Choice Concerts
Originally the drummer for the classic 70's R&B outfit L.T.D. until he was called up to sing lead, Jeffrey Osborne had already put his baritone signature on a string of hits by the time he went solo in the early 80's. Much like, say, Lionel Richie, Osborne successfully navigated R&B's
Choice Concerts
Though the cello has been making memorable appearances in rock music for decades, it's still widely regarded in rock circles as a "special guest" support instrument. Cellist Alison Chesley, who plays under the name Helen Money, shatters that notion with her edgy solo act. Working with an array of effects
Choice Concerts
Often maligned - both fairly and unfairly - for its ultra-geeky themes and musical excess, progressive rock now exerts a profound influence on today's heavy bands, especially in post-hardcore circles. Fortunately, that influence has resulted in an ever-widening variety of modern permutations, so that even listeners who don't have much
Choice Concerts
At its peak of popularity, emo music was justifiably criticized for being too whiny. Strangely, though, its modern-day offshoot has almost the exact opposite character flaw. Where it was once fashionable to combine bright melodies with racing electric guitars and angst, acts like Never Shout Never ditch the electrics and
Choice Concerts
Local group Parotia's lull of reggae-influence grooves and chik-chick guitar washes over you like a gentle breeze. While some musicians revel in making people anxious, Parotia goes full-swing in the opposite direction, intending with every note to instill a sense of well being in the audience. While some in that
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Since it was first coined about 30 years ago to describe a faster, grittier brand of punk exemplified by the likes of Bad Brains and Black Flag, the term "hardcore" has come to suggest an ever-widening range of music. As more and more bands progressed beyond the limiting, often dogmatically
Choice Concerts
When they're not busy backing honky-tonk bandleader Slim Forsythe, playing together in the punk-country band ATS, or appearing in various other Pittsburgh acts, Erin Snyder and Evan Knauer like to strip things down for a little no-frills duo action. As unpretentious as they come, Snyder and Knauer are keen on
Choice Concerts
Rochester boasts a rabid audience for organ music, so expect seats to be scarce for this special appearance by Ohio-based organist Todd Wilson, the first guest in a celebrity recital series sponsored by the Rochester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, the Eastman School, WXXI, and three local churches
Choice Concerts
Known for their work as members of 10,000 Maniacs, John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey appear live (mostly) as a duo, a sharp contrast to their full-blown band recordings. On "Peace Bridge," their latest album under the name John & Mary and the Valkyries, Lombardo and Ramsey touch on the same
Choice Concerts
If you haven't kept up with the explosive changes going on in the world of classical music, pianist Zuzanna Szewczyk's final doctoral recital is the perfect place to catch up. Ten years after starting at Eastman, Szewczyk (pronounced chef-chick) performs there for the last time with a program that consists
Choice Concerts
For this week's installment, the Skaneateles Festival's directors, pianist Elinor Freer and cellist David Ying, present a series of "I Love New York" chamber concerts. And while the music of Broadway does indeed come to Brook Farm on Saturday evening, the crown jewel of the whole affair would be the
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Despite its intimate charm, breathtaking ambience, neighborhood-y feel, and out-of-this-world homemade cakes and cookies, the Mez will unfortunately be closing its doors at the end of the month. So what better way to bid adieu to this very special venue than with a weekend's worth of free shows. Aside from
Choice Concerts
When all is said and done, singer/actor/comedian Jamie Foxx will probably be remembered most for his Oscar-winning portrayal of soul icon Ray Charles. In his own music career, however, Foxx has his sights set squarely on keeping up with today's R&B pack. Which, depending how you look at it,
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"Steve Berlin said that working with us was like trying to work with the UN Security Council," says Tragically Hip guitarist Rob Baker. Berlin, an acclaimed producer (and member of Los Lobos) who worked with the Tragically Hip on 1998's "Phantom Power" and 2000's "Music at Work," may have lamented the
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Easily a contender for Greatest Band Name Ever, this sextet hails from Tampa, one of death metal's earliest hubs. S.W.W.A.A.T.S., which stands for Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky (a William Burroughs reference), features guitarists from the now-defunct likeminded outfit Bodies In The Gears Of The Apparatus, and clearly
Choice Concerts
Any band that mixes dub reggae with heavily distorted guitars has to navigate a minefield of clichés, but Dub Trio somehow manages to avoid them all. Essentially, Dub Trio switches between dub grooves and heavy rock that borders on metal. It's a fairly straightforward, back-and-forth formula, but the band's stellar
Choice Concerts
Consisting entirely of RIT students, Jack Swift fittingly enough concludes a five-week run of dates at RIT's Lovin' Cup, the same place where the group kicked off the dates last month. The band describes itself in jamband terms, but the prominence of horns lands Jack Swift much closer to the
Choice Concerts
With so many groups falling over each other to recapture the spirit of Appalachian folk, it's thrilling when a modern act can convey the necessary grit to make the music sound real. On record, The Baltimore String Felons truly sound like ghosts from another time. But the band's edge doesn't
Choice Concerts
While famous metal musicians tend to blame Nirvana for the abrupt demise of thrash - a riveting, rhythmically propulsive heavy metal sub-genre launched by the likes of Metallica and Slayer - the real truth remains a mystery. Pittsburgh's Mantic Ritual, which sounds like it stepped off a time machine from
Choice Concerts
Every now and then, a blatantly commercial band comes along that somehow manages to make music with heart and soul despite its best efforts. (STP, anyone?) In 2009, Taking Back Sunday is arguably that band. TBS's music oozes out of your speakers glistening and shiny, as if it were sprayed
