[Herman’s Picks] Vol. 7, No. 41

Courtesy Eclipse

Pink Floyd tribute band Eclipse performs live at Fire this Friday night, June 26.

by Herman Snell
June 24, 2009

It’s Friday; it’s payday, and the drinks are cold. Club Fire will host the seven-piece Pink Floyd tribute band Eclipse Friday night at 10 p.m. $15, $20 if you’re age 18-20. The band consists of three guitarists and six vocalists, and it has an extensive lighting set. You won’t get the opportunity to hear the real thing often, and these guys are ready to win you over, so if you’re a Pink Floyd fan, check them out.

Also on Friday, local alternative-rock favorites Roosevelt Noise and Dark Knights of Camelot return to Martin’s. If old-school ’70s horn band jams are more up your alley, check out The Carlton’s in the Hal & Mal’s Red Room. Jackson’s favorite R&B band High Frequency returns to Freelon’s, and blues guitarist Lil’ Dave Thompson joins Jackie Bell and the 930 house band at the 930 Blues Café this weekend.

If you liked the Fais-Do-Do party at One to One Studio a few months ago, or if you’re a fan of the mid-week bluegrass nights at Hal & Mal’s, you should check out the Contra-Dance with The Scramblers and The Dixie Nationals at the Eudora Welty Commons Friday night, 7-11 p.m. You can then listen to bluegrass favorites The Vernon Brothers at Hal & Mal’s Saturday night, 8 p.m. If you like your country a little more gravelly, try on Willie Heath Neal at Ole Tavern Saturday night. Singer-songwriter Braden Land will open.

The biggest rock ‘n’ roll show of the weekend is Seven Mary Three at Fire this Saturday night; $20, $25 if you are 18-20. You probably know their hit songs “Cumbersome” and “Water’s Edge.” It should be a good show.

The regionally famous North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic is this weekend in Potts Camp (up the Natchez Trace), noon to midnight, Friday and Saturday, $25. If you dig Blue Mountain, North Mississippi Allstars, Jimbo Mathus and Eric Deaton, this is the quintessential weekend campout retreat for the genre. Visit http://hillcountrypicnic.wordpress.com for details.

Looking for a summer road trip? Head to the Silver Star Convention Center in Choctaw to see soul legend Al Green July 3, 8 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$45. Sonic Youth performs in Birmingham July 12, and Gov’t Mule will be at Sloss Furnace in Birmingham July 31. Blondie and Pat Benatar perform at Mud Island in Memphis Aug. 8 and Beau Rivage Aug. 22. Get the good seats while they last for Green Day/Kaiser Chiefs at the New Orleans Arena Aug. 7.

Tickets are on sale now for B.B. King at Beau Rivage Sept. 4, $45-$65, 888-566-7469. If you’re up for the long haul, the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago is June 17-19, and the 20th anniversary Merge Records Music Festival is July 22-26 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Lollapalooza is Aug. 7-9 in Chicago with Depeche Mode, The Killers, Jane’s Addiction, Beasties, Kings of Leon, Arctic Monkeys, TV on the Radio, Kaiser Chiefs, PB & J, and other outstanding musicians.
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