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Extraterrestrial rock and jazz
Remnants of At the Drive-In return, Summertime Blues, Blue Man Group in concert, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs at BMP



Martian landing

Fans of At the Drive-In lamented the group’s implosion just as the band seemed on the verge of cracking mainstream codes with some of the smarter, more ferocious post-hardcore ranting and raving in recent memory. But in retrospect, there’s been a silver lining to ATD-I’s breakup — both halves of the group have subsequently formed new bands, with the catchier camp signing to DreamWorks under the name Sparta (whose Wiretap Scars was one of last year’s best rock albums), and the wiggier half — including singer Cedric Bixler — signing to Universal as the Mars Volta. The latter’s debut album, De-Loused in the Crematorium, appears this Tuesday, and if the snippets we’ve heard are any indication, it’s one of the most frazzled, fragmented freakouts of a major-label bow since Mr. Bungle. The Mars Volta embark on a national headlining tour that’ll bring them to Axis, 13 Lansdowne Street in Boston, on July 19. Tickets go on sale today (Thursday, June 19) at 10 a.m.; call (617) 423-NEXT.

Koko Taylor in The Blues

Summertime Blues I

Following up its successful pairing of classic jazz documentaries with live jazz performances, the Coolidge adapts the formula for next month’s " Summertime Blues " series, which includes the area premiere of Joerg Bundschuh’s new John Lee Hooker: That’s My Story (July 14) and a preview of The Blues (July 28), the seven-episode PBS series produced by Martin Scorsese that’ll air in October. The series kicks off July 7 with Ken Mandel’s 1993 overview, Bluesland: A Portrait of Blues in America, which features performance footage of Muddy Waters, Bessie Smith, and Leadbelly; guitarist Chris " Stovall " Brown opens at 7:30 p.m., with the film at 8. A mix of performance footage and celebrity testimonial from the likes of Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, and our own Peter Wolf, That’s My Story is paired with guitarist Lloyd Thayer. On July 21, local " queen of the blues " Shirley Lewis accompanies Toby Byron’s Ray Charles: The Genius of Soul (1992); and on July 28, Tarbox Ramblers frontman Michael Tarbox plays in conjunction with a compilation reel culled from The Blues, including segments directed by Mike Figgis, Wim Wenders, and Marc Levin. The Coolidge is at 290 Harvard Avenue in Brookline; call (617) 734-2500.

Blue Man Group

Summertime Blues II

The bald-pated, PVC-festishizing, unihued performance troupe Blue Man Group have become ubiquitous in this town since setting up shop at the Charles Playhouse, and while it’s easy to take their presence for granted, their value as a refuge for wayward musicians is probably underrated. The Blue Man Group band has provided a paycheck for countless local rock dudes, several of whom played on the BMG debut, 1999’s Audio (Virgin), which was nominated for a Grammy. The new BMG album, The Complex (Lava/Atlantic), is aimed at a bigger audience — unlike its predecessor, it includes vocals — with appearances by Dave Matthews, Tracy Bonham, and Bush’s Gavin Rossdale. And while the disc’s guest list includes guitar whiz Nels Cline, turntable fiends Rob Swift and Kid Koala, producer Dan " The Automater " Nakamura, and monologist Spalding Gray, it also includes local notables Dave Steele (ex-Cherry 2000), Jef Turlik (Milligram), Peter Moore (Count Zero), Todd Perlmutter (Orangutang/Trona), and engineer Andrew Schneider. And now the Blue Man musical experience is taking to the road in a show that combines their trademark multimedia shenanigans with the ballast of a full-on rock tour, with help from Bonham and the Nashville electropop group Venus Hum. The spectacle makes its way to FleetBoston Pavilion, on Northern Avenue near the World Trade Center, on July 16. Tickets are $22.50 to $50; call (617) 931-2000.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Best Music Poll

There are more than a few surprises in this year’s Best Music Poll winners — see the full supplement in this issue — and we’ve got one last surprise up our sleeves for the BMP Finale blowout at the FleetBoston Pavilion on June 27. Just added to the bill: crypt-kicking art-punk stars the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who join previously announced performers Iggy Pop (the once and future Stooge), electropop sensations Fischerspooner, and jerky new-wave kids the Hot Hot Heat. Tickets are $25 and $35; call (617) 931-2000.

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Issue Date: June 20 - 26, 2003
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