The year 2014 has dawned upon the world, bringing with it a host of stellar concerts for all humble music fanatics through which to wade. This list is by no means a comprehensive rundown, but rather a collection of the most notable, oddball and absolutely necessary concerts of the spring semester.
1. OutKast at Counterpoint: April 25-27
If you have a pulse and a set of functioning eyes, then there is a good chance you know that Atlanta’s hip-hop royalty have reunited to show their appreciation for 20 years of OutKast love. They recently announced on their Twitter that they’re embarking on an ambitious 40-date tour. One of those dates they’ll be headlining at Atlanta’s own Counterpoint festival in April. Keep an eye out for ticket sales like a hawk watching a mouse –– they are sure to sell out in minutes. Don’t be the miserable soul who missed out on the greatest music to come out of Georgia since James Brown.
2. The Black Lips and Deerhunter at The Variety Playhouse: Friday, March 7
Even though Atlanta has one of the most active and self-sustaining music scenes in the country, very few non-hip-hop artists manage to break through to the national and international stages. The Black Lips and Deerhunter have become the unofficial models for success in Atlanta’s indie rock scene, and they deserve every bit of the attention they have worked so tirelessly to achieve over the last decade. They are both notorious for their ferocious and often unpredictable live sets, so a double headlining bill is a surefire recipe for sonic revelry and certain chaos.
3. St. Vincent at The Tabernacle: Saturday, March 8
Annie Clark, aka St. Vincent, is not just physical proof that female rockers are an active breed, but that they can actually wear high heels while stagediving and busting a tinnitus-inducing guitar solo. The music of St. Vincent is wildly contradictory. Her voice soothes with its perfect pitch and haunting tenor, and then in a passing moment crackles into a fiery burst of power that stuns any unsuspecting listener who ever doubted that a petite woman could contain such scorching energy. Even more than her albums, her live performances display the dichotomy between comforting melodies and lawless discord that she has spent her career perfecting.
4. Snarky Puppy at Terminal West: Monday, March 3
Snarky Puppy is the thinking person’s jam band. They stitch together genres like masterful musical tailors, building themselves a reputation for the tightest grooves and the fiercest improvisation. Their collaboration credits include a diverse artists like Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Justin Timberlake and more. Combine their musical prowess with Terminal West’s laid back atmosphere and killer sound system and you have a performance certain to raise the bar for what live music should aspire to be.
5. The Pizza Underground, La Femme and TV Dinner at the Mammal Gallery: Wednesday, March 19
Maybe this is a stretch. Maybe I’m just choosing Macaulay Culkin’s pizza-themed Velvet Underground cover band because I have a shameful soft spot for novelty bands (and most anything containing references to pizza). Maybe it’s because Cameli’s is actually providing free pizza to hungry patrons. Maybe it’s because this is the closest I’m ever going to get to seeing Lou Reed’s ghost perform.
Regardless, I can’t imagine any situation where seeing this show wouldn’t end up, at the least, as a slightly entertaining story to tell at parties. Even for those unfortunate people with no taste for pizza and lowbrow humor, local hazy garageband TV Dinner will make the concert a worthwhile experience.
