Welcome to “Seven in Seven,” where each Friday we take a look at shows coming to the region over the next week. Whether your musical tastes are rock and roll, jazz, heavy metal, singer-songwriter or indie, there’ll always be something to check out in the coming days.
Here are seven of the best for the week beginning Aug. 20:
Miknna – Aug. 20 at World Cafe Live – Upstairs
Miknna – which is pronounced “m?-KEHN-a” – are a Los Angeles producer/artist duo comprised of vocalist Mike B. and producer Ken Nana. Since the release of their first EP, 50|50 (Side A), they have been breaking barriers and blending genres with a sound the duo have dubbed electro-soul. Their two singles, “NESS” and “Trinity Ave” have already earned them over three and a half million of streams on Spotify, so it would prudent to check them out .
Portugal. The Man – Aug. 20 at Festival Pier
Fans were in this situation back in March of this year. Portugal. The Man’s last album came out over three years ago, which is a long gap for a band who’ve dropped roughly an album a year since 2006. They spent almost every minute since 2013 working on an album called Gloomin + Doomin, until things took a complete left turn. Frontman John Gourley found his dad’s ticket stub from the original 1969 Woodstock music festival. It seems like a small thing, but talking to his dad about the landmark event knocked something loose in his head. He realized that, in the same tradition of bands from that era, Portugal. The Man needed to speak out about the world crumbling around them.
Bill Frisell – Aug. 21 at Wiggins Park
In a career spanning more than 25 years and over 200 recordings – including 25 albums of his own, guitarist, composer, and bandleader Bill Frisell is now firmly established as a visionary presence in American music. He has collaborated with a wide range of artists, filmmakers and legendary musicians. But it is his work as a leader that has garnered increasing attention and accolades. Frisell’s jazz fusion is something to be experienced, and definitely in a live setting.
Donny and Marie Osmond – Aug. 22 at Santander Arena
It’s been five decades since Donny and Marie Osmond started entertaining the masses, and they’ve hardly stopped for even a moment. Marie has been a successful singer, television performer and talk show host, dancer, actor, author, entrepreneur, philanthropist and public speaker. Her older brother is no slouch either, boasting a career as a singer, entertainer and, as he makes clear is most important, a family man. Seeing him then with his sister makes every time they perform together that much more special.
Jonny Lang – Aug. 23 at World Cafe Live – Downstairs
Jonny Lang had long been one of the new faces of the blues, so much so that he’s not so new anymore, moved on to create his own legacy. Anyone who originally discovered the phenom through his searing instrumental work will revel in the huge guitar tones and go for broke solos on Signs, his new album out next month which will be getting a heavy duty preview at World Cafe Live. Though he long ago left blues purism behind, Lang has never abandoned its spirit of universal catharsis through the relating of personal trials. Signs reaffirms his commitment to the blues and the guitar without sacrificing the modern approach that has made him such a singular artist.
Deep Purple with Alice Cooper – Aug. 24 at BB&T Pavilion
Every teenager with a guitar bestowed upon he or she has attempted to lay down the opening lick to Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water.” Any budding shock rocker, from Rob Zombie to Marilyn Manson, has looked toward Alice Cooper for guidance. That’s what makes this tour so incredibly momentous; there are two icons at work, and who knows when we’ll get so lucky to see such a perfect pairing again. It’s definitely a contender for tour of the summer.
Matchbox 20 with Counting Crows – Aug. 26 at BB&T Pavilion
Fans of late ’90s, early oughts music will be in heaven with two of the biggest heavy hitters from the era in Matchbox 20 and Counting Crows. The former has a frontman who went on to have a successful solo career, and the latter admitted he has always worn fake dreadlocks. But at the end of the day, it’s a boon to fans who love songs like “Mr. Jones” and “3 AM.”
