Jesse Lacey and his Long Island crew, Brand NewAlexa Lambros
Drive-By Truckers to play at House of Blues
Adam Young, aka Owl City
It has been suggested that my picks of late have been leaning heavy on bands fueled by testosterone. I must admit that this week does not dispel that rumor. Between the torn jeans and facial hair of the Drive-By Truckers, the low-slung guitar and cardigan muscle-T’s favored by Brand New lead singer Jesse Lacey and clean-cute sincerity of Owl City’s Adam Young … this week’s picks looks like move-in day at University of Houston men’s dormitory.
Friday
Drive-By Truckers at House of Blues
If there was a need for contemporary soundtrack accompaniment to the great Southern Gothic writings of Tennessee Williams or Truman Capote, the Drive-By Truckers should be the first band called for the job. The band began in Athens, Georgia 13 years ago and quickly became a beer hall favorite. It wasn’t until 2001’s, “Southern Rock Opera” that guitarists/vocalists Mike Cooley and Patterson Hood began narrating the new Southern experience in earnest. The latest album , “Brighter Than Creation’s Dark,” is lighter, but still a brilliant piece of audio theater that takes on even more shape in concert.
Tickets $17-$50.
Saturday
Brand New at Verizon Wireless Theater
For nearly a decade, Jesse Lacey and his Long Island crew known as Brand New have been creeping up the alternative rock charts and getting name dropped with greater frequency at buzz band blogs. In 2003, sophomore album “Deja Entendu” established a theme of twisted heartache with hit single, “The Quiet Things That No One Ever Knows.” The follow-up album, “The Devil and God Are Raging Inside of Me” tabbed Lacey as a complex and intriguing songwriter. New release, “Daisy” combines the two for a powerful chemistry that saw Brand New debut at No. 6 on the Billboard 200.
Tickets $22.50.
Owl City at Meridian
Somewhere, deep inside of my 30ish male body, there is a 16-year-old girl who stares dreamily at the painted constellations on my bedroom ceiling and dreams of true love and unicorns. That lil’ suppressed teeny-bopper loves to sing along to the twee, simple and lovely sentiments that 23 year-old one-man band Adam Young, aka Owl City, has created on new album, “Ocean Eyes.” Young is armed only with only a producer, keyboard, audio mixing equipment and an imaginative flair for turning the most innocent Care Bear dreams into song. Some tracks may sound a bit Pollyanna, but this is a cynical world. We could all use a Pollyanna escape mechanism from time to time to lighten the mood.
Tickets $12-$14.
OUTSIDE THE LOOP
Sunday
93.7 FM’s Arrowfest 2009 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
A timesaving tip when prepping for your Saturday night Halloween costume party and Arrowfest concert festival on Sunday: Go to both dressed as a stone-washed denim wearing, mullet-sporting 70s stoner. At the party you will be praised for such a retro chic costume. At the show you will blend in perfectly with fans of the all-day festival’s talent line-up: the Doobie Brothers, Foreigner, Eddie Money, Blue Oyster Cult, WAR, Foghat, Starship (featuring Mickey Thomas).
It’s the perfect plan and saves you from having to change clothes between parties this weekend.
Tickets $25-$65.
