From a beefed up Music Midtown to an emerging jazz starlet to classic rock stalwarts, the fall music calendar is brimming with concert options.
The season kicks off with Music Midtown (Sept. 21-22, www.musicmidtown.com), which returns to Piedmont Park. Last year's heralded return of the storied music festival, after a five-year hiatus, was so well-received that promoters tacked on a second night for this year's installment. The Foo Fighters anchor the eclectic first night, which includes sets from Atlanta residents Van Hunt and T.I., as well as Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Avett Brothers. On Sept. 22, Pearl Jam headlines, but earlier in the day fans can indulge in the nostalgia of Adam Ant and Garbage, rap along with Ludacris, and rock out with Neon Trees, Girl Talk and Florence and The Machine.
If we're talking eclectic, David Byrne (Oct. 3, www.cobbenergycentre.com ) will always be associated with the art-rock of Talking Heads, but he's rarely deviated from his own creative path. His association with St. Vincent (aka Annie Clark) resulted in the idiosyncratic pop album, "Love This Giant," released last week . The pair's joint tour, which comes to Cobb Energy Centre, is accompanied by eight brass players, a keyboardist and drummer.
Country firecracker Miranda Lambert (Oct. 5, www.livenation.com) had to postpone her Atlanta date in July after overextending her voice, but she's back to cranking out her feisty country-rock full force and will make good on the date this fall at Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood .
In the jazz realm, remember a couple of years ago, when Esperanza Spalding (Oct. 19, www.cobbenergycentre.com) snagged the best new artist Grammy instead of mainstream artists Justin Bieber and Drake? The collective response from viewers was, "Who?" No one is saying that after hearing the deft bass and vocal skills of one of the most exhilarating new artists in the jazz fusion genre. Her Cobb Energy Centre appearance is sure to be a popular draw.
And it wouldn't be arena season without a few major names. The Who (Nov. 5, www.gwinnettcenter.com) pulls out "Quadrophenia" for a 36-date tour stopping at Gwinnett Center — an outing that band leaders Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend were eager to attempt before, Townshend quipped, "We drop dead." The band, which includes Zak Starkey on drums and Simon Townshend on guitar, are expected to also play a second set filled with Who classics.
If you're talking longevity, Madonna (Nov. 17, www.philipsarena.com) is a mandatory part of the conversation. She might not move records the way she used to, but she remains an irresistible live draw, achieving sellouts internationally before she bringing her latest spectacle stateside, including a stop at Philips Arena.
Tickets to all shows can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-745-3000.
About the Author
