Absylom Rising
Touring jam band thats a favorite at this River Street eatery. They draw on bluegrass, funk, old-time country, delta blues, and rock & roll. Fri. - Sat., + Tues., 10 pm, Fiddlers Crab House.
Bob Alberti & Ben Tucker
Alberti played piano with Les Browns Band of Renown. Tucker was a session bassist in the 1960s, whos penned over 300 songs. They play vibrant jazz. Sun., 11:30 am, AquaSpace Restaurant at The Westin (Hutchinson Island).
The Allen Andrews Explosion
Rock-oriented blues (originals and covers) in the vein of Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix featuring duelling guitars and the low-end of ace bassman Andrews. Sat., 10 pm, Mercury Lounge.
Argyle
Exhilarating local rock act known for shifting genres (punk, ska, reggae, jam) at the drop of a bong. Fri., Savannah Blues.
The Jeff Beasley Band
Cajun-influenced electric blues and rock. Thurs., JJ Cagneys.
Big Shot Shot Down
Low-profile locals playing aggressive, angular post-punk with nods to both early emo and obstacle-course math rock featuring members of legendary Savannah indie bands Bughummer and Feight. Thurs., midnight, Velouria Lounge.
Bluesonics
Long-running local trio offering danceable electric blues shuffles and party tunes. Fri., 10 pm, Mercury Lounge.
Bottles & Cans
Hard and primitive blues. The local group describes their sound as more T-Model Ford than T-Bone Walker... Thurs., Savannah Blues.
Brudarbandid
See Connect Recommends. Wed., The Jinx.
Captain Soularcat
See Connect Recommends. Sat., Savannah Blues.
Thomas Claxton
Solo acoustic singer/guitarist offering over-the-top takes on classic and modern rock hits. Wed., 6:30 pm, Pogys Bar & Grill (Richmond Hill) + Fri. - Sat., 9 pm, The Bayou Café + Mon. 10 pm, Daiquiri Depot (Pooler).
Coliseum
Ryan Patterson guitarist for Louisville, Kentucky hardcore band Black Cross fronts this group. Theyre rooted in both early-80s U.K. punk (Motorhead, Discharge) and 90s metal (Turbonegro). With opening act Lords. Mon., The Jinx.
The Kieran Daly Trio
Heres a hot one, folks. Daly is a 15-year-old 5-string mandolin prodigy whos wowed bluegrass and jazz fans alike at prestigious festivals like North carolinas annual Merlefest. Hes been playing since the age of 6, and lists punk bands like Black Flag and Agent Orange as major influences, right alongside Nickel Creek and John Hartford. Hes already worked with legends like Vassar Clements, and his current band includes standup bassist Delbert Felix (of Branford Marsalis band), and Dalys classically-trained older brother Gavan on drums. This is a great chance to groove on a budding free jazz virtuoso. Fri., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean.
The Fashion Brigade
With their delay-ridden guitar atmospherics, furious, pounding drums, swirling synthesizer and noirish, affected vocals, this young North Carolina outfit instantly recalls a bevy of British postpunk acts of the late-70s to mid-80s such as The Cure, Joy Division, Icicle Works, Echo & The Bunnymen, and Peter Murphys early solo work. The noisy and playful abandon of Sister-era Sonic Youth is also an obvious touchstone for this very promising quartet. Fri., The Jinx.
Kristin Gustafson
This classically-trained concert harpist breaks tradition by offering solo renditions of popular songs as well as her own compositions. Sat., 11 am, Café Mucha.
Jett Rink
Durham, North Carolina quintet thats earning high marks for their hipper-than-thou attitude (itself a winking pastiche of Devo, Talking Heads, Pere Ubu, Speedball Baby and B-52s poses). Stuck on themselves (in the good kind of way that used to mean theyd kick your ass in a coldblooded fashion), on record, this slightly fey powerhouse sound like some long-lost act that got left off the Valley Girl soundtrack cause Rhinos lawyers couldnt seal the deal. Sat., The Jinx.
Keith Kozel & Friends
Several weeks back, this local songwriter and frontman (Superhorse, Hall Monitor, GAM) pulled up a chair, donned a tux, and offered up a subdued set of his seldom-heard anti-folk material, backed by multi-instrumentalists Seb Edwards (Splitfinger, Hot Pink Interior) and Ricardo Ochoa (ARTillery Punch, The Richard Leo Johnson Trio). While some found this minimalist show out of character for the famously flamboyant Kozel, in truth, this approach may be closer to his heart than all the rock pomp hes known for. Positive buzz spurred this encore performance. Thurs., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean.
Liquid Ginger
Well-liked local act offering modern rock, 80s-style lead guitar and a touch of Girl Power. Fri. - Sat., 9:30 pm, The Oyster Bar (Wilmington Island).
The Nein
A noisy, deathly-serious North Carolina quartet mixing aggressive melancholy with a sense of eminent decay. Their jerky, intelligent, avant-punk (they recently covered one of the more obtuse Wire numbers) recalls The Stranglers, Gang of Four and Pylon which is to say, they could be an amazing disco band if they wanted to, but instead choose to inflict abstract rawk on those lucky enough to hear their clarion call. Sat., The Jinx.
Harry ODonoghue
Irish tunes (both traditional and contemporary) from the host of the syndicated Celtic music show The Green Island. Wed. - Tues., Kevin Barrys.
Ricardo Ochoa and The Jazz & Tango Kings
See Connect Recommends. Fri., 9 pm, Jazzd Tapas Bar.
P-Groove's Brock & Adam
When this guitarist and bassist arent on the road with their increasingly popular psychedelic jam band Perpetual Groove, they make time for stripped-down hometown shows like this one. Saturday finds them acting as an ad hoc trio with local blues guitarist Brett Hitman Bernard. Wed. + Sat., Locos Deli & Pub.
The Howard Paul Group
Top-shelf mainstream and straight-ahead jazz led by a highly-acclaimed (and local) 7-string guitarist. Sat., 7 pm, The Jazz Corner (Hilton Head).
G.E. Perry & James Gay
Potent duo of bluesy guitarist Perry and the harmonica stylings of Gay. Wed., Fusion/The Monkey Bar + Sun., 8 pm, Jazzd Tapas Bar.
Skyelite Jazz Band
For those who bemoan the lack of quality live jazz in town, this may change their minds at least temporarily. A free, ALL-AGES gig of big band tunes realized by Savannah Arts Academy students (under the direction of former Savannah High School Teacher of The Year Michael Hutchinson), the caliber of the talent contained in this esteemed group may shock the uninitiated. Tues., 7 pm, Jewish Community Center (5111 Abercorn St.).
Greg Snyder
Jazz vocalist (and recent transplant from Illinois) whos fluent in the styles of Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett. Wed., Jazzd Tapas Bar.
Spitfire Kids Poetry Slam
Spoken word competition geared toward finding the best new local literary talent. Fri., 5 pm, The Sentient Bean.
The Talk
See Connect Recommends. Fri., The Jinx.
Gail Thurmond
Piano jazz and show tunes from a true downtown fixture. Tues. - Sun., Planters Tavern (below The Olde Pink House).
Two Blue
Popular local blues act, whos recently replaced harpist and vocalist Daniel Valentino with Bottles & Cans leader Ray Lundy. Sat., 9 pm, Jazzd Tapas Bar.
16wo Path Road
Jam-oriented electric cover band (focusing on country, rock and pop) featuring the popular acoustic duo of Keith & Ross. Fri., Locos Deli & Pub.
Voodoo Soup
Killer hard rocking and soulful jam group featuring members of The Greg Williams Band and The Permanent Tourists. They give greasy funk and soul nuggets a workout. Wed., JJ Cagneys.