Sugarland releases song to benefit tornado victims

Sugarland has recorded a special version of its song, “Stand Up,” with tour mates Little Big Town to benefit recent tornado victims.

The live video for “Stand Up (For Tornado Relief)” was filmed earlier this month at the groups’ tour stops in Chicago and Minneapolis.

Both the song and video are available on iTunes. All proceeds will go to the American Red Cross to aid storm victims in Alabama and Joplin, Mo.

For a preview, click here: http://bit.ly/SugarlandTornadoRelief

The duo of Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush wraps “The Incredible Machine Tour” with a hometown date Oct. 22 at Philips Arena.

Edited: May 31st, 2011

Hot tickets: May 31

Alkaline Trio's 15th Anniversary Tour comes to the Masquerade in August. Photo: Myriam Santos

ON SALE NOW
Buckhead Music Festival. An outdoor festival of live local music. 1 p.m. July 30. Buckhead Theatre. $14. TM.

ON SALE JUNE 2
Alkaline Trio. 7 p.m. Aug. 18. Masquerade. $18. TM.

ON SALE JUNE 3
Kristy Lee. 6 p.m. June 18. Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta Room. $10 in advance. TA.
Perpetual Groove. 8:30 p.m. July 22. Variety Playhouse. $25; $22.50 in advance (under age 21). $22.50; $20 in advance (age 21 and up). TM.
Animals as Leaders. 6 p.m. July 27. Masquerade. $13. TM.
Rad Bromance. 8 p.m. Aug. 3. Smith’s Olde Bar – Music Room. $10 in advance. TA.
106 & Park Presents: Closer To My Dreams Tour. With Tyga, Mindless Behavior, Lil Twist, Jawan and Trevante. 8 p.m. Aug. 6. Masquerade. $30. LN.
Big Mike Geier’s Elvis Royale featuring the Kingsized Orchestra and Dames Aflame. 8:30 p.m. Aug. 13. Variety Playhouse. $27. TM.
Jonathan Coulton, Paul & Storm. 8:30 p.m. Sept. 2. Variety …

Edited: May 31st, 2011

Trombone Shorty Brings Cajun Funk To Center Stage Monday For Jazz Festival Finale

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue brought their special brand of Cajun funk to Center Stage Theatre Monday night as the 2011 Atlanta Jazz Festival wrapped up its 34th year. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews was born in New Orleans on January 2, 1986. The trombone and trumpet player and vocalist is the younger brother of trumpeter and bandleader James Andrews and the grandson of singer and songwriter Jessie Hill. In 2005, he was a featured member of Lenny Kravitz’s horn section for a world tour that shared billing with acts such as Aerosmith. Shorty’s 2010 major label debut, Backatown, hit Billboard Magazine’s Contemporary Jazz Chart at #1 and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks. He recently recorded several tracks with Eric Clapton.

AJC photographer Robb Cohen covered the event with his camera. See the 14-photo online gallery. How did you like the concert? What were your favorite artists at this year’s Atlanta Jazz festival?

(Photo Credit: Robb D. Cohen/

Gil Scott-Heron, ‘godfather of rap’ who mixed poetry and politics, dead at 62

Gil Scott-Heron, the “godfather of rap,” whose mix of poetry, politics, jazz, blues and soul influenced hip hop and neo soul, died Friday, according to multiple media reports .

Edited: May 28th, 2011

Patti LuPone soars despite sniffles

It was obvious from the box of tissues, constantly sipped glass of water and uncontrollable bursts of coughing between songs that Patti LuPone wasn’t feeling 100 percent.

But even when not at maximum velocity, her voice – that torch of an instrument – bulldozed any note that might have been an obstacle.

At  a packed Symphony Hall Friday night, LuPone, backed by the spectacular Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, performed a string of famed show tunes in the vocal workout she dubs “Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda” (as in, songs she coulda sung, woulda sung, shoulda sung and, lest there be any concern that selections from “Gypsy” or “Evita” wouldn’t appear, did sing).

The first 30 minutes of the show – which repeats tonight – featured guest conductor Rob Fisher leading the ASO through overtures from “Sweeney Todd,” “Gypsy” and “West Side Story.” Along with being generous in his praise of ASO, Fisher was also refreshingly playful, even egging the audience to supply the “Mambo!” cry in the “West …

Edited: May 28th, 2011

Josh Groban plays Gwinnett Arena

Josh Groban openly admits he isn’t the same performer that his fans saw when he last toured in 2007.

Edited: May 26th, 2011

Josh Groban plays Gwinnett Arena

By Alan Sculley For the AJC Josh Groban openly admits he isn’t the same performer that his fans saw when he last toured in 2007.

Edited: May 26th, 2011

Live music picks: May 27-June 2

New York-based trio Fun joins Panic at the Disco for a show at the Tabernacle. In addition to touring together, the two bands collaborated on a new single called “C’mon.”

FRIDAY
Panic At The Disco, Fun
Originally occupying the middle ground between Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, Panic at the Disco displayed a more mature style with second album “Pretty. Odd.” in 2008. Then half of the band split, including guitarist and primary lyricist Ryan Ross. “Vice & Virtues,” released in March, is the band’s first album without Ross, and it feels like a slight return to the showy pop of debut “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.” There’s a better reason to go to this show than the headliners, though. Fun makes bold, brassy pop with a ’70s AM pop vibe and a new millennial wink. “Be Calm,” the stunning lead track from the 2009 debut album “Aim and Ignite,” is a weird and wonderful cocktail of Queen and Weezer. Despite those obvious influences, this trio …

Edited: May 25th, 2011

Georgia Music Hall to shut down June 12

The Georgia Music Hall of Fame in downtown Macon will turn out the lights on June 12. The music hall’s state-appointed authority voted 4-3 Tuesday to shut down the museum, which has interpreted the stories of Georgia greats including Otis Redding, James Brown, the Allman Brothers Band and Little Richard since 1996.

Edited: May 24th, 2011

Bootsy, baby, will skip Atlanta

Michael Weintrob

Perhaps it was the LSD – Bootsy Collins says he dropped acid every day for two years during the early Funkadelic era – but a misstep in planning his current concert tour means he won’t be playing Atlanta this summer, according to a spokesman.

“Bootsy’s plans for an Atlanta show [in June] had to be canceled due to his set time at Bonnaroo the day before and resulting changes to his travel plans,” said PR representative Tyler Cannon.

Cannon said the funk master had tentative plans to play June 12, and early press releases listed a June 12 engagement in “Buckhead” but no venue was mentioned and apparently none was secured.

Nonetheless, the larger-than-life bassist, a creator of the Parliament-Funkadelic sound, stopped in Atlanta recently to talk up his new album and tour – the one that skips Atlanta – and to describe the evening in 1970 in Columbus, Ga., when he first performed with James Brown.

In the fanciful Collins theology of funk, Brown is the Father, …

Edited: May 24th, 2011