Sirius XM personality (and former host of VH1’s “That Metal Show”) Eddie Trunk recently posted online that he didn’t understand why established artists with deep song catalogs would perform cover versions of other musicians’ tunes at their concerts. Trunk’s argument is that, by playing a cover, the artist wastes an opportunity to play on of their own hits, thus shortchanging fans.
I must part company with Mr. Trunk on this issue, because I love covers. Isn’t it cool to hear a classic song interpreted by another artist that you know? The memory of the Stones performing “Love Train” in New York is one that I will always treasure, particularly since Mick Jagger emerged from the wings in a pimp-daddy ensemble featuring a white fur coat and a snazzy fedora.
Or the time I saw Tom Petty in Kansas City around 1980, when he began the encore by saying “This is the last show on this leg of the tour, so we might play a little bit long tonight.” Reverting to the Heartbreakers’ bar band roots, the guys slammed through a 45-minute set of ‘60s covers that was nothing short of spectacular.
Hell, I even enjoy a bootleg recording of Van Halen performing ZZ Top, KC and the Sunshine Band, Aerosmith and Bad Company shortly before the band signed its first record deal. It’s fun hearing how Eddie Van Halen put his own spin on songs we have listened to hundreds of times, even if David Lee Roth couldn’t be bothered to learn some (most?) of the lyrics. When it comes to covers, put me down in the “yes” column.
Ticket Alert
If you are just now thinking, “Yeah, maybe I do want to go see Bruno Mars,” you’re a bit late. The show on Wednesday, April 22, at NRG Stadium is sold out, but “Verified Resale Tickets” are available through the Ticketmaster website. However, as they say in Australia, “Brace yourself, Sheila,” because the tab will be rather steep. We’re talking around $400 for “limited view” seats, all the way up to $2000 right down front.
“Sunny came home with a vengeance” is one of the all-time great lyrics, so it was really no surprise when Shawn Colvin’s composition “Sunny Came Home” won Grammys for Song of the Year and Record of the Year in 1998. Tickets are on sale now for Colvin’s show on Friday, June 5, at the Heights Theater.
Aussie rockers Jet had quite a run in the early noughts, notching a hit with “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” Though the band remained popular in its native Australia, international interest waned, and Jet called it quits in 2012. An invitation to open some shows for Bruce Springsteen in Australia and New Zealand brought the guys back together in 2017, and they have been at it ever since. Tickets are on sale now for the band’s show on Saturday, September 12, at the House of Blues.
The fleet-fingered Billy Strings set the bluegrass world on its ear a few years ago, but he has always been a searcher, incorporating a variety of influences into his music. He has even been playing some electric guitar as of late, joining Dead and Co. onstage last year in San Francisco. Strings will perform on Wednesday, December 9, at the Smart Financial Centre, and tickets are going fast.
Concerts This Week
Gary Allan has been keeping the Bakersfield sound created by Merle Haggard and Buck Owens alive for three decades. If you’re looking for some pure, unadulterated country music, check out Allan on Thursday at the 713 Music Hall.
What’s in a name? When a band is called something like “Cradle of Filth,” you pretty much know what you are in for. And so it is with Air Supply, the inoffensive light rock duo who lit up the charts during the ‘70s and ‘80s with singles like “All Out of Love” and “The One That You Love,” not to mention “Lost in Love” and “Making Love Out of Nothing at All.” (See what they did there?). Catch Air Supply on Friday at the Smart Financial Centre.
Jimmy Webb was one of the hottest songwriters out there during the mid-‘60s. “Up, Up and Away,” “Wichita Lineman” and “MacArthur Park” were just some of the hits he wrote for acts like the 5th Dimension, Glen Campbell and the Supremes. Webb performs on Sunday at the Dosey Doe, and you just might get a story or two thrown in with some classic tunes.
The heavy metal band Lamb of God started out with the name Burn the Priest, which meant (among other things) that they couldn’t rent out any KOC halls for their gigs. The current name has caused confusion, however. During last year’s Christmas season, StubHub mistakenly advertised that a religious pageant in South Carolina called Behold the Lamb of God was actually a Lamb of God concert. Awk-ward. Apologies were made, and refunds were given. The band performs on Sunday (!) at the 713 Music Hall.
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