Winter Jam w/Newsong/Audio Adrenaline/Relient K
Mel Gibson stole their act! Actually, this lineup of Christian rockers—who seem to visit Birmingham as often as the FBI’s Domestic Terrorism Unit—swiped their act from many others. Newsong has a mighty backbeat worthy of Up With People!, and provide an alternative for Justin Timberlake fans who think he’s gotten too surly. Worldwide is a major breakthough for Audio Adrenaline, though, as half the tracks embrace a frantic sound worthy of the Foo Fighters. That beats how they use to be the quirky Pearl Jam. Relient K is also on a roll with Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right . . . But Three Do. It’s Blink-182, of course, but nobody said thou shalt not be derivative of really fun acts. (Thursday, February 26, at Boutwell Auditorium.) —J.R. Taylor Sweet Honey in the Rock
You can tell they’re legends because they’re playing a venue bigger than the Hoover Library. Bernie Johnson Reagon still leads her earthy version of the New Christy Minstrels after 30 years, and Women Come Together is a typically fine a capella display. The political message is pretty laughable, though. “Give the People Their Right to Vote” laments the plight of the Washington, D.C., populace. Sorry, D.C., but you’ll have to come back after Reagon can explain Marion Barry. The title track also bemoans violence without suggesting that women come together at a gun show and learn how to use a firearm. They have a fashion sense worthy of Dean Martin’s Golddiggers, though. (Friday, February 27, Jemison Concert Hall, Alys Stephens Center, 8 p.m. $22-$42.)—J.R.T.
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Robert Moore
Local trumpeter/vocalist Robert Moore projects a working-class persona as part of his unpretentious allure as a jazz stylist. Moore’s reputation as a charismatic jazz crooner has been built on his boundary-crossing tastes. It’s not uncommon to hear Moore perform jazz interpretations of Hank Williams’ “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” and Gerry and the Pacemakers’ “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying.” He’ll be performing with keyboardist Anthony Williams at Vestavia’s Moonlight Music Café, where, says Moore, “It’s so quiet ‘you can hear a rat pissin’ on cotton,’ to quote Ella Fitzgerald.’” He readily admits that working with only one other player is among the more rewarding approaches to milking a song for all it’s worth. “It’s much more intimate as a duo,” says Moore. “There’s much more space for interplay between myself and the accompanist. There’s more focus on the intimacy of the song.” (Saturday, February 28, Moonlight Music Café, $8.) —Ed Reynolds
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Jonny Lang
Well, he’ll always be younger than Jennifer Love Hewitt. This former teen idol of the rockin’ blues crowd is now an industry veteran, and Long Time Coming is the inevitable big sell-out album. All the songs are tempered with glossy studio touches that rely on R&B roots. But you know, the same could be said of John Hiatt’s Warming Up to the Ice Age, and that was Hiatt’s last great album. Of course, Hiatt knew better than to cover Stevie Wonder. Long Time Coming still sounds a lot more like a beginning than an ending. Jonny’s also smart enough to cover his ass with the stripped-down title track. If this one bombs, he’ll just go acoustic. (Saturday, February 28, at the Alabama Theatre, 8 p.m. $38.50, R.S.)—J.R.T.
Guster
It’s not just boy bands who thrive on street teams. Guster has slowly become a best-selling act by cultivating their dedicated fans. Of course, they’re stuck playing smaller venues outside of major cities, but that’ll just make the street teams envious that you get an intimate setting for their sincere and tuneful folk-rock. In fact, they’re so sincere and tuneful that Keep It Together is completely forgettable. It’s perfect for the fans, though, including the song “Amsterdam.” They probably flipped a coin over whether or not to go with “Prague” instead. (Wednesday, March 3, at WorkPlay, 8 p.m. $15; sold out.)—J.R.T.
Don McLean
It was a stellar 2003 for Don McLean, with American Pie reissued in slim packaging that suited the album’s true status as a double A-side single (“Vincent,” remember?). George Michael also covered Pie‘s “The Grave” as a protest against the Iraq invasion. If he’d been anti-Saddam, of course, the song would have to be retitled “The Graves.” Anyway, McLean has earned his reputation as one of the most unpleasant people in the recording industry. He’s also turned his three-hit wonderdom (“Crying,” remember?) into a bizarre one-man show that’s truly epic and entertaining. He’ll also remind you that Tapestry was a pretty good album. (No, not Carole King’s Tapestry. His Tapestry, remember?) (Saturday, March 6, at The Ritz, Talledega, 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. $24.)—J.R.T.
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Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers
In the battle for ’70s suckiness, the two major contenders were Dave and Sugar and Larry Gatlin and The Gatlin Brothers (“All the Gold in California”). In fact, the Gatlins are very important to our country music heritage because they give alt-country fans a factual basis for bitching about how Nashville sucks. The Gatlins certainly respect country music more than your average fan of The Eagles or Dixie Chicks, but there’s no denying that they recorded many of the worst songs of the genre. The punch line is that Gatlin and his brothers actually began as a pop alternative to the Countrypolitan sound. They still know their gospel harmonizing, though. Also, they all know Frank Gifford. (Saturday, March 6, at the BJCC Concert Hall, 8 p.m. $30-$65.)—J.R.T.
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Southern Culture on the Skids
It’s taken two decades, but SCOTS have finally returned to the sound that once made them the Southern-fried Cramps. Mojo Box still has vocals, but the trio is comfortably finished with their major-label aspirations. They’re not bidding for the festival circuit, either. Instead, SCOTS is catching up on a wide range of influences that they neglected during the ’90s. The subject matter is still straight from the journals of a Chapel Hill freshman who just discovered life outside the suburbs. The mix of surf, soul, and rockabilly, however, sounds like a veteran band that’s mastered the art of keeping things tight and trashy. (Tuesday, March 9, at Zydeco, 9 p.m. $10-$12. 18+)—J.R.T. &