Friday, November 21, 2014

This week's hot concerts




Love and Theft
Friday  8 p.m., Coyote Joe’s, 4621 Wilkinson Blvd., $12, www.coyote-joes.com  
Matthews-native Eric Gunderson - one half of this country duo best known for 2011’s "Angel Eyes" - is one of a handful of national artists returning home for pre-holiday concerts. He and Stephen Barker Liles embark on their first headlining trek with the "Night You’ll Never Forget Tour" in anticipation of a new album in February.

Wretched
Friday  8 p.m., Tremont, 400 W. Tremont Ave., $12, www.tremontmusichall.com  
After a run on this summer’s Rock Star Energy Mayhem Festival the technical metal wizards - whose self-produced album “Cannibal” has been drawing accolades - play a hometown show at their old thrashing grounds before heading out on the Warriors of Winter Tour with Battlecross next week.


Anberlin
Friday  8 p.m., The Fillmore, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd., $33.58, www.livenation.com  
Five days before it ends its 12-year run at the House of Blues in Orlando not far from its hometown in Florida, the alternative hard rock band makes its last Carolina appearance  on its Final Tour, folling the July release of its final album "Lowborn."

Amigo
Friday  10 p.m., Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St., $5, www.snugrock.com
Amigo frontman Slade Baird celebrates his birthday performing his last show of the year with his rising Charlotte roots rock band. He invited two of his favorite bands - Magnolia Collective and Sinners & Saints - along for the ride before Amigo gets serious upping its touring efforts in 2015.


The Flatland Tourists
Saturday  9:30 p.m., Puckett’s, 2740 West Sugar Creek Rd., $5, www.puckettsfarm.com 
This Union County roots music collective of seasoned players and songwriters laces bluegrass instrumentation with shades of early `70s rock and classic country and then tops it with the soulful bluesy singing of Rachel Garcia. Its self-titled, Mark Williams-produced debut EP, which was released earlier this month.


Tyler Ramsey
Saturday  10 p.m., Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St., $12-$15, www.eveningmuse.com
The Asheville-based Band of Horses guitarist who has released three solo albums and often opens for his more famous band returns for an intimate set of haunting, dreamy pastoral folk that’s reminiscent to Neil Young (thanks for Ramsey's voice and delivery).


Slayer
Sunday  7:30 p.m., The Fillmore, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd., $52.91, www.livenation.com
The Big Four metal giant takes a break from working on a 2015 release to reteam with Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus for its first Charlotte headlining show in many years. The upcoming album will be its first without founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman (who died in 2013) and its first since 2001 with drummer Paul Bostaph.


Lyfe Jennings
Sunday  8 p.m., Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 35th St., $35, www.neighborhoodtheatre.com  
Make it a date night fellas. The R&B crooner may have weathered his share of drama (two stints in prison), but the reformed musician wows as a Luther Vandross-style romantic showman that nearly sings the clothes off the ladies without getting raunchy.

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Sunday  8 p.m., Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., $39.50-$84.50, www.blumenthalarts.org  
The holiday juggernaut rolls into uptown to kick off the season as it celebrates its 30th Anniversary Christmas Tour. With such high demand and such a short window of time to celebrate, this is one of two simultaneous tours hitting the US between now and New Year’s.