Shovel your blues away 

After spending the first few weeks of the new year getting fat and staying warm, you're gonna wanna go out. I know it's cold and miserable outside, but don't pretend this is your first winter either.

Things kick off with the Cincinnati white boys gone Mississippi black, Thee Shams, at the Bug Jar on January 20. Or you can start with some snowy fluff for the kids with Hillary Duff January 22 at Blue Cross Arena. Personally, I'm waiting for her impending sex scandal to emerge. The same night all the garage fans will be parked at The Bug Jar for Boston's Mono man and what's left of his Lyres along with a much-anticipated reunion of The Projectiles.

Or, if you wanna dig improv bigwigs RAQ, head over to Water Street Music January 22. The hot rock and boogie of rock legend (including Jefferson Airplane Alums Jack Cassidy and Jorma Kaukonen) Hot Tuna hits The German House --- a place I'd like to see used more --- on January 25.

Meadowlark's been gone for years and they're not a musical act, but after seeing The Harlem Globetrotters February 11 at Blue Cross Arena, I defy you to try and get "Sweet Georgia Brown" out of your head. On the jazz end, Dianne Reeves plays Nazareth College February 11 and Brazil's stunning and captivating Claudia Acuna pulls a two-night stint at The Lodge @ Woodcliff February 15 and 16. Slide guitar demoness Joanna Connor heats up The Dinosaur February 23.

Who knows? Maybe Bill will regale us with more of his brother Russell's exploits when Cosby appears on The Auditorium stage February 27. From the too-young-to-shave but old-enough-to-rock set comes Hawthorne Heights with Hopesfall, Sugarcult, Head Automatica, and AnBerlin at Water Street Music Hall on March 7. Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials bring some real Chicago blues (they're from Chicago, you see) to The Dinosaur March 16. And The Irish Rovers will warm your Celtic cockles March 19 when they play at Roberts Wesleyan College.

And if that ain't enough, you could drive to Buffalo and see ex-Replacement Tommy Stinson rock Mohawk Place January 27 or Yanni at HSBC Arena on January 30. I just thought I'd throw those out there.