The first week of 2013 starts out strong with performances from reggae favorite Anthony B, ’80s UK ska from the English Beat, Harmonica Blowout and more.
Thursday
MARISSA NADLER
A darling of the neo-folk movement, Marissa Nadler fuses dream pop, Americana and American Gothic styles to create something haunting and lovely. A talented singer, songwriter, guitarist and visual artist to boot, Nadler frames songs of loneliness and grief with lyrics inspired by poetry and literature. Her music has a timeless, familiar quality about it and she has a delicate, clear voice that, according to one reviewer, “could have lured men to their death at sea.” Don Quixote’s; $10 adv/$12 door; 9pm. (Cat Johnson)
HARMONICA BLOWOUT
The first blues song a young Mark Hummel ever heard was Jimmy Reed’s “Honest I Do.” He also got to meet his idol in 1976—just two days before Reed died. So perhaps it’s no surprise that Reed’s music has continued to have a special hold over him, and with Hummel’s 21st annual Harmonica Blowout, he’ll pay tribute to the tragic bluesman’s legacy. Joining him, as usual, is a crowd of fantastic players, from Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds to Joe Louis Walker to Rick Estrin, and many more. Moe’s Alley; $30/$33; 8pm.
Friday
ANTHONY B
Like many a great musician, reggae superstar Anthony B got his musical start in the church. The son of a Seventh-Day Adventist mother, spirituality played a key role in his upbringing and carries over into his music. When he first hit the music scene, many of his peers in Jamaica were singing about girls and guns but Anthony B, a.k.a. Keith Anthony Blair, took another route, writing songs that were socially and spiritually charged. One of his claims to fame is singing about revering women rather than despising them, but he’s been criticized in the past for homophobic lyrics. So let’s hope that all that spirituality and respect is trickling into all corners of his consciousness these days. Moe’s Alley; $23 & $25 adv/$28 & $30 door; 9pm. (CJ)
Saturday
THE ENGLISH BEAT
The English Beat were 2-tone’s best ska band, with songs like “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Save It for Later,” “I Confess” and “Hands Off She’s Mine” all enshrined in the skankin’ canon. Band leader Dave Wakeling now lives in NorCal, and the last time I talked to him, he was enjoying breakfast at a small cafe in the California sunshine. “This is why I fucking left England,” he told me. His gigs since moving here burn with the same passion and skill that made him famous 30 years ago. Catalyst; $20/$25; 9pm.
MOONALICE
The Moonalice story is a multi-faceted one. The Bay Area jam band, comprising seasoned musicians with roots in the Other Brothers, Jefferson Starship, Phil Lesh and Friends and more, mixes roots, rock and improvisation and has had over 1 million downloads of its hit song, “It’s 4:20 Somewhere.” It’s also a band that leverages technology to create community (think Twittercasts, forums and streaming concerts), has an enormous library of free music available, and takes the “we’re not doing it for the money” approach. Oh yeah, and the band is bankrolled by successful businessman and bandleader Roger McNamee, so that pesky money thing isn’t an issue anyway. Don Quixote’s; $10; 8pm. (CJ)
Monday
MANZAREK-ROGERS BAND
Pairing rock keyboardist Ray Manzarek, co-founder of legendary rock band the Doors, with Roy Rogers, one of the great slide guitarists of all time, the Manzarek-Rogers Band is a mini-supergroup built upon decades of top-tier musical experience. The band’s sound is an amalgamation of blues and rock built on driving riffs, imaginative keyboard play, mind-blowing guitarwork, poetic lyrics and enough whispers of the Doors’ sound to keep the die-hard fans happy. Consistently drawing positive critical reviews, the Manzarek-Rogers Band is an exciting project built around two of the most respected musicians of the last 50 years. Rio Theatre; $25 gen/$35 gold; 7:30pm. (CJ)
Wednesday
WATER TOWER
Hailing from Portland, Water Tower is a three-piece acoustic outfit that draws from old-time, bluegrass, cajun, jazz, folk and punk traditions to create a sound that is fast, furious and engaging. With rich, three-part harmonies, foot-stomping grooves and a busker-style delivery, the band fits nicely into the current roots revival and has shared stages with some heavyweights of the genre including Old Crow Medicine Show, Mumford & Sons and Wilco. They’ve also garnered some big-time critical acclaim, catching the attention of both NPR and the BBC. Crepe Place; $8; 9pm. (CJ)
