THE LIEUTENANT DAN BAND
At 8:30 p.m. Friday, April 22
Forsyth Park. Free
There's no shortage of attraction here - a free show, outdoors in the park, by a more than competent cover band playing Hendrix, Stevie Wonder and Rolling Stones tunes (they also cover Beyonce and Kelly Clarkson, if that rings your bell). The main draw, doubtless, is that this band features actor Gary Sinise on bass and vocals. He and guitarist Kimo Williams started jamming, just for fun, in 1997. They put the ensemble together in 2004. I loved noble Sinise in Apollo 13, and sinister Sinise in Ransom, but since I steer clear of television I haven't seen his hit series CSI: NY. The Illinois native was nominated for an Oscar for playing troubled Vietnam vet Lt. Dan in Forrest Gump, and this show band of his has traveled overseas dozens of times - on a USO ticket - to play for American troops (they've performed at Ft.Stewart, too). This show, however, is sponsored by Liberty Mutual and its "Legends of Golf." See ltdanband.com
CAPTURED! BY ROBOTS
At 10 p.m. Friday, April 22
The Jinx, 127 W. Congress St. $10 advance, $12 at the door
As shtick goes, Jason Vance's has longer legs than most. The former bass player for the California ska bands Blue Meanies and Skankin' Pickle is the lone human in this thrashy, trashy rock ‘n' roll sideshow. He plays guitar - while chained and wearing bondage gear. The "band" is a pneumatic ensemble Vance constructed, one experimental piece at a time. "I have a feeling about how things work and then I build it," he said. "But there's no mathematical equations necessarily, it's all instinct. It's like experimental physics." The foul-mouthed robots are sadistic bastards who taunt, torment and taunt Vance (aka JBOT) throughout the hardcore performance. CBR also features a couple of stuffed apes that bang tambourines. Shtick, of course, but Vance has been doing it for a dozen years, and every time he brings the gang to Savannah, the room is packed. If it ain't broke, don't re-tool it. See capturedbyrobots.com
CHECK IT OUT
Stop the presses - Brock Butler and the rest of the guys in Perpetual Groove (the whole band) will play a special acoustic show Saturday night at Loco's ... Our city's delightful altera-popheads General Oglethorpe & the Pandhandlers have a Thursday show (that's April 21) at the Wormhole, sharing the bill with a whimsical Tallahassee foursome called - you guessed it - Popheads ... The guys in Turtle Folk celebrate the imminent release of the full-length CD Higher Plan with a show Friday at Live Wire Music Hall ...The extraordinarily gifted guitarist Walter Parks has a rare hometown gig Saturday at the Sentient Bean ... .From Jacksonville Beach comes The Fritz, a high energy soul-funk band, to Tantra on Friday ...
