[I'm on with my rock 'n' roll pal Kaedy Kiely at 97.1 The River every Wednesday at 6:50 and 7:50 a.m. to talk about the latest music news. Tune in to hear what's up!]
BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
Now that we’ve read all of those “best of 2014” lists, packed away the decorations for 11 more months, grimaced at the scale thanks to all of that “but it’s the holidays” eating and completed our mileage runs to make airline status (oh, was that just me?), it’s time to plow into the new year.
And what better way to start than with yet another list?! Ah yes, it’s time for the not-clever-but-simply-straightforward-compilation-of-things-I’m-anticipating-in-2015.
I’m sure you have your own collection of anticipated events, so feel free to share them in the comments.
Here’s what I’ve got, in no particular order:
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Billy Joel at Philips Arena: When the veteran piano-pop maestro takes the stage Feb. 28, it will end a seven-year drought since he last played solo in Atlanta . As someone who has traveled the country to attend Joel's concerts – I've seen him with and without Elton John at least 50 times since the late-'80s – I will admit that there is nothing like seeing him perform at Madison Square Garden. But even outside of his home state, Joel delivers a show stocked with nostalgia (he pulled out a ton of some much-missed album tracks during his past year of concerts) and hearty sing-alongs. And he's sounding better than ever.
Foo Fighters at Centennial Olympic Park (Oct. 4): Last year the folks at Rival Entertainment surprised us with a trio of Outkast shows. This year, they'll stage one of the meatiest rock shows slated for 2015. As if hearing Dave Grohl and Co. bulldoze though "My Hero" and "Best of Me," along with new tunes from "Sonic Highways" in the open-air isn't enticing enough, they're bringing the jaw-droppingly good Gary Clark Jr. along for the ride.
Madonna's "Rebel Heart" album: While it might be cynical to suggest that the "leaking" of some new Madonna tracks prompted her to release six of the tunes from her "Rebel Heart" offering before the album's slated March 9 arrival, it's a stone cold fact that "Living for Love" and "Devil Pray" offer the indelible combination of percolating dance beats and soaring choruses that have helped Madonna retain her crown as The Queen. More, please.
Broadway in Atlanta series: It's almost as if the BIA folks accessed the "theater lover" area of my brain when scheduling the 2015 portion of this year's season . With the exception of perennial fave "Wicked" (Feb. 18-March 8), the musicals headed to the Fox Theatre through the summer are newcomers to Atlanta – and shows I purposely skipped seeing on Broadway because I assumed that top-notch national tours were on the horizon. Happy to say that wish has been granted. "Newsies" plays Jan. 20-25; the Tony Award-winning revival of "Pippin" May 5-10; and "Motown The Musical" Aug. 18-23.
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
U2's tour: So far, the Irish superstars haven't announced an Atlanta date (or anything south of New York, for that matter) , so I plan to add to my Delta frequent flier miles account to catch this tour live (likely in Chicago). Bono's recent admission that he's not sure if he'll ever play guitar again was viewed as self-pity by some, but for me it just reiterated why I want to see the band live as quickly as possible. No hero lasts forever.
Music Midtown 2015: It's increasingly frustrating that while annual music festivals such as Coachella, Made in America, iHeartRadio, Electric Daisy, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza continually nab the national press, the four-years-returned Music Midtown is usually the red-headed stepchild. What, lineups including Eminem, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, Iggy Azalea, Imagine Dragons and The Avett Brothers aren't worthy of similar attention? I beg to differ. And I'm certain that this year will offer another potent, genre-spanning lineup that only those who love to complain will find something to grouse about.
"Empire": Yes, this Fox series (debuting at 9 p.m. Wednesday) sounds like an eye-roller – a sudser about a hip-hop mogul diagnosed with ALS who must determine a successor to his record company before his health falters. But the pedigrees of Lee Daniels, Terrence Howard, Taraji P. Henson, Gabourey Sidibe and Timbaland are enough to lure me to watch.
Rock in Rio USA: OK, so it's in Las Vegas, which seems an obvious reason why it would interest me. But frankly, I despise visiting my gambler's paradise amid massive crowds and usually make sure my trips circumvent such events. But Rock in Rio is such an institution – I can still remember hearing about the 1985 version on MTV – that it will be tough to ignore its Stateside debut May 8-9 and May 15-16. I'm not overwhelmed by the lineup thus far (No Doubt, Metallica, Taylor Swift [more on her in a moment], Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, Linkin Park, John Legend and a few more). But I'm hopeful that some names TBA will be more wow inducing.
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Credit: Yvonne Zusel
Taylor Swift at Georgia Dome: Had I compiled a list of my favorite albums of 2014, Swift's "1989" would have been firmly nestled in the top slot. Swift's seamless split from the genre that launched her didn't feel like a betrayal, just an honest detour by a young artist exploring her creativity. When Swift brought her "Red" tour to Philips Arena in 2013 she – as the headline noted – enchanted. I expect another dose of pop perfection – only super-sized for a stadium – when Swift returns on Oct. 24.
Raury: His "Indigo Child" hip-hop-soul-EDM-folk indie debut arrived last summer in a hail of kudos. Then Outkast asked him to open one of their September homecoming shows (my comrade Yvonne Zusel noted his "impressive" cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" ). Lorde recruited him for the "Hunger Games: Mockingjay" soundtrack (he contributed "Lost Souls") and now, we can await the young Atlantan's major label debut on Columbia Records and hope it's as genre-defying and intriguing as he's teased so far.
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