CORRECTION: Information in this week’s print edition was inaccurate. Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers are performing at North Charleston Coliseum on Tues. March 10, not the Pour House.
COUNTRY | Sturgill Simpson
w/ Tyler Childers
Tues. March 10
7:30 p.m.
$49-$99
North Charleston Coliseum
Much like mixing bourbon with Ale-8-One, this year’s Good Look’n Tour, starring Sturgill Simpson and Tyler Childers, amounts to a quintessential Kentucky combo. Simpson mostly grew up around Versailles (pronounced Ver-sales), although he has literally been circling the Earth since his teen years when he became a sailor in the U.S. Navy. Now that he is a musical force to be reckoned with, Simpson has been including fellow bluegrass-born musician and rising country star Childers in the raucous ride, working with him in the studio and on the road. Importantly, both relatively young men continue to honor the age-old traditions they’ve inherited from the likes of Keith Whitley and Dwight Yoakam, while still each creating outsider art that is distinctive and engaging in its own right. Simpson’s “Mercury in Retrograde,” from his latest LP, Sound & Fury, is a great example of what it looks like when you carry yourself with dignity and assurance in an industry that strips most music-makers of both things straight away. During the opening set from Childers, be sure to keep an eye out for his band’s secret weapon, “The Professor” Jesse Wells, another Kentuckian who can play anything you put in his hands, and who might just set the place on fire before Simpson ever makes it to the stage for round two. —Kevin Wilson TUESDAY
LAURYN HILL COVERS | April B. and the Cool
Fri. March 6
9:30 p.m.
$10
Pour House
Although Lauryn Hill has been out of the spotlight for some time now, her musical genius certainly remains. Nowadays, tribute shows are an integral piece of the legacy puzzle and as April B. & the Cool puts it, “[Hill’s] music is timeless. She created art and then used that art to make important statements.” Since their 2017 debut EP, The Sidechick Chronicles, the Asheville-based band has been touring, working on new music, and performing. The project began as a “vehicle for the performance of both my original music and music by other artists whose work I admire,” says frontwoman April Bennett. Performing a Lauryn Hill tribute with a bit of original music peppered in is the quintessential show for this funky, bluesy, and lively band. There is much to admire about Hill’s work but Bennett has always sought inspiration from her ability to push barriers in the music world. She explains, “The work she did with the Fugees and on her first solo album pushed the boundaries of hip-hop and offered a fresh perspective — that of a lyrically gifted, dark-skinned, dread-headed Black woman. I needed that. Plus, my mom didn’t allow us to listen to music that didn’t have a positive message. Her perspective was one I could truly relate to and the beats still knock as hard as they did decades ago.” —Eliana Katz FRIDAY
R&B/SOUL | Little Bird
w/ Rare Creatures, the Hails
Sat. March 7
9 p.m.
$12
The Royal American
Little Bird, a five-piece indie R&B/soul phenomenon, has already made their mark on Charleston and the City Paper. Readers named them the “R&B/Soul Band of the Year” back in 2018, and they haven’t stalled since. Created in 2014 by band members Jay Hurtt and James Rubush, Little Bird has gained and maintained momentum, both in sound and popularity. Their music is enticing, melodic, and delicate, with a stage presence that kills and lyrics that make us want more. Little Bird is extremely agile with their songs, easily moving between rhythms and pitches to successfully offer a different vibe with each passing tune. Their ability to grow and evolve since their debut album Groove back in 2015, has translated seamlessly into their music. Just as they grew into the band they are today, their music tightened up and settled into material that Charleston loves. Their 2019 single “gHost” has only solidified what we gave recognition to back in 2018, which also happens to be the year their latest album Familiar was released. We’ve got to admit, we have that album on repeat still today. —Abrie Richison SATURDAY
RAY CHARLES COVERS | Georgia on My Mind
Tues. March 10
7:30 p.m.
$36-$66
Gaillard Center
Ray Charles is one of those artists so influential and important to popular music that it’s a little silly to try to sum him up in only a few words. From his earliest successes at Atlantic Records, his hit songs (including “I Got a Woman,” “Hit the Road Jack,” and “America the Beautiful,” to name a few), and the countless awards he’s won, Charles has continuously solidified himself as a king of music. Georgia on My Mind, a tribute to the talented pianist and vocalist, will attempt to pay homage to Charles’ lasting legacy in just one night. It’s a tall order, but the band’s got plenty of firepower: Grammy nominees Clint Holmes and Nnenna Freelon and Grammy winners Take 6 and Kirk Whalum make up the group, named after one of Charles’ most passionate singles. With several gifted vocalists and a big band fully realizing Charles’ layered compositions, Georgia on My Mind might just be able to pull off a show truly honoring one of the greats. —Heath Ellison TUESDAY
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