The summer concert season may be starting to wind down a bit, but there are still plenty of great shows to see this month. I think I will be taking most of the first half of the month off, because I’ll be checking out Street Scene in San Diego the weekend of September 19-21, and then as soon as I get back, there is a week-long barrage of can’t miss shows. Its gonna be another long month…

Does it Offend You, Yeah? And Innerpartysystem – Sunday, September 7th @ Drunken Unicorn
Does It Offend You, Yeah? hail from Berkshire, England and makes some bangin’ electro rock. Their debut album You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into is in heavy rotation on my iPod, and I’ve been waiting to get to see on of their raucous live performances. Added bonus is that they will be joined by Innerpartysystem, straight out of Pennsylvania. They have been doing a few dates on the NIN tour, and their single “Don’t Stop” is big on 99X.com right now.

Atlantis Music Conference – Wednesday, September 17th thru Saturday, September 20th @ various venues
Atlantis celebrates its 11th year this year and is really a great way for artists to gain some real exposure, and its always a fun time. Music from all genres will be showcased all around town. The main home for it will be the CW Music Complex, but you can catch shows at Smith’s, The Masquerade, and many more. Go to www.atlantismusic.com for all the details.

Street Scene – Friday, September 19th and Saturday, September 20th @ San Diego, CA <br>Yeah, I need a vacation, but that usually entails going somewhere else to hear some tunes. Once I heard about this fest, and knowing I already planned on going to Cali this summer, I booked my trip around it. Friday night, you’ve got alternative acts like Beck, Spoon, TV on the Radio, Cat Power, and Vampire Weekend. There is also a wealth of electronic acts like Justice, Hot Chip, and MGMT. I’ll also get my dose of hip-hop with GZA. Saturday night features more great acts, like The Black Crowes, The National, Atmosphere, The Hives, Ghostland Observatory, Del the Funky Homosapien, Spiritualized, and the aforementioned Does It Offend You Yeah?. I’m most stoked about Justice, Beck, and Hot Chip, and the downtown setting is going to be absolutely great. I’m also planning a side trip up to see My Morning Jacket at the Greek Theatre in LA on that Sunday.

The Dandy Warhols – Tuesday, September 23rd @ Center Stage
Just because I’ll still be out in California, doesn’t mean I won’t list some good shows. Thirteen years after their first release Dandys Rule OK?, The Dandy Warhols are still going strong. They just put out a new album and are touring in support of that. Darker My Love opens the show.

The Black Kids and The Virgins – Tuesday, September 23rd @ The Earl
The Black Kids are getting more buzz than any band out there right now. They come from my college town, Jacksonville, FL, which until now has just produced everyone’s least favorite band, Limp Bizkit. These guys are less rap metal, and more indie rock. They were on tour with Kate Nash, and also did a tour with Cut Copy. Their debut Partie Traumatic came out just a bit over a month ago. The Virgins open the show. They got popular because their songs were on Gossip Girl. I’ll leave it at that.

The Sword – Wednesday, September 24th @ Center Stage
I gotta give it up for the guys from The Sword. They were two campers down from us at Bonnaroo, and they were cool as hell. We drank some beers together multiple nights, and one of their guys was even kicking around with Mary Kate and Ashley all weekend. They’re doing this tour now with Clutch, Graveyard, and Never Got Caught, and then this summer they head out on the road with Metallica.

The Mars Volta – Wednesday, September 24th @ The Tabernacle
If you’ve ever seen The Mars Volta live, you are lucky to be alive, because they have the power to blow more minds than Scanners. The sound of the band is just incredible and their raw power is evident in every show they do. This will be an amazing show at The Tab, last time I saw them was at Gwinnett opening for System of a Down and my seats stunk.

Ratatat – Thursday, September 25th @ The Masquerade
Ratatat makes some amazing instrumental music. After their self-titled debut, and their second album Classics, their new disc LP3 came out just two months ago. They are hitting the road to support it. The Masquerade has two great shows that night and you can get into both for just $20. James Murphy’s DFA Records has two of their top artists downstairs, with The Juan McLean performing a DJ set and Holy Ghost! doing a live set.

Stereolab – Friday, September 26th @ Variety Playhouse
I’ve been listening to Stereolab since I was in high school and have always stayed a fan. I am always working in Stereolab to my DJ sets and do my chores to Emperor Tomato Ketchup on Sundays. They have gone through various personnel changes and phases, but the music has always been solid. They have a new album out called Chemical Chords that I have yet to hear. I’m sure they will play a bit of that as well as Stereolab classics. Deerhunter singer Bradford James Cox’s electronic side project Atlas Sound opens the show.

Cut Copy and The Presets – Saturday, September 27th @ The Masquerade
The Australian electronic scene comes to the Masquerade for the night. Cut Copy’s In Ghost Colours might be my favorite album right now, and The Presets’s Apocalypso is up there too. Cut Copy leans more towards the synth pop sounds of the 80’s with a very danceable beat. The Presets lean a little more electro, but can sound both retro and electro. If that makes sense. I’ve been waiting for this one ever since they made the announcement about it.

The Kooks – Monday, September 29th @ Variety Playhouse
I’ve been waiting for The Kooks to do a US tour ever since their debut album Inside In/Inside Out. Now that they have put out their second disc Konk, they are finally making it down to the ATL. You just can’t hate this band. Their songs are fun, perfect for a sunny day with the windows down, and its just good clean fun. Local favorites The Whigs open up the show.

Yeah its been a few months since I did my concert guide, but it was really because I was at too many shows lately. Went to Bonnaroo, also saw 311, Dave Matthews, Warped Tour, Alkaline Trio, Filter, and a bunch more I don't even remember right now, so give me a break. You're getting this one before the month even starts. Here goes...

Sound Tribe Sector 9 – Friday Aug 1st & Saturday, Aug 2nd @ Masquerade Music Park
Sound Tribe is coming off arguably their biggest year ever with huge shows at Bonnaroo, Langerado, Lollapalooza, Vegoose, and more all in the past year. They also put out a new album entitled Peaceblaster. My brother has always been a fan, and has turned me on over the years to some more jam band type stuff. They got their start in Atlanta, so always come with the fire when they do showss here. I’m definitely looking forward to checking them out, probably for the first night’s show. Umphrey’s McGee is also on the bill.

Linkin Park, The Bravery, Chris Cornell - Sunday, Aug 3rd @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
Linkin Park brings their Revolution tour around for another year, and once again, they have a solid lineup. I got a chance to see them a few years ago after Meteora came out, and I was totally impressed with how tight the band is on stage. Definitely worth seeing live even if you’re not a fan. I’m intrigued to see Chris Cornell this time around, since I think he’ll probably be playing some of his new tracks produced by Timbaland. Sounds like an unlikely collaboration, but from everything I’ve heard so far, they really have put together some great songs. If he does some Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog tunes, it’ll be even better. I’ve also been wanting to see The Bravery again with all their new stuuf off The Sun and The Moon, so looking forward to that.

Main Stage: Linkin Park – 9:20pm, Chris Cornell – 7:55pm, The Bravery – 7:00pm, Busta Rhymes – 6:20pm, Ashes Divide – 5:40pm
Revolution Stage: Street Drum Corps – 5:10pm, Atreyu – 4:20pm, 10 Years – 3:20pm, Hawthorne Heights – 2:40pm, Armor for Sleep – 2pm

Ollie Teeba of The Herbaliser – Saturday, August 9th @ Halo
Ollie Teeba is the head honcho of the trip-hop/funk band The Herbaliser. Their 2005 album Take London, with guest spots from Jean Grae and Roots Manuva, is still in heavy rotation in my collection. The Herbaliser's latest record, Same As It Never Was, is out now on !K7 Records.The band rarely makes it stateside, and he’s put together a cool mini tour of some of the East Coast’s hippest lounges. He wraps it up in Atlanta at Halo, and this should be a great opportunity to see a legendary trip-hop master.

Gov’t Mule – Saturday, August 9th @ Masquerade Music Park
Gov’t Mule was originally formed as an Allman Brothers side project by Warren Haynes, Allen Woody, and Matt Abts. They’ve been putting out albums for 13 years now and are a great live band. Having Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk on the bill too will make for two great weekends of jamming in the Masquerade Music Park.

Gnarls Barkley – Monday, August 11th @ Variety Playhouse
So I knew nothing about this show until a few days ago. No promotion, no newsletter, nothing. It’s still going to sell out, probably by the time you read this. It’s the first show in the hometown of Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse since they came out with The Odd Couple, and they’re playing a venue that they could probably fill ten nights in a row. If you don’t have tickets yet, get some. If you do, can I get some? Adding icing to the cake, newly signed to Bad Boy Records by P. Diddy, is Janelle Monae, opening the show.

Nine Inch Nails – Wednesday, August 13th @ The Arena at Gwinnett Center
Trent Reznor brings his “Lights in the Sky” tour to GwArena (I don’t know if anyone calls it that, but I like it). He just kicked off the tour at Pemberton Fest and in Seattle the next night. The set list is looking pretty diverse, with a lot of stuff off The Slip, and his instrumental album Ghosts, with a handful of classics thrown in. Should be an amazing show. Local boys gone big, Deerhunter open things up.

Jack Johnson – Wednesday, August 13th @ Lakewood Amphitheatre
If the hard industrial edge of NIN isn’t for you, on the south side of town, you can enjoy the mellow vibes of Jack Johnson. All the bros and sorority girls will be out in full force, just as they were at the DMB show, but Jack does put on a good show. A great night to just go sip a few beers, roll one up, and lay in the grass, wishing you’re in Hawaii. (No toss up on this one though, I’ll be at NIN)

Rodrigo y Gabriela – Friday, August 15th @ The Tabernacle
I hear more and more about Mexican-born, Ireland-based, duo Rodrigo y Gabriela every day. Every one I have talked to that has seen them are blown away. Basically, they specialize in playing fast, rhythmic classical guitars. Which means, its like metal played with Spanish guitar. They’ve done all the big festivals this year, and this will be a great show to see at The Tab.

Stone Temple Pilots – Saturday, August 23rd @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
STP is reunited for their first tour together in over six years. Scott Weiland has ditched Velvet Revolver, along with the boozin and druggin, and this should be a great show. Word is they have been keeping it all together and they are better than ever. No new album yet either, so you know they’ll just be tearing thru all their hits. I think I’m looking forward just as much to seeing Black Rebel Motorcycle Club open the show.

My Morning Jacket – Wednesday, August 27th @ The Fox Theatre
So I had been turned on to My Morning Jacket a little over a year ago and had really been digging Z and Okonokos. However, listening to a studio disc or even the live disc Okonokos and seeing MMJ in person is two different things. I saw them at Bonnaroo and became an instant junky. I told everyone who would listen about how great they were at Bonnaroo, and I think the consensus was the same with everyone there. I came back and bought Evil Urges, and I’ll be at this show and another in LA next month. This is by far the show I am looking forward to the most this month and can’t wait to see them in a place with the history of The Fox.

Regeneration Tour – Friday, August 29th @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
This is definitely a guilty pleasure type show. I love my 80’s and having Flock of Seagulls, ABC, Belinda Carlisle, Naked Eyes, and The Human League on the same bill would make for an awesome new wave show. I might just have to bust out my acid wash denim and Hypercolor t-shirt for this one.

Bonnaroo 2008 Schedule

So I went in and worked out my schedule today for Bonnaroo 2008. I'm not sure how I'm going to see every band I want to see, but I think I came up with a pretty solid schedule. Pretty much, if I'm awake, there is something to see. My picks are in Green...

Thursday, June 12

Friday, June 13

Saturday, June 14

Sunday, June 15

Bonnaroo, June 12-15, Manchester, TN

Notable Acts: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Jack Johnson, Widespread Panic, Kanye West, Chris Rock, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Phil Lesh and Friends, My Morning Jacket, The Raconteurs, Death Cab for Cutie, Tiesto, Sigur Ros, Cat Power, M.I.A., Against Me!, MSTRKRFT, MGMT, Vampire Weekend
Ticket Price: $209-229
Camping: Yes, RV passes available for $100, showers available
Bring your own: booze, food, cameras
Don’t bring: fire, pets, glass, bikes
Other cool stuff: The Silent Disco, Scratch DJ Academy, Arcade Discotheque
The low-down: Bonnaroo started out as a relatively small hippie-fest on a farm in Tennessee and has turned into one of the biggest festivals in the country. It is still relatively hippie-centric and the lineup reflects that, but it has certainly diversified in recent years. After featuring the return of The Police at last year’s fest, along with more alternative headliners such as Tool, The White Stripes, and Franz Ferdinand, this year’s lineup is more diverse than ever. The two monstrous headliners are Pearl Jam and Metallica, along with more traditional Bonnaroo type bands like Widespread Panic, Jack Johnson, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. Other great alternative acts include The Raconteurs, Death Cab for Cutie, and My Morning Jacket. A notable addition is Kanye West, who manages to still maintain his indie cred even after pumping out mainstream hits. To my own enjoyment, there are plenty of great electronic acts this year too like Tiesto, M.I.A., and MSTRKRFT. A cool feature that has also caught on recently is the addition of comedians. This year, Chris Rock is the big name, along with David Cross, Zack Galifianakis, Janeane Garofalo, and more. For its most diverse year ever, Bonnaroo should draw one of its biggest crowd, and looks like the can’t miss festival of this summer.

Lollapalooza, August 1-3, Chicago, IL

Notable Acts: Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, Wilco, Gnarls Barkley, The Raconteurs, Bloc Party, The Black Keys, G Love & Special Sauce, Mark Ronson, Perry Farrell, Cat Power, Jamie Lidell, MGMT, Black Lips, Manchester Orchestra, Does It Offend You, Yeah?
Ticket Price: $190-205
Camping: Nope, but plenty of hotels in close proximity and public transportation to get you around Bring your own: cameras (no pro cameras), blankets, water
Don’t bring: booze, drugs, glass, food, beverages, pets, backpacks
The Low-down: Since retooling and finding a home in Chicago in 2005, Perry Farrell’s Lollapalooza has been one of the more successful and diverse summer festivals in the country. There is just something really cool about being in downtown Chicago’s Grant Park for a festival too. This year’s lineup is no different, featuring rock, hip-hop, electronic, soul, and more. Radiohead makes a stop on their summer tour to headline, and Rage Against the Machine make a rare appearance with the reunited group. I’m most stoked about British soul-man Jamie Lidell making a rare US appearance, and two of my favorite dance rock bands, Bloc Party and Does It Offend You, Yeah?. Plus, I can only imagine what Gnarls Barkley must have up their sleeve for their only US festival appearance this year. There is a obvious Atlanta presence too with the Black Lips, Manchester Orchestra, The Whigs, and Butch Walker all on the bill. Oh and me, because I won’t be missing this one.

Virgin Mobile Festival, August 9-10, Baltimore, MD

Notable Acts: Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, The Offspring, Iggy and the Stooges, Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Underworld, Bloc Party, Lupe Fiasco, Moby, Paramore, Rabbit in the Moon, Cat Power, Ferry Corsten, Armin Van Buuren
Ticket Price: $97.50 single day pass, $175 two day
Camping: Nope, but hotels available close by 
Bring your own: cameras (no pro cameras), blankets, water
Don’t bring: booze, drugs, glass, food, beverages, pets, backpacks, video cameras
The Low-down: Richard Branson’s Virgin Mobile Festival celebrates its third year in the US, held once again at Pimilco Race Course in Baltimore, MD. The lineup is more diverse than ever, with several of the biggest rock acts of today, along with music legends. The Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, and The Offspring lead the rock acts on Day 1, with the reformed Stone Temple Pilots and Nine Inch Nails on Day 2. You’ll also get the opportunity to see legends like Bob Dylan, Iggy & the Stooges, and Chuck Berry. The fest has a healthy helping of some of the biggest acts in electronic music as well, with a rare US appearance by Underworld, plus Rabbit in the Moon, Moby, Armin Van Buuren, and Ferry Corsten. Kanye West seems to be doing every huge festival this year, and is joined by fellow hip-hop acts Lil Wayne and Lupe Fiasco.

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, August 22-24, San Francisco, CA
Notable Acts: Radiohead, Beck, Tom Petty, Ben Harper, Jack Johnson, Primus, Widespread Panic, Manu Chao, Steve Winwood, Broken Social Scene, Regina Spektor, Drive-By Truckers
Ticket Price: $85 single day pass, $225 three-day pass
Camping: - No, and public transportation is recommended
Bring your own: cameras (no pro cameras), blankets, water
Don’t bring: booze, drugs, glass, food, beverages, pets, backpacks, video cameras
The Low-down: