Thursday, January 2, 2014

This week's hot concerts


Rye Rye/Eryn Woods
Friday  8 p.m., Tremont, 400 W. Tremont Ave., $10-$12, www.tremontmusichall.com
This female Baltimore rapper falls between bubblegum electro club and the smart world hip-hop of sometime collaborator M.I.A. Famously mohawked singer Woods - last here during Charlotte Pride! - packs a quirky voice and colorful style reminiscent of Charlotte’s own Hope Nicholls.

Coconut Grove Band, Fair Play with Carey Simms, and Ben Gatlin Band
Saturday  6 p.m., Thoroughbred Lounge, 4925 Rozzels Ferry Rd., $10 minimum donation, 704-395-9735.
Having raised $10,000 for brain tumor research in honor of his cancer-survivor brother for his 50th birthday last year, Tommy Ballard is doing it again with a concert that’s open to the public. Music includes Craig Woolard sitting in with the bands and a DJ between acts.

Jay Z
Saturday  8 p.m., Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St., $42.55-$143.20
With barely a break for the holidays, the hip-hop mogul picks up his “Magna Carter World Tour” with a long-awaited return to Charlotte. The set list boasts well over 20 songs and, according to reviews, a level of intimacy rarely seen at an arena-sized hip-hop show.

Raimee
Saturday  8 p.m., Tremont, 400 W. Tremont Ave., $8, www.tremontmusichall.com
Like Lacuna Coil and a less commercial Evanescence, the Boone, NC goth-metal outfit marries scale-climbing female vocals and piano, classical flourishes, heavy distortion, and classic metal arrangements with a dreamy, dark fairytale feel. It teams with Luna’s Lament and Avalon Steel.

Paleface/Time Sawyer
Saturday  10 p.m., Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St., $8-$10, www.eveningmuse.com
The frontman and visual artist, whose brush with mainstream stardom in the `90s never quite materialized, remains one of the country’s most underrated songwriters. His live show is punctuated by partner/drummer Mo Samalot (featured on vocals in the above video). Elkin’s cleverly named Time Sawyer is a rocking bluegrass folk-band that’s reach extends well outside those parameters.

Beach Weather/Edward Appleby
Tuesday  8 p.m., Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St., $5, www.snugrock.com
These two minimalist Alabama acts (the musical alter-egos of individual composers) create quiet, cinematic tracks that seem fit to score a dream sequence, a slow, sleepy montage, or picturesque landscapes on the open road.

Run Engine
Thursday  9 p.m., The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd., $5-$7, www.themilestoneclub.com
The Charlotte foursome drifts between hard charging guitar rock and radio-ready `90s style pop-rock that features jangly Tom Petty-like guitars and ample harmonies. Andy Wood’s deep Chris Cornell-meets-Darius Rucker baritone, which you might expect to find in a classic country song, threads through it all.