Briefs

*Montgomery Gentry

and

Ashton Shepherd*

Date: Saturday, July 5, 8 p.m.

Venue: The Amphitheater at The Wharf (23101 Canal Rd.) www.thewharfal.com

Tickets: $49.50/$39.50/$16.50 available through Ticketmaster

Montgomery Gentry has made a permanent mark in the mainstream country scene with down-home sounds and an electrifying stage show, as evidenced by their enormous following and impressive record sales. Their popularity has made them a household name and earned them constant radio rotation on stations across the U.S.

Eddie Montgomery, John Michael Montgomery (Eddie’s younger brother) and Troy Gentry combined forces in Kentucky under the name of Early Tymz. When the younger Montgomery left the band to pursue his solo career, the remaining duo became Montgomery Gentry. After signing to Columbia in 1999, Montgomery Gentry began to make its presence known nationwide with a number of songs appearing on the Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart, earning them awards from the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

At The Wharf, Montgomery Gentry will set the crowd on fire with cuts from their latest album “Back When I Knew It All.” Before its June 10 release, the album’s title track had already broken the top ten on Billboards Hot Country Chart.

*Justin Gipson

and

Braden Land*

Date:Tuesday, July 15, 9 p.m.

Venue: The Blind Mule (57 N. Claiborne St.) www.myspace.com/theblindmule

Tickets: TBA

It will be a night of singer/songwriters at The Blind Mule with performances from Justin Gipson and Braden Land.

In between bands, Gipson has been making his presence known with solo gigs at Starbucks and Dusty’s Bar & Grille and has recorded an EP. Gipson has a firm grasp on his genre with poignant lyrics accented by his gentle guitar and Cohen-esque vocals.

Land has been compared to such folk icons as Gram Parsons and Bob Dylan. His rootsy sound has the tendency to instantly ensnare fans of Americana. Even though he picked up the guitar at 14, it was not until Land moved to Jackson, Miss. that he decided to make a career out of his music. After signing with Precedent Entertainment, Land began touring extensively, and The Blind Mule will be his last stop before heading back to Jackson.

Pat Benatar with Neil Giraldo

Date: July 4 and 5, doors at 6:30 pm

Venue: Hard Rock Casino Biloxi (777 Beach Blvd.) www.hardrockbiloxi.com

Tickets: $40 available through Ticketmaster

One cannot think about the pop music of the ‘80s without Pat Benatar coming to mind. Benatar earned her iconic status with her no-nonsense image and empowering music. As a female lead singer, she (along with Joan Jett) set a standard for future female musicians by showing a woman could be the “boss” in an extremely male-dominated industry. Benatar was propelled to superstar status with songs like “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Shadows of the Night,” earning four Grammys along the way.

Even though Benatar was in the spotlight, there is one person who has stayed with her through thick and thin both as a band member and a spouse. Guitarist Neil Giraldo met Benatar when he joined forces with her then label Chrysalis Records. Ultimately, this relationship went beyond professional, and the two were married and still continue to tour.

The Rundown

The Oakleigh Garden District was in rare form for a Tuesday with the Callaghan’s crowd pouring into the streets for Justin Townes Earle. However, Earle did not come alone. Opening for him was the lovely and talented Bonnie Whitmore, who just happens to be Earle’s fiancé.

Though Earle was lacking the back-up band from his album “The Good Life,” the performance maintained an equally strong presence and sound. He not only entertained the crowd with his excellent music, but he also delved into a little Townes Van Zandt and Huddie Ledbetter (aka Leadbelly).

If observers were not impressed by Earle’s music, then they were definitely impressed with his confident stage presence and amazing connection with his crowd. As Earle crooned the night away, it was as if he made a special effort to give a nod to everyone present (even those watching from outside). Anyone who missed out on his performance might have to wait a little while to catch him again in the Port City. Earle has his tour itinerary full with performances everywhere from Portland to Oslo.

BayFest countdown

While many have spent the summer lounging in the shade, the BayFest Organizers have been making preparations to guarantee that Mobile’s music festival will be grander in 2008. The countdown is definitely on as BayFest’s downtown takeover has been set for October 3, 4 and 5. If that was not to generate excitement, they have also begun to line up musical acts for the event with two shining country stars added to the line-up. According to Pollstar, heartthrob Blake Shelton will be making a return to the festival. Rodney Atkins is also scheduled to appear. Atkins has made his presence known in the country music scene with 6 ACM (Academy of Country Music) nominations. Stay tuned for more BayFest updates.

Artimus returns

The Mobile underground scene’s prodigal son Abstract Artimus made a visit to the Port City. While in town, he got back to his roots with a performance in a dank, dirt-floor cellar in Hillsdale and entertained an intense crowd with new sounds.

Even though he still has fans in Mobile, Artimus’ electro-punk sounds still have many locals scratching their heads. In New York City, this solo artist has developed quite a fan base and has added several dates in Canada for mid-July. As his music makes its way throughout Europe, Artimus is in the process of scheduling a U.K. tour.

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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