Thursday, March 5, 2015

This week's hot concerts


The Fighting Jamesons
Friday  8 p.m., Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St., $12-$15, www.amossouthend.com 
The Virginia Beach sextet’s take on Celtic roots, driving Irish folk, and pub punk places it in the company of acts like Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys. With the former’s tour not hitting Charlotte until June, this is the best bet to get Sham-rocked in time for St. Patty’s Day.


Carrie Rodriguez/Luke Jacobs
Friday  8 p.m., Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St., $15-$17, www.eveningmuse.com 
With Minnesotan multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Jacobs’ debut full-length album “Velvet After Feel” out this week, he and renowned roots fiddler/singer-songwriter Rodriguez return to the Muse. Jacobs has toured with Rodriguez for the last five years and she produced ten of the songs on his album.

Fleetwood Mac
Saturday  8 p.m., Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 E. Trade St., $63.66-$203.90
Almost two years since its last show at TWC Arena, Mac is back. But this time the legendary rock band is a quintet with Christine McVie, who retired from the group in 1998, back in the fold adding much missed vocals on “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun” (although solo hits like “Got a Hold On Me” aren’t part of recent setlists).

Mary Chapin Carpenter
Saturday  8 p.m., Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., $35-$84, www.blumenthalarts.org
The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra joins the veteran Nashville singer-songwriter and composer/producer Vince Mendoza (who will conduct) to echo her latest album, “Songs From the Movie,” which casts previously released songs like “I Am a Town” and “Come On Come On” in a new light thanks to cinematic, orchestral arrangements.


The Everymen/Amigo
Saturday  10:30 p.m., Double Door, 1218 Charlottetown Ave., $8, www.doubledoorinn.com
Theatrical horn-spiked outfit the Everymen bop from sock hops to Springsteen on its new album, “Givin’ Up on Free Jazz,” while managing to channel Meat Loaf and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Its paired with local roots trio Amigo, who matches the New Jersey act in its well-rounded pool of influences. This show was originally scheduled for Evening Muse.

Hell Yeah!
Saturday  8 p.m., Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St., $22-$25, www.amossouthend.com
On its fourth album the metal super group/side project of Mudvayne’s Chad Gray and Nothingface’s Tom Maxwell with Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul turns down the Southern groove-metal and popular party vibe and relies more on its breakneck metallic tendencies while growing lyrically introspective and serious.


Current Swell
Sunday  8 p.m., Double Door, 1218 Charlottetown Ave., $12-$14, www.doubledoorinn.com  
It’s no wonder this globetrotting Canadian combo’s bluesy alternative rock has caught fire at home. Its 2014 album, “Ulysses” emerges as a mix of Southern steeped twang and rock (think Kings of Leon, Black Crowes and Band of Horses) with the pop chops of a grittier, folk-rock Coldplay.


Fifth Harmony
Tuesday  7:30 p.m., Amos’, 1423 S. Tryon St., $32.50, www.amossouthend.com  
On hits like “Bo$$” and “Sledgehammer” the mostly teen vocal girl group, who came in third on the second season of “X Factor” and later signed with Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid, come across like a cheer squad of Beyonce` Juniors-meet-the Pussycat Dolls with moves to match.

Big John Belly
Thursday  9 p.m., Visulite, 1615 Elizabeth Ave., $8, www.visulite.com
Voted its hometown’s best up and coming new act by Charleston City Paper before ever actually releasing any studio recordings (although an EP is in the works), this eclectic jam rock act is taking an old fashioned approach by honing its sound live.