Hello again, my new-found friends. I hope those of you who followed my lead last week had a good time. I sure did! Ready for another one? This week boasts a couple of big-name acts, and a little bit of everything for the discerning concert-goer. Whatever your tastes: Hip-Hop, Rock, Country, Singer-Songwriter, it’s all there for your absorption. So gather your wits about you and brace yourself, ’cause here we go:

Thursday 1/17
Wess Floyd / Grace Potter and the Nocturnals / Brandi Shearer / Wess Floyd (Again!) @ Workplay
Admission: $12		Go Time: 6:30 p.m.
		First off: The Wess Floyd parts of the show are in the Workplay bar and they are FREE!!!! Did I put enough exclamation points after that? Now you can get your pre-show and post-show buzz on while listening to good music and not just waiting for it and reminiscing over it. Wess is a former Dothan resident, but he’s been tearing it up in Nashville for a while now. He peddles a comforting brand of country tinged roots-rock. You buying?
		Grace Porter‘s got a rock n’ roll soul, and it shines through. With the help of her band, The Nocturnals, she’s out to prove that Vermont isn’t just about jam. She’s played with Taj Mahal, rocked out at Bonnaroo, and she’s got a terrific rock scream. Also, she plays a Hammond B3. What more do you want, people!
		An honest to goodness Oregon farm girl, Brandi Shearer escaped from her one-room schoolhouse of a past and into the bohemian embrace of Europe, where she discovered Billy Holiday and hair-care. Now she’s amended her ex-pat ways and returned to the fold. She brings with her a sense of mystique, a sultry voice, and solid song-writing chops. Come get you some.
Honorable Mention:		George Strait / Little Big Town @ BJCC
Friday 1/18
The Dexateens @ The Nick
Admission: $7		Go Time: 10 p.m.
		According to The Dexateens, they play a brand of southern fried goodness known as “skillet rock”, a brand of teeth-kickin’, whiskey driven, foot-stomperism that’s sure to keep you out of your chair, if you’re still sober enough to stand. Which, at The Nick, can be a real issue. My suggestion is to grab hold of the nearest wall and stake yourself some lean space. That way, when The Dexateens really start to melt, you’ll have something to hold you up.
Saturday 1/19
The Lab Rats / Teen Getaway @ Bottletree
Admission: $10		Zero Hour: 8 p.m.
		The Lab Rats sound is full of tumbling rhymes and eerie playground melodies. The lyrics echo the daily doldrums of a working-class lifestyle, but the music conjured by these two multi-instrumentalists evokes nightmare carnival shadowscapes. But it’s all in good fun! Wipe that frown off and plaster a smile up there. A least you can dance while the truth goes down.
		The name Teen Getaway made me think I was gonna get some bubblegum when I loaded their page up, and while they do play some upbeat stuff, this ain’t no childish noodling. It’s rock for adults. You hear that kiddies? Stay tucked. Seriously though, this is one Birmingham band you should all be paying attention to. It’s nice to see a rock act side by side with some hip-hop. Can’t we all just get along?
Honorable Mentions:		Foo Fighters @ BJCC
		North Mississippi Allstars w/ Alvin Youngblood Hart @ Workplay
		Unknown Hinson @ Zydeco

One final thing. Click that Unknown Hinson link just above this. It’ll be worth your while to witness what a psychopath this guy is. I actually spent a few minutes trying to figure out if the guy was wearing a mask or not (he’s not!). Catch you next week. Ta.

This post was written by Sam George and brought to you by r3vrb.com and the number “4”.