Charlotte

The latest incarnation of the band has been touring for more than 20 years, including founding member Bill Payne. Shaun Murphy, who played with the band since 1993, appearing on five albums, left the band this past February and will not be replaced.

The Deal: Charlotte quartet Brandon Kirkley & The Firecrackers independently releases six-song EP, What We Thought We Knew.

The Good: The band offers up pop-rock tunes on its debut. "One to None" has a radio-friendly groove to it and building chorus that you can easily see might be a live staple in their set. Singer Kirkley shows a bit of range in his vocals on "You Don't Know" with moments of falsetto and a bit of that rock 'n' roll power scream. The harmonica gave a nice touch on "Sunset City."

After 20 years, it's no surprise the co-founders of the band Bloodkin have been through their share of ups and downs. Daniel Hutchens and Eric Carter first started playing music together when they were in elementary school. Though the duo has had different bandmates over the years, they've released eight albums and are currently fueled by a new-found sobriety that has sparked new life into a band that was just about written off by its primary players.

The Deal: Primus bassist Les Claypool releases his latest solo album, spawned from video game and motion picture work.

The Good: Instead of Claypool solely focusing on the video game song "Mushroom Men" and songs from the motion picture Pig Hunt, he decided to keep writing and release an album. The bassist extraordinaire has forged on down the path of weird noises as he continues to experiment with unusual tones and instruments. "Red State Girl" is an easy dig at Republicans and those who like them. "Bite Out Of Life" comes from a jam session that he did with Gogol Bordello's Eugene Hutz - probably before last year's Bonnaroo Super Jam with the two. There's a definite heavy influence of Hutz on the track and may be the album's best track. One can only assume that "What Would Sir George Martin Do" is a reference to the "fifth Beatle." Funky drumming and vocal effects give "Primed by 29" a hint of the Primus Claypool of old.

With nearly two decades of do-it-yourself ethics behind her, it's no wonder Ani DiFranco's name has become synonymous with the word "indie" in the music world. She started the hard way -- get in a van and drive from gig to gig until you have enough money to put out an album. Eventually, she started a label, Righteous Babe, and it's been that way ever since -- tour, record, release a new album; repeat.

Elton John and Billy Joel
Time Warner Cable Arena
March 7, 2009

The Deal: Piano-playing legends team up again for first tour since 2003, played packed "Cable Box."

The Deal: The Godfather of Funk hits Charlotte for a three-hour tour of classic P-Funk and some newer hits.

The Good: If you wanted the funk, you were in the right place. Clinton hit the stage around 10:30 p.m. and the band kept going for roughly three hours. Sure, most of the stuff you'd expect was played -- "Give Up the Funk," "Somethin Stank and I Want Sum," "Bounce 2 This," and "Flashlight." He also played the newer song "Hard as Steel" from TAPOAFOM.

The recently reunited No Doubt has announced its summer tour dates, which includes a June 6 show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte.

The recently reunited No Doubt has announced its summer tour dates, which includes a June 6 show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte.

Joanna Lynne, The Stellas; Last November, No Second Troy, Flagship Brigade
The Evening Muse
Feb. 21, 2009

The Deal: A variety of acts hits The Evening Muse, including the first-ever acoustic show by Charlotte's The Stellas.

The Good: Joanna Lynne kicked off the evening with an acoustic set showcasing her talent as a singer and songwriter. No other way to say it than, damn, the girl's got pipes! Her higher vocal range reminded me of Jewel, but you'd never mistake the two as the same performer. Lynne more often stayed in a lower tones showing effortless power when needed and giving slight harmonies with her lone bandmate/conga player.