Mike D’s Top Five: The Can’t Miss Shows of May

Talahassee

#1 Thursday, May 2: Tallahassee (CD release show) with Smith & Weeden and Coyote Kolb. $10. 8pm. All ages. The Columbus Theatre, 270 Broadway, Providence. Boston’s (by way of Providence) roots rock band Tallahassee are putting out Old Ways and this is the party. While I haven’t heard it yet, I can tell you that I look forward to it. Singer Brian Barthelmes might be the nicest guy in music. Providence’s Smith & Weeden and Boston’s Coyote Kolb round out the bill.

#2 Thursday, May 9: 95.5 WBRU presents an Earth Day Show with Silversun Pickups and Bad Books. $27.50 advance, $30 day of. 6pm doors, 7pm show. All ages. Lupo’s, 79 Washington Street, Providence. By now, you should know about and have made up your mind on Silversun Pickups. Bad Books are new to the Providence market, fronted by Kevin Devine and Andy Hull (singer of Manchester Orchestra), and their single “Forest Whitaker” is fire. YouTube it – it’s my favorite song of 2012, hands down. While you’re at it, Netflix the masterpiece Ghost Dog and have a Forest Whitaker Day.

#3 Saturday, May 11: Ghostface Killah, Jahpan and Sour City. $20 advance, $25 day of. 8pm. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. Wu Tang’s Ironman Ghostface Killah with a live band? Sounds pretty good. Expect a mix of classics and cuts off his new album 12 Reasons To Die, which is also available on cassette for those of you who have still not made the turn over to CD format… or are still driving 1997 Oldsmobiles.

#4 Monday, May 13: The Darkness and Free Energy. $25 advance, $28 day of. 8pm. All ages. Lupo’s, 79 Washington Street, Providence. Do you believe in a thing called love? No? Me neither. If you believe in a thing called alcohol – and drinking to the point where you don’t know whether or not you live in the ‘70s – then this is the concert for you. The Darkness are a blast live, and opener Free Energy is nice mix of all things T Rex and Big Star with some additional snarl. Check out their James Murphy (of LCD Soundsystem) produced Stuck On Nothing album.

#5 Tuesday May 28: Futurebirds, Burlapen and Milk. $10. 8pm. All ages. The Met, 1005 Main Street, Pawtucket. Baba Yaga is getting Athens, Georgia-based country rock band Futurebirds a lot of attention and critical acclaim. When Pitchfork and Paste kiss your butt on the second record – that’s usually the fast road to success. I like what I’ve heard and it reminds me a lot of what’s been going on recently up here in the Northeast scene. Burlapen’s debut show marks the overdue return of veteran Providence indie song writer Rachel Jorgensen. Boston’s Milk round out the bill.

— Mike D

Melanie Lynx and Milk Bread: A Firehouse 13 Delicacy

By Tyler Curry

Greetings

Good vibes and catchy tunes traveled throughout Firehouse 13 on Friday night, as featured artists Melanie Lynx and Milk Bread along with openers Safari and Rich Ferri rocked the stage. Each band with it’s own unique sound, music appreciators could enjoy the powerful voice of Melanie Lynx or the soulful tunes of Milk Bread’s seven-man jazz band.

After indulging in a Firehouse 13 $1 pretzels from the bar (seriously), it was time to get back to business. I caught up with Melanie Lynx, Rhode Island native and former American Idol contestant, to gain some insight on her musical inspiration: How does it feel to be back in your home state?

It feels amazing! The energy was great, too. This is the largest turnout we’ve had. It is a great feeling to be able to look around a room and see people who have supported you from the beginning and new faces from people who are equally as supportive.

Tell me about your time on American Idol?

Well, I auditioned two years ago and made it to the top 60 finalists. It was great! Steven Tyler took a liking to me because of my alternative sound. Altogether, American Idol was a great learning experience. It was that experience that pushed me to pursue my own music career, and here we are now – on tour!

Where do you find inspiration?

Music was always something I really wanted to do, but what really inspires me is a combination of the people I am surrounded by, the places I go, and the life situations I experience. Another inspiration is the support of my parents. They come from a completely non-musical background, but have been fully supportive and that really is amazing.

Lynx is a graduating senior at Berklee College of Music, and has embarked on a Northeastern tour for her newest album, “Naked Heart.” Her sound is a mix of Katy Perry and Jessie J – which explained Lynx’s suiting cover.

For the rest of the night, the audience jammed out to Milk Bread as they performed singles from their first full-length album, currently on a funding campaign for distribution. The band provided free copies of the album, alongside other merchandise. In fact, Milk Bread encouraged the audience to take a free copy, declaring, “Good music should be free!” The energy of the audience, the intimate venue, and the eclectic musical acts produced a highly enjoyable event. Check out more about artists Melanie Lynx and Milk Bread for more information on upcoming projects and dates. For more information about Firehouse 13 events, check out the their website here.

Sincerely,

The dimSocialite