for a bathroom break. The 13,000-plus crowd (yes, about 75 percent guys on a boys-night-out bender) went delirious on the deep catlalog tunes (even esoteric stuff from the "Hemispheres'' album) and the light show was nothing short of Pink Floyd-like, including lasers, smokebombs, and triple Jumbotrons screens with enough crazy animation to induce flashbacks whether you were on psychedelics or not. Sure, it was a time warp, but a fun one.
On Thursday, I enjoyed a rootsy change-of-pace with Wilco at the Bank of America Pavilion. Some acts are having trouble packing seats this summer, but not Wilco. The sold-out audience was rabid from the get-go and I can't emphasize enough how much better Wilco is in concert rather than in the studio. Too many of their latter-day records have suffered from artsy pretension and simply too much Mensa Society fussiness. But live, these guys are at the absolute pinnacle of the biz right now. Singer Jeff Tweedy, another former miscreant who is now sober, has a renewed focus that easily made this one of the best shows of the year. He and gifted guitarist Nels Cline (who plays with a gutsy muscularity missing from some of cerebral studio work) drove the band all night and hit a head-rattling crescendo on "Handshake Drugs,'' which was the finest song on their live album from a couple of years ago and fulfilled the same role here. I can't wait to see this band again, but spare me the talk about how great their records are. They're most believable when on stage, pure and simple.
On Friday, I was back in the travel trenches, heading to Providence for a story on that city's nightlife for another upcoming Globe piece. I was blown away by how much Providence has changed in recent years. I used to go there a lot in the heyday of the Providence Civic Center (now Dunkin' Donuts Center), but there are far fewer shows there now (the Tweeter Center has grabbed many of them), so I didn't realize how much the nightlife scene has exploded. New dance clubs, live music venues, and the great AS 220 (a non-profit arts center with a music room, playhouse and outdoor cafe) have been added to the always-solid infrastructure of Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel. Get down there sometime. Just don't speed on Rt. 95. I got pinched by a robo-cop State Trooper for a speeding ticket (a $150 fine) and that stung. But, all in all, an exhilarating week.

Critic's tips

For those of you who need to get out and enjoy this full moon/post-full moon week, then I hope these tips help. And happy 4th of July to all.

BOB AND RAE ANN DONLIN TRIBUTE -- at Club Passim through Tuesday, July 3. This married couple ran Passim for a couple of decades and Bob received some notoriety by being mentioned in Jack Kerouac's "On the Road.'' This tribute to them (both are now deceased but proceeds will go to a scholarship in their name) features enduring Passim friends such as Scott Alarik and Geoff Bartley (playing this Sunday); Bill Morrissey and David Buskin (on Monday); and Chris Smither, Vance Bilbert, and Mason Daring & Jeannie Stahl on Tuesday.
MITTENS, DEAD TREES -- at the Middle East Upstairs on Tuesday, July 3. The Mittens are among Boston's best pop bands, while the Dead Trees (formerly Furvis) have a rootsy, rowdy streak that can fire up the snooziest Scrooge.
JAMES HUNTER and ROBERT CRAY -- at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on Thursday, July 5 (and the South Shore Music Circus on Sunday, July 8). Hunter and his rockabilly/swing/blues splashed on the scene bigtime last year, while Cray remains the Crown Prince of the Blues no matter what anyone says. A connoisseur's bill.
STREET DOGS -- at Axis on Thursday, July 5. If you like the Dropkick Murphys, you'll like the Street Dogs. They are musically aligned with the Dropkicks (their singer used to be in the band before opting for a fire-fighter job in the city of Boston!) and they can stir it up.
WBOS SHOWCASE ON THE WATER -- on the Rock and Blues Concert Cruise on Friday, July 6. A smash double bill of garage-rock kings the Gentlemen (if you haven't seen them, you need to get out more often) and the dynamic Eli "Paperboy'' Reed, a retro soul man who has been tearing it up in the clubs. The cruise leaves from Long Wharf. Should be a great party.
ANGELINE -- at the Lizard Lounge on Friday, July 6. This female-fronted group -- and we're talking a couple of powerhouse singers -- has been coming on strong lately. Asa Brebner produced their recent album and it's filled with great, rock-edged songs.
ARETHA FRANKLIN -- at the South Shore Music Circus on Saturday, July 7. Speaking of soul, the Queen of Soul is back. She is sometimes a pot-luck act these days -- she can cut her sets short -- but when she's on, she's still the unchallenged Queen.

STEVE MORSE

John Lennon tribute album

Records come and go like dust in the wind these days, but one that should catch your ears -- and is done for a good cause -- is the new, double-sided John Lennon tribute, "Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur.'' It's not all great and even the mighty U2 stumbles on their cover of title track "Instant Karma'' (an oddly disappointing, low-energy version), but there are enough highlights elsewhere to make this a worthy purchase.
Some of the big names sound too anal -- R.E.M., Flaming Lips and Lenny Kravitz don't do much with their treatments -- but there are surprises galore. Ben Harper offers an acoustic interpretation of "Beautiful Boy'' (Lennon's homage to his son, Sean) that is absolutely stunning. The same for Matisyahu's reggae twist on late-period Lennong tune "Watching the Wheels,'' and Jackson Browne's endearing "Oh, My Love.'' Snow Patrol scores on the more obscure "Isolation,'' while Christina Aguilera gets appropriately stirred up on "Mother'' (capturing Lennon's wail of concern) and Avril Lavigne nails "Imagine.'' It's only too bad that a couple of songs ("Imagine'' and "Gimme Some Truth'') are covered by two different acts apiece. What, Lennon didn't write enough songs to go around?
The guilty pleasure here is Aerosmith's unorthodox version of "Give Peace a Chance.'' It's done reggae style -- how often has Aerosmith ever done that? -- and singer Steven Tyler raps his brains out and sounds like he's ready to record with Dr. Dre. Aerosmith is accompanied on the chorus by Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, leading to an exhilarating climax that Lennon would likely have appreciated.
The hit from this album so far is Green Day's "Working Class Hero.'' It's milder than Lennon's original, but demonstrates an air of experimentation that makes much of this tribute record sing.

Stevie Nicks at Tweeter

Great to see Stevie Nicks come back so strongly at the Tweeter Center this week. She fronted a 10-piece band -- including familiar guitarists Waddy Wachtel and Carlos Rios -- and ripped through a set of her solo material and occasional Fleetwood Mac tunes such as "Rhiannon,'' which she probably had to sing or fans would have blocked her exit.
Nicks will always be best-known as a member of Fleetwood Mac, but her solo career is not to be underestimated. Right from the first song, the power-churning "Stand Up,'' she reminded the audience that her solo repertoire has sometimes rocked harder than her Mac output. This was arguably her finest solo tour since her "Belladonna'' era -- and that's saying something. She was more confident (no problems with her voice this time), and more personal, telling stories that climaxed with a Father's Day dedication on "Landslide.''
She even did a dervish twirl or two -- evoking the agility of her younger days -- and pleased the diehards with a crunching version of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' "I Need to Know,'' which she sang as a guest on Petty's tour last summer. To hear her belt out that song was exhilarating.
Nicks also graciously shook the hands of many fans in the front rows during the instrumental vamps on "Edge of Seventeen,'' always a show-stopper. She radiated good will and warmly reflected the devotion of fans who have stuck with her since the '70s.
The night was further peaked by opener Chris Isaak, whose rockabilly-edged music continues to be first-rate, sandwiched around hit ballads like "Wicked Game.'' He also showed his Roy Orbison roots by performing Roy's "Only the Lonely'' in a magnetic manner. And while Isaak's on-stage shtick has gotten hammier and more Vegas-like through the years, he still delivers when he has to.
STEVE MORSE

Critic's tips, reviews

My web journal for WBOS-FM will now go into this blog. Cheers, Steve. spmorse@gmail.com.

June 14

* Merrie, Jennifer and Kris – at Club Passim on Thursday, June 14. Formidable singer-songwriters Merrie Amsterburg, Jennifer Kimball and Kris Delmhorst team up for this Respond benefit in Harvard Square.
* Cowboy Mouth – at the Paradise on Friday, June 15. A consummate rock party band that electrified the last Hot Stove, Cool Music concert at Fenway Park last summer. These guys can kick it.
* Sarah Borges – a Johnny D’s on Saturday, June 16. Boston’s most engaging female country-rock singer is starting to make her mark nationwide. She just released an album on Sugar Hill Records and the critics have been gushing.
* True Colors Tour – at the Tweeter Center on Saturday, June 16. This strangely compiled but inviting bill features Cyndi Lauder, Erasure, Debbie Harry (of Blondie fame), and Boston’s own cabaret-rock stars, Dresden Dolls.
* Stevie Nicks – at the Tweeter Center on Sunday, June 17. It’s easy to like Stevie Nicks with her regular band Fleetwood Mac – and likewise easy to enjoy her solo gigs. She was excellent when backing Tom Petty last summer and it’s good to see her continue her momentum. The likable, rockabilly-edged Chris Isaak opens up this Tweeter gig.
* Duke Levine – at Atwood’s Tavern on Monday, June 18. Duke has played with everyone in the local roots-music world – from Dennis Brennan and Peter Wolf to David Johnston and Jimmy Ryan – but this Monday residency is a showcase for the instrumental side of his repertoire. Guitarist/foil Kevin Barry adds to Duke’s energy.

CONCERT REVIEW:
Joss Stone at Avalon. I was hoping this show would be better. I love Joss Stone’s new album – an amazingly assured batch of R&B tunes, many written by Stone and the fast-becoming-a-legend Raphael Saadiq. But Stone was not consistent in concert. She was intermittently brilliant, but also intermittently amateurish. Her stage presence was shaky and her between-song banter was bizarre and often impossible to hear. At her best, she scored with the sexy “Put Your Hands on Me’’ (where her nine-piece, horn-stoked band shone) and the recent, Aretha Franklin-like hit, “Tell Me ‘Bout It.’’ But she often succumbed to monotonous tempos and it wasn’t a positive sign when one of her backup singers blew her away with a version of the Isley Brothers’ funky “It’s Your Thing.’’ Nor was it good when Stone came back for an encore of Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry,’’ but sang just a little of it and left. She needs to work harder on her presentation.

MOVIE REVIEW:
“Once.’’ This is a fantastic movie. Go see it at once. It has been receiving four-star ratings and deserves it. A lovely, low-budget tale set in Dublin, it’s about a street musician (played by Irishman Glen Hansard of the group the Frames) and his meeting, and subsequent songwriting collaboration, with Czech singer Marketa Irglova. The chemistry is remarkable between the two – low-key for a moment, then smoldering at another. Their affection for each other never turns physical (though hints are given galore), but the musical bond they forge is quietly exhilarating. A great, great movie.