Choice Concerts
I don't want to portray the Spampinato Brothers as seedling offspring of NRBQ, but I'd be remiss to not mention their primary root. If you don't know of NRBQ, I don't know what to tell ya. Everybody you like likes it, from Keith Richards to Penn & Teller. Maybe you'll
Choice Concerts
Who the hell decides to launch a new album by throwing a party at the Barrel of Dolls? And featuring a pig roasting on a spit? Only the twisted Tommy Brunett, paragon of the fountain hairdo. Brunett's new album, "Hell Or High Water," is a namedropper's dream, with musicians from
Choice Concerts
Yeah, it's been damn cold out, and the idea of romping around in the big icebox called the East End and workin' your ladies for beads doesn't sound all that appealing. So it's a good thing that the East End Mardi Gras takes place inside - six insides, to be
Choice Concerts
When most of us think of the tragedy in Haiti, what we're really thinking about are the images from the island's major city, Port-au-Prince. HOPE is a Rochester-based not-for-profit agency with a focus on assisting poverty-stricken Borgne in northern Haiti. Contributing to a charity that isn't directly connected to ground
Choice Concerts
Formed in 1900, the Band of the Irish Guards - the Queen's own - finally makes it across the pond to play for the colonists, and Rochester is one of its first stops. The large outfit of 49 musicians forms a variety of musical troupes, including marching, concert, salon, and
Choice Concerts
Just when you've decided Sayers is a folky songwriter, some rapid-fire lyrics smack you, the guitar twangs country, then blues, and you decide to give up all preconceived notions. This guy is all over the place. And what a great place, blending blues, rock, and country into a unique gestalt.
Choice Concerts
Christmas Eves are do-able. The lights are twinkling, eggnog is flowing, Christmas muzak is actually appropriate, and there's still the possibility - however slim - that what you asked for will be under the tree come morning. Then there is Christmas Day. Another year without any toys. At exactly what
Choice Concerts
Tim Blane took a detour around the Coke vs. Pepsi Pop War, deftly navigating himself into the bubbly spot between both sides. Selected for a Coke promotion through its rewards program, he also writes ringtones for Pepsi. And if that's not enough, he was hand-picked by Steve Jobs to be
Choice Concerts
I wonder if "for a good time call The Hot Seats" is written on every bathroom wall in Richmond, Virginia. It should be, and perhaps we can carry on the tradition up here. A highly entertaining band, with songs about sleepover parties of giggling girls, The Hot Seats is just
Choice Concerts
At some point, most of us want to run off and join the circus. Not Roy Book Binder. After a few $5 guitar lessons he ran off with his teacher, the Reverend Gary Davis, on a gig to Chicago, and beyond. That's just the kind of story you'll hear when
Choice Concerts
Walk into any beer joint on a Saturday night and you're sure to find a rock ‘n' roll cover band. They seem to be the mainstay of many palliative pouring places that might otherwise go out of business if it weren't for those weekend riots. What keeps us coming back
Choice Concerts
Jann Klose could be a poster boy for exchange students. Born in Germany, raised in Africa, Jann Klose then jumped across the pond to Cleveland, Ohio, where he was encouraged by his sponsors to put fingers to both keys and stings. Thankfully, he also opened up his pipes, seasoning them
Choice Concerts
"My God that was good...Just tremendous." High praise coming from TV late night talk show host David Letterman. And while musical director Paul Shaffer may be a band's man, Letterman is a bit more personally discerning - many times leaving the stage during performances. That he made a point to
Choice Concerts
A native of Australia, Boyes first hit our shores in 2003, winning the International Blues Challenge. And with Pinetop Perkins' endorsement, comparing her finger picking to Memphis Minnie, she's never stopped running. Described as a "one-woman blues tent revival," Boyes claims your attention like a come-to-Jesus meetin', and there's no
Choice Concerts
Malcolm's songs are simple and poignant, about maidens, battles, hometowns, pubs, and the sea. Typical Scottish fare. What's not so typical is his voice. Like the call of the sirens, Malcolm's voice will mesmerize you, carrying you along on his lyrical voyages. Even if you can't understand a word through
Choice Concerts
America is littered with cover bands. Whether renditions follow the original note-by-note, or are so reinterpreted as to make the model unrecognizable, the versions of the archetype are still surrogate. Greencard - a bunch of limeys torn from the motherland and deposited in these fine parts - began to feel
Choice Concerts
When you mention the accordion, what usually comes to mind are polkas and Weird Al Yankovic. But the instrument is prevalent in modern music if you dig a little. Musicians like the Counting Crows, Tom Waits, Flogging Molly, and Great Big Sea have all incorporated the squeezebox for its
Choice Concerts
With a voice as deep as an oil well and just as slick, Dave Donnelly has pumped classic country into the veins of Rochester on and off for more than half a century. His isn't the line-dancing, sparkle, crinoline petticoat, reception hall-sized production that has come to be known as
Choice Concerts
Don't fear the reaper, but there is a Blue Oyster Cult founder in our midst. John Wiesenthal is one of the starting members of the pioneering heavy metal band. You can hear him in his current role as chair of the guitar department at Hochstein School of Music and Dance
Choice Concerts
They're ba-ack! It used to be that Rochester summers were defined by three festivals - Corn Hill, Park Ave, and Clothesline - with only two of them offering music. Now there are so many local music festivals, with every town and its suburban cousin hosting live tunes tooted
