Live music picks
For more music news, concert reviews and interviews, visit the Music Scene blog at AJC.com.
SATURDAY
Kicks 101.5 Country Fair featuring Miranda Lambert
The Lambert juggernaut just keeps expanding, to the point that who even remembers that the firecracker country star got her start on a TV singing competition? The Country Music Association entertainer of the year nominee is mostly taking a break from the road after a three-month summer jaunt, with the exception of this Kicks 101.5 shindig. Lambert will return to road warrior status with next year’s Certified Platinum Tour (so far, no Atlanta dates are included), but enjoy her and a lineup of a couple of female upstarts and veteran hit-maker Gary Allan while you can this weekend.
With Maddie & Tae, RaeLynn and Gary Allan. 5:30 p.m. Oct. 18. $24.50-$89.50. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, 2200 Encore Parkway, Alpharetta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
TUESDAY
Macy Gray
Though still best known for her visceral 1999 hit, “I Try,” Gray has kept busy since her triple-platinum “On How Life Is” album that spawned the radio fave. Her underappreciated 2012 album, “Covers,” contained clever remakes of Radiohead, My Chemical Romance and Arcade Fire songs, and she returned earlier this month with her eighth studio album, “The Way.”
8 p.m. Oct. 21. $30. Variety Playhouse, 1099 Euclid Ave. N.E., Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, ticketmaster.com.
WEDNESDAY
Enrique Iglesias and Pitbull
The Miami mates will bring some spice to Duluth on this party-centric tour, which kicked off Sept. 12 in New Jersey and ends three days after the metro Atlanta show in the guys’ home turf in South Florida. This isn’t the first time Mr. Worldwide and the “Sex and Love” heartthrob have teamed for a road show: They joined musical forces in 2011 for a run that also played Gwinnett.
With J Balvin. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22. $29.50-$129.50. Gwinnett Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 1-888-929-7849, gwinnettcenter.com.
THURSDAY
Jake Owen
With his Colgate smile and flowing locks, it’s no wonder Owen has cultivated a high-profile fan in Hoda Kotb, as well as the adoration of a multitude of women (and, OK, a few dudes). As an established touring presence opening for marquee country names such as Tim McGraw, Keith Urban and Kenny Chesney, Owen learned well how to bring his party-vibe headlining tour to the masses. He’s been on the road since March promoting his fourth studio album, “Days of Gold,” and will wrap things up Oct. 25 in his hometown of Vero Beach, Fla.
7 p.m. Oct. 23. With Eli Young Band & the Cadillac Three. $10-$39.50. Gwinnett Arena, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. 1-888-929-7849, gwinnettcenter.com.
Ne-Yo
The Atlanta-based R&B star (TMZ reports he bought a “farmette” outside of Alpharetta) recently released the single “She Knows,” featuring Juicy J (and more than a handful of strippers in the accompanying video). The song is a peek at his upcoming sixth album, “Non-Fiction,” which doesn’t have an official release date yet. Amid all of the drama with the “Atlanta Exes” TV show (his ex-fiancée, Monyetta Shaw, stars), let’s not forget that Ne-Yo is a proven songwriting maestro, having racked up hits for everyone from Pitbull to Keri Hilson as well as himself (“So Sick,” “Closer,” “Let Me Love You [Until You Learn to Love Yourself],” anyone?).
With Kandace Springs and Kevin Ross. 8 p.m. Oct. 23. $38.50-$42.50. The Tabernacle, 152 Luckie St., Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, livenation.com.
About the Author
Melissa Ruggieri has covered music and entertainment for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since 2010 and created the Atlanta Music Scene blog. She's kept vampire hours for more than two decades and remembers when MTV was awesome.
