This week's hot concerts

Carnival of Madness

5 p.m. Friday, August 30, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 707 Pavilion Blvd. $17-$57.50. www.livenation.com

If black and white and gray represent the varying shades of metal, this annual hard rock tour hits on its varied gradations from the Southern rock of Shinedown to the catchy, anthemic hard rock of Papa Roach (which has taken a page from 30 Seconds to Mars of late) to the Christian alternative and industrial metal of Skillet and We As Human to the melodic assault of female fronted metal band In This Moment.

Megan & Liz

6:30 p.m. Friday, August 30, Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St. $13-$15. www.amossouthend.com

The YouTube-approved, Michigan-based twin sister act combines the positive shout-anthems of Icona Pop, the sweet, cheerleader pop of Disney grads like Hilary Duff and Aly & AJ, and the girly, carefree feel of beachy songwriters like Colbie Caillat. Its debut album is out this fall.

Matthew Mayfield

8 p.m. Saturday, August 31, Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. $8-$10. www.eveningmuse.com

The former Moses Mayfield singer approaches pop-rock with more heft and haunting than many of his TV drama scoring peers (his songs have been used in “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Hart of Dixie”) thanks to a dark, distorted rock undercurrent and a Springsteen-like scratch in his voice. He embarks on an acoustic tour in support of his impressive new EP, “Irons in the Fire.”

Analog Daze

8 p.m. Saturday, August 31, Double Door, 1218 Charlottetown Ave. $10. www.doubledoorinn.com

The appropriately tagged Charlotte band, which trades in grooving and gritty classic blues-rock flavored with Southern, psychedelic, classic, and early modern rock, celebrates the release of its (again well titled) album “Throwback Anthems” with the Kevin Marshall Band and Gigi Dover & Big Love. The first 100 people receive a free download.

JP Harris & the Tough Choices

6 p.m. Sunday, September 1, Thirsty Beaver, 1225 Central Ave. Free. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Thirsty-Beaver-Saloon/155129104571598

Fans of true honky tonk and classic country music get a pass to sleep in late Monday morning following a likely marathon from this Southern traditional songwriter who snubs his nose at his home of Music City with a blatantly old school sound that rocks more than rolls live.

Muse

7 p.m. Tuesday, September 3, Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St. $45.15-$67.10. www.ticketmaster.com

The influential British arena rock band’s last world tour was one of the best of 2010, though it missed Charlotte. With it's Queen-meets-James-Bond soundtrack feel, its album “The 2^nd Law” may not have resonated as much as its inescapable mainstream breakthrough, “The Uprsising.” But you can bet the theatrical trio will perform a grand, memorable and cinematic-sounding rock show as if scoring the apocalypse.

Goodie Mob (cancelled)

8 p.m. Thursday, September 5, The Fillmore, 1000 NC Music Factory. $30.50. www.livenation.com

Although now famous for his non hip-hop pursuits (“The Voice,” Gnarls Barkley, “Forget You”), Ceelo Green reteams with Big Gipp, Khujo, and T-Mo for a Goodie Mob reunion and album (this week's cleverly titled “Age Against the Machine”), which Green says goes beyond hip-hop and is just the first act for the reignited veteran unit.

Black Flag

8:30 p.m. Wednesday, September 4, Chop Shop, 399 E. 35^th St. $20-$25. www.chopshopnoda.com  

Although entangled in an un-punk rock lawsuit with Flag - another touring version of former members playing Black Flag songs - over trademark infringement, founder Greg Ginn and vocalist Ron Reyes (from the “Jealous Again” era) are revisiting the seminal punk group’s influential catalog as well as creating its first new material since 1985.

Area native's NYC band captures its July 4 in video

Brooklyn-based indie rock band Ex Cops, which features Charlotte native Brian Harding (formerly of Hymns), released a new video. The clip traces the band's existence in Brooklyn and it's July 4 concert outside of the Museum of Modern Art as well as a wacky friend's journey to the show.

The song is from the group's recent full-length, "True Hallucinations."

New Temperance League video previews new LP

Charlotte rock band Temperance League releases its second full-length album, "Rock n' Roll Dreams" on iTunes September 17 and on vinyl October 1. Like its self-titled debut, which revealed a different direction than early punkier political and socially-conscious singles, "Rock n' Roll Dreams" sees the band continuing to evolve. It posted its new video "That, You Can Count On" over the weekend.

The group features a cast of local music veterans including Bruce Hazel, Shawn Lynch, Chad Wilson, Jay Garrigan, David Kim, and Eric Scott. It celebrates the album's release October 18 at Snug Harbor.

Review: Lambert & Bentley rouse fans Friday

The last time Miranda Lambert played Charlotte, it was her first show back after burying her father-in-law and it was an emotional exercise in soldiering through with heart-on-sleeve that made fans adore her even more. Her concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Friday with Dierks Bentley was a lighter affair, if not carefree. The jubilation came from Bentley, who repeatedly said it might be the best night of his life. The first time he said it I assumed it was a line he gave to all audiences, but after noting the overwhelming response to the sing-along portion of his latest single “I Hold On” and repeating the sentiment on his knees in thanks to the rapt audience following the finale of “Home” I kind of believed him. I figured he meant after the birth of his children.

Bentley’s set appealed to both women and men who knew practically every single word to every single song. They rolled with him from the opening lines of “Am I the Only One,” “Free and Easy (Down the Road I Go),” “5-1-5-0,” and “Every Mile a Memory” through “Sideways” late in the set. He played up his hunky looks without removing his shirt or gyrating by bringing a girl from the crowd on stage to pretend to play guitar while he watched her shake from behind leaning on the pedal steel riser and flirting jokingly with another late in the set. 

He even handed a guitar to someone in the pit area after his set was over. He was very particular about who received it (maybe a kid? I couldn’t see). He didn’t make a big show of his generosity either. The music had stopped, the band was leaving the stage, and applause were subsiding.

The logistics of two supersize country artists sharing the Locked and Reloaded stage was solved by Bentley working vertically on a three-tiered stage and Lambert’s setup utilizing depth instead of height. Both prowled a wide guitar-painted walkway that extended into the audience. Bentley and his band began the rootsy party song “Up on the Ridge” standing in front of the wide screen at the top back of his stage and made their way to the end of the walkway by song’s end.

In torn jeans, a plaid shirt that gave way to a black t-shirt and shorter curls that he admitted cutting covered with a ball cap, he led songs about drinking (“Tip It On Back”) and more poignant numbers like “I Hold On.” He introduced the latter by noting the old things he values - his acoustic guitar signed by Georges Strait and Jones and the truck he originally drove to Nashville. He ended the show by dedicating “Home” to the military. The soldier beside me, who said he deploys in two weeks, was irked that so many folks in front of us sat down for the song. Maybe people thought the dedication signaled a time to be more serious. Regardless I was glad I remained on my feet.

Between sets a trio from Nashville called Jukebox Mafia entertained the crowd from the center of the amphitheater with acoustic guitar-accompanied live mashups of classic rock, hip-hop, country, and R&B hits. The trio, which Lambert discovered and immediately invited on tour according to the backstory they shared, weaved tunes by Stevie Wonder, Aerosmith, and Georgia Satellites. Their soulful singing and funky hip-hop backbeat went over fabulously with the crowd. My sister texted me from the lawn: “Who is this and where can I go see them?”

Lambert came out firing with “Fastest Girl in Town.” The production was grander and more impressive than at Bojangles’ Coliseum a year and a half ago when she first began touring for the “Four the Record” album. She hit on “Only Prettier” and “Baggage Claim” with signature sass early on. She let loose on Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band’s “Fire Down Below,” which was the strongest of five cover songs. She flung her long blonde locks wildly and stomped the stage before turning serious on “Over You.” She skipped the 2013 CMA Song of the Year, which she and husband Blake Shelton wrote for his deceased brother, on her last trip to Charlotte. It was obvious the very personal hit is still a tough one to perform. 

The mood lifted for “Me and Charlie Talking” before turning serious again for “Dead Flowers.” Her voice soared on the ballad, leaving behind her country girl twang for the maturity and tempered scale climbing Lambert is capable of but doesn’t over use (she does this on the new Willie Nelson duets album too). It was a beautiful performance, but her face read as if this one got to her too.

Later in the set Lambert apologized for forgetting some words (she apparently forgot an entire verse of JOhn Prine's “That's the Way the World Goes `Round”). She said she was anxious about going into the studio on Monday to work on a new record. Having seen her four times now, there’s a sense that despite her tough girl persona Lambert is a sensitive soul that takes whatever is going on in her life on stage with her. That might not work for a highly choreographed pop artist like Lady Gaga or Madonna, but in country music it makes her seem more like a member of her audience.

Her sass returned for “Mama’s Broken Heart” as she spun like Stevie Nicks in her black tank top, sequined silver skirt, and fringed boots. She and opening act Gwen Sebastian (from “The Voices’” Team Blake) rallied for girl power on the Judds’ “Girls Night Out.” It was the second of five covers, including the all-star encore of “King of the Road” with Jukebox Mafia, Bentley, Sebastian, Randy Rogers (who turned in a crowd-rousing opening set) and their bands. Personally I want more originals (“Airstream Song” and “Me and Your Cigarettes” from “Revolution” would be my picks), but that’s just me.

There were no costume changes or band-showcasing exits. Lambert is no diva. She and Bentley both performed with five-piece bands, not the swelling three-guitar assaults solo stars sometimes carry. She broke from recent setlists, switching order and leaving a couple songs off. Instead she opted for must-play hits like “Famous in a Small Town” and “Kerosene.” The latter always manages to burn the house down as if it was meant to close the show. That place was reserved for the equally fiery “Gunpowder and Lead.”

In between she struck on The Beatles’ “Get Back,” the new single “All Kinds of Kinds” (with a beautiful revolving light show of disco balls throwing white light around the arena) and the touching “House That Built Me.” But it was during “Gunpowder & Lead” that a gleeful grin was glued to her face. 

She ended with an encore of “White Liar” and the all-star jam where she again threw the spotlight to her touring companions. If she hadn’t admitted earlier to “seeming disheveled” the crowd wouldn’t have noticed. But that’s kind of why people dig her - because she does admit it. 

Weekend brimming with music, thanks to Pride

Charlotte Pride is in full swing this weekend, which means a bevy of live music and entertainment acts downtown. R&B singer Mya, "The Real L Word's" resident rock band Hunter Valentine, and "The Voice" grad Judith Hill (pictured above) are among the weekend's headliners. 

Entertainment kicks off at noon Saturday. That's when Flourish: A Celebration of LGBT Arts and Culture at The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art and Pride events on the Wells Fargo Stage at the PNC Bank Festival Zone begin. 

Flourish is a free event presented by the Queer Arts Consortium and billed as a festival within a festival. It features a mix of visual art, theater, film, and live music performances showcasing Charlotte artists like the Gay Men's Chorus, StillOut photography, the Charlotte Pride Band, Queen City Theater Company, the Gay Charlotte Film Festival, mixed LGBT vocal ensemble Once Voice Chorus, and dance and performance art group Triptych Collective.

Short performances and films are staggered throughout the day along with an ongoing photography display so visitors and concert goers can come and go. Flourish runs from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday following the parade. 

The schedule for artists can be found here. 

Saturday's entertainment on the nearby Wells Fargo Stage begins with Augusta, Georgia female quartet She-N-She, singer-songwriters Ashley Joe Farmer Band, Ryan Cassetta, and Josh Zuckerman, and pop punk act Eryn Woods (pictured above). Snug Harbor's Shiprocked! brings Snug Harbor's weekly dance party to the stage followed by stars of "RuPaul's Drag Race." DJ Ghost, Queen of Bounce Big Freedia, and Mya close out the show. 

Later the party moves to Phoenix where Joan Jett-inspired Canadian pop-rock band Hunter Valentine (below) - who open for Cyndi Lauper in November at Belk - plays the Charlotte Pride Woman's event at 11 p.m.

Sunday the fun continues with Atlanta singer-songwriter Dylan Michael kicking off post-parade performances. Actors Theater will perform songs from "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" followed by rock act Spiralfire. Stars from "RuPaul's Drag Race" and vocalist Hill close out the festival following awards presentations. 

The Bechtler and the Wells Fargo Stage are located on Tryon smack in the middle of the festival zone between Stonewall and Third Streets. For the full Pride schedule click here. 

This week's hot concerts

Miranda Lambert/Dierks Bentley

7 p.m. Friday, August 23, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 707 Pavilion Blvd. $38.25-$67. www.livenation.com

She’s redneck feminist country’s leading lady. He’s the genre’s red dirt pinup . They team up on the Locked & ReLoaded Tour, which shakes up the setlist and formula of Lambert’s memorable and emotional January 2012 concert (following the death of her father-in-law) for a larger crowd and possibly bigger production. With “The Voice” contestant Gwen Sebastian and rising stars the Randy Rogers Band.

The BoDeans

8 p.m. Friday, August 23, McGlohon Theater, 345 N. College St. $28.50-$32.50. www.blumenthalarts.org

Despite a maze of lineup shifts over the years (leaving Kurt Neumann its only founding member), the Wisconsin rock combo nears its 30^th year in 2014. The group took a break after it enjoyed its biggest hit - 1996’s “Closer to Free” - thanks to “Party of Five,” but its career of late has been prolific with four releases in three years.

Maxi Priest/Beres Hammond

8:30 p.m. Friday, August 23, Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. $45-$90. www.blumenthalarts.org

Dubbed the Kings of Lovers Rock, the veteran vocalists may be the smoothest cats in reggae with a style that owes as much to R&B as rock steady, roots, and dancehall.  Hammond delivers songs like a classic soul singer, while Priest’s pop tendencies earned him smash mainstream crossovers in the late `80s and `90s.

Crunk Witch/Louis Logic

9 p.m. Saturday, August 24, The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd. $7. www.themilestoneclub.com

The electronic husband and wife duo should get a mention for its name alone, but it's frantic and spastic to dark and spooky beat-driven tracks are of note as well. It’s paired with the sometimes confounding, often surprising emcee who tosses musical styles in a soup pot much like a mad Iron hip-hop chef. Thought Criminals and Red Jesse open.

Parachute

7 p.m. Sunday, August 25, Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St. $13-$15. www.amossouthend.com

With catchy soul-pop tracks like its current single “I Can’t Help” the Charlottesville outfit is an adequate substitute for Maroon 5. It's fittingly logged time on the road with Kelly Clarkson and its just-released third album, “Overnight,” follows modest adult contemporary hits “She Is Love” and “Something to Believe In.” With Matt Hires and Andrew Ripp. 

Umphrey’s McGee/STS9

7 p.m. Wednesday, August 28, Uptown Amphitheatre, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. $34-$40.50. www.livenation.com

“Relix Magazine” suggested in 2012 that classic jam stalwart Umphrey’s McGee might be the “Last Jam Band Standing.” The same could be said for forward-thinking, futuristic electro-jam outfit STS9, who as Sound Tribe Sector 9 led the live electronic rave-meets-jam concert hybrid years before it was an attraction at Bonnaroo.

We The Kings/Breathe Carolina

6:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 28, Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St. $20-$23. www.amossouthend.com

It's evident from its catchy pop-rock tracks that the Florida quartet grew up during the rise of snappy emo-pop acts like Jimmy Eat World. Colorado-based electronic duo Breathe Carolina provides a link between youthful pop and bubbly club jams. T. Mills, the Ready Set, and Like the Movies round out the bill.

The Passenger

7 p.m. Thursday, August 29, Visulite 1615 Elizabeth Ave. $18-$20. www.visulite.com

What started as a full British band is now the folky alter-ego of English singer-songwriter Mike Rosenberg who makes pastoral, genteel acoustic songs with pop sensibilities - think a sparse and intimate Van Morrison or Nick Drake.

The Coathangers

10 p.m. Thursday, August 29, Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. $3. www.snugrock.com

Atlanta produced an heir to feminist post-riot grrrl with this female trio (down a member from a quartet). There’s no sloganeering here though. The songs, while sometimes brash and unpredictable, are personal and layered responses to life, death, and relationships. 

Review: Bruno Mars shines light on music, band

Most solo artists bask in the spotlight surrounding themselves with anonymous musicians and dancers. Not Bruno Mars. His hit-filled concert Wednesday at Time Warner Cable Arena was as much about the whole package - the music, the songs, the choreography, and the players - as it was about the songwriter and showman himself.

Mars posted a photo of his recent cold-fighting remedies (from Mucinex and Sudafed to Afrin and Echinacea) on Twitter Tuesday, so there was some speculation that his performance or voice might suffer. That wasn’t the case. From the opening notes of “Moonshine” to the closer “Gorilla,” his voice and moves held out.

It didn’t hurt that each member of his band exhibited personality and individuality. Mars didn’t relegate them to the sidelines either. Six members of the eight piece band, which included three horn players that double as backup singers (how economical), flanked Mars throughout the night. All seem to double as hypemen. Bassist and North Carolinian Jamareo Artis funked like he’d played with Fishbone and keyboardist John Fossit bounced, headbanged, and ran in place during “Runaway Baby.”

They dressed not in Motown-inspired uniforms of old, but more as a playful group of `70s Hooligans (the name of the band) in mismatched plaids, solids, and stripes, butterfly collars, and - in one case - a black fishnet tank. They channeled a street corner doo-wop gang from the `50s, the crew from Fat Albert (minus the Fat), and the Jackson 5.

Following “Natalie” and “Treasure” from his latest album “Unorthodox Jukebox,” Mars reached back to one of the first hits he had a hand in - Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire,” which Mars co-wrote and appeared on. It wasn’t the only time he referenced someone else’s hit but instead of sticking to the hip-hop flavored original version of B.O.B.’s “Nothin’ On You” (which he also co-wrote), Mars kicked it off as a largely acoustic quiet number that morphed into a grand, horn-laden, `70s-style showpiece.

At one point my friend said, “So he’s channeling Elvis, Michael Jackson, and Paul Anka?” Mars has impersonated at least two of those as a tribute artist and he’s an old-style crooner with a classic look wearing a casual, but stylish leopard print shirt and black vest with his signature fedora. There’s definitely that feel, but it’s not a retro act. “Marry You” was a fun, grand throwback with Mars taking one of two very Prince-like guitar solos. He exhibited his skill on piano and drums as well. The latter introduced the encore of “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Gorilla.”

Instead of multiple screens and an over-the-top, multi-level stage, Mars and his band, like Beyonce recently, stuck to the lower level in front of a horizontal screen the length of the stage. Keys and drums were only a few feet above them on a platform behind them. You could imagine the same show - aside from the lights and backdrops - being performed in a large theater or club. It added the illusion of intimacy to the show.

The crowd, which ranged from tweens to senior citizens - ate it up too. They squealed for his jokey “damn” segment and laughed along as group members took turns using bad pickup lines on a female fan in the front row.

The early momentum snowballed at the end with “When I Was Your Man” (which he called the most difficult song to write and sing), “Grenade,” and “Just the Way You Are.” The introductions and thank yous at the end seemed appropriately final, but of course the group returned the obligatory encore.

Opening act Fitz and the Tantrums had the crowd on its feet early, clapping on cue to dance-pop singles like its current mix of new wave and modern soul, “Out of My League” (which should be a massive hit). With an impressive light show and charismatic band leaders Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs, the group put on a lively, engaging set. It turned “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” into a soulful jam with jumping horns much like Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox might have done during the Eurythmics’ horn-happy “Would I Lie to You” period.

Like other acts we’ve seen this summer, both indicated that even live music in a big arena is still at its core about music.