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 a few this week:As the Crow Flies – April 18 at The Electric Factory
In the years since the 2013 breakup of The Black Crowes, mercurial frontman Chris Robinson has done his best to distance himself from the band and its legacy. It was a surprise then when he recently announced As the Crow Flies, which sees the singer assembling a band made up of guitarists Marcus King and Audley Freed, keyboardist Adam MacDougall, bassist Andy Hess and drummer Tony Leone to play those familiar Crowes songs. Until the inevitable reunion with his brother, guitarist Rich Robinson, which will happen at some point no matter what either of them says to the contrary, this is the best tide over.
The Darkness – April 18 at The Trocadero
Fifteen years ago saw one of the most extraordinary and best loved bands come out of the UK in The Darkness when they released their debut album Permission To Land to overnight success, topping the charts, going five-times Platinum and selling over 1.5 million copies in their home company alone. Led by the smash single “I Believe in A Thing Called Love,” it looked like the next great rock and roll act had, well, landed. The trappings of success soon set in though, and by 2006 the band had broken apart. By March of 2011, heads had cleared and the decision was made to reunite the classic lineup of The Darkness, and last year the group released their fifth effort, Pinewood Smile.
Driftwood – April 19 at Milkboy
When most people think of upstate New York, they either imagine rural landscapes or working-class towns. As natives of Binghamton, the members of Driftwood hail from a working town, but play music rooted in the land, leaning alternately into folk, old-time, country, punk, and rock, depending on their personal moods and their songs’ needs. Digging in and rocking out since their 2005 formation, playing an average of 150 shows a year, Driftwood are now veterans of the road, which is where they tend to shine the most.
SoundcheckAndy Grammer – “Fresh Eyes”
George Thorogood – “Move It on Over”
The Slackers – “Wasted Days”War on Women – “Lone Wolves”
The Black Crowes – “Descending”
The Darkness – “I Believe in a Thing Called Love”
Driftwood – “Fishbowl”
