Tim McGraw’s acting was one of the few things about the film Country Strong that critics didn’t rip to pieces; the country superstar seems to have found a legitimate second career, following his lauded turn opposite Sandra Bullock in the Oscar–winning The Blind Side.
Still, McGraw – currently at No. 1 on the singles chart with “Felt Good on My Lips” – won’t ever give up what he does best, and to that effect he’s hitting the road hard this spring with his Dancehall Doctors band in the Emotional Traffic tour.
McGraw will perform in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena April 17, supported by Luke Bryan and the Band Perry. Tickets, available now, are $75 at etix.com.
David Sedaris
Author, humorist and wry social commentator David Sedaris returns to Savannah April 14 for a reading, meet ‘n’ greet and book signing at the Lucas Theatre.
With more than seven million copies of his books in print, Sedaris – whose sister and sometime collaborator is Amy Sedaris of Strangers With Candy fame – is one of the best–known literary wits in America today. His first–person, self–deprecating style is at its best in Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Naked and When You Are Engulfed in Flames.
He’s book–touring it for his latest, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary, a collection of short stories written from the perspective of animals.
Tickets for Sedaris’ 8 p.m. appearance are $46 to $51 at scadboxoffice.com.
Stopping over
Independent bands — hundreds of them — showcase every spring at the South By Southwest (SXSW) conference in Austin. The multi-venue, multi-platform Texan mecca for music takes place March 11-20 this year.
Online music guru Kayne Lanahan, of themusicfile.com, is a Savannah resident, and she’s come up with a way for our fair city to reap some of the rewards of SXSW.
It’s called the Savannah Stopover Festival, and it’s not only an opportunity for Savannahians to experience a wide cross-section of SXSW artists, it’ll give said up-and-comers a place to play — not to mention food and petrol money — as they’re making what can be a grueling, self-financed pilgrimage to Austin.
Details are still being firmed up, but the Savannah Stopover Festival is on the boards for March 10-13. It will encompass several downtown clubs, and an outdoor stage, and various parties and cross-cultural tie-ins are planned.
Multi-day passes will be available in addition to per-event tickets. Lanahan is also getting a Concert Poster Competition geared up.
Class Actress, Million Young, We Are Trees, Prince Rama, Birds Of Avalon, We Are Country Mice, Slow Animal, Little Gold, Milagres and others have signed on, with lots of others expected to be announced any day now.
Local faves Cusses, Sunglasses, Passafire, Dare Dukes and Lady Lazarus are on board, too.
Watch this space — and Connect in general — for developments.
