5 top concerts in the Triangle this week
A crazy popular band that’s increasingly unclassifiable, an American treasure and arguably the most fascinating cover act are among the recording artists headed to the Triangle this week.
Zac Brown Band
The details: March 4, 7 p.m. PNC Arena, 1400 Edwards Mill Road, Raleigh. Tickets start at $29.50. 919-467-7825 or pncarena.com.
Some critics give the Zac Brown Band credit for stretching their boundaries. The fans are fine with whatever Brown and company deliver. The country group, which also rocks and dabbles in electronic, is a road monster, which routinely packs arenas and sheds. Expect some fun covers as well as a rousing version of “Chicken Fried.”
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox
The details: March 4, 7:30 p.m. Durham Performing Arts Center, 123 Vivian St., Durham. Tickets start at $39.50, 919-680-2787 or dpacnc.com
The quirky musical collective, which turns modern rock and pop songs into vintage sounding tunes, covers recording artists ranging from The Strokes to Lady Gaga to Outkast. Anything goes for Bradlee, who was a struggling musician until his ‘80s covers-turned-ragtime tracks went viral a few years ago. You never know what you’ll get from Bradlee and company in terms of songs but count on an energetic show.
Bob Weir and the Wolf Brothers
The details: March 3, 7 p.m. Durham Performing Arts Center. Tickets start at $49.50.
The iconic Dead frontman is on tour again with his pals, bassist/celebrated producer Don Was and Ratdog drummer Jay Lane. There will no doubt be a number of revamped Grateful Dead tunes and some surprises.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters
The details: March 5, 7:30 p.m. The Ritz, 2820 Industrial Drive, Raleigh. Tickets start at $17.50. 919-424-1400 or ritzraleigh.com
Big Head Todd and the Monsters leader Todd Mohr has said he is frustrated by the divisions in the United States. However, the vocalist-guitarist believes he can bring people together with music. The gritty roots-rocker detailed to Americana Highways magazine how music impacted him as a teenager.
“I experienced a revolution when I got to know Robert Johnson’s Pre-War Blues, Sun House, Lead Belly, and early folk guys like Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie,” he told American Highways in 2018. “Traditional music and songs are like the ingredients in great cooking. They’ve been with us for thousands of years and it’s well understood what they mean. And these folk troubadours just trafficked in this stuff.
“Realizing that truth helped me to understand that I don’t have to be the best songwriter in the world. It’s not about my original innovations so much as that I just have to understand the ingredients. This realization profoundly transformed my outlook on writing.”
Of Montreal
The details: Feb. 29, 8:30 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, 300 E. Main St., Carrboro. Tickets start at $17. 919-967-9053 or catscradle.com
Kevin Barnes is akin to a contemporary David Bowie. The man known as Of Montreal is a compelling chameleon. Barnes has easily veered from electronic pop to funk and to R&B. His recent material sounds nothing like his old songs, which he never plays or things about.
“It’s interesting because in a lot of ways it’s like looking at a scrap book of photographs from my youth,” Barnes explained to the Valley Advocate in 2019. “I never play those songs. It’s mostly because the spirit is different. I was sort of in this suspended childhood state of mind when I was making those records. There’s sort of magical realism in there, but it’s kind of a little too sugary for me now.”