Sunday, May 25, 2008
A+E, Music, In this Issue...

Crank it up

SP’s 2008 Summer Music Guide

No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks. Yep, it’s getting awfully close to the end of the school year (for most kids, anyway), which means the concert industry’s biggest season is also right around the corner. Summertime brings out the big tours, and lots of ’em. But you don’t need an advanced degree to make sense of the many musical offerings hitting our stages between now and the end of August. In the pages that follow, you’ll find the buzz on more than 30 shows and festivals that have piqued our interest, and a selective rundown of many other upcoming acts, as well. In addition, we take a special look at six comeback kids—bands or performers who are reuniting, enjoying a career resurgence or, in one case, returning from a near-death experience.

25 MUST-SEE SHOWS

TIM MCGRAW

The male half of country music’s royal couple hits the road without wife Faith Hill to sell more copies of his No. 1 album “Let It Go.” Macon-born up-and-comer Jason Aldean and  Halfway to Hazard also perform.—Kevin Forest Moreau
June 11, 7:30 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

VAMPIRE WEEKEND

When else are you going to get the chance to see a quartet of Columbia grads pop their collars and sing about their inherent need to escape Cape Cod?—Larissa Erin Greer
June 11, 8:30 at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

THE BREEDERS

In true bad-girl fashion, this indie-rock stalwart has broken up and gotten back together so many times that the announcement of a reunion tour is already sparking rumors of yet another catfight. A far cry from their early-‘’90s landmark “Last Splash,” this year’s “Mountain Battles” is a bit more raw and imposing, but definitely worth a listen.—L.E.G.
June 13, 8 p.m. at the Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.

CAT POWER

Fresh off the release of “Jukebox,” her second covers album, Cat Power (aka Chan Marshall) returns to her old Atlanta stomping grounds. Works by Joni Mitchell, Frank Sinatra and James Brown are included on the “Jukebox,” but Marshall tackles the tunes with a  soulful sound all her own. .—L.E.G.
June 15, 8 p.m. at the Tabernacle. 404-249-6400. www.tabernacleatl.com.

MODERN SKIRTS

Athens’ sweetest alt-pop export hits town just before jetting off to Europe to play with the likes of R.E.M., The National, Vampire Weekend and Beirut. Like you wouldn’t fly across the Atlantic to escape Georgia in August if you could. .—L.E.G.
June 20, 9 p.m. at the Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.

SONGS OF SOUL AND INSPIRATION

Emmy- and Tony Award-winner Debbie Allen directs and choreographs an all-star lineup scheduled to include Dionne Warwick, Chaka Khan, Queen Latifah, gospel singers CeCe Winans and Yolanda Adams, the Fire Choir and Anne Nesby with Paris Bennett.—K.F.M.
June 21, 8 p.m. at Philips Arena. 404-249-6400. www.philipsarena.com.

MERLE HAGGARD

One of the most influential songwriters in country music history, the 71-year-old Haggard isn’t content to rest on his considerable laurels. He’s still recording solid albums in the 21st century, setting an example we can only hope his modern-day followers will take to heart.—K.F.M.
June 26, 7:30 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. 404-249-6400. www.cobbenergycentre.com.

TOM WAITS

When an inventive, iconic and reclusive troubadour like Waits comes to town, it’s time to sit down, shut up and listen. Despite his old-school street cred, Waits is drawing attention from a younger crowd these days—and it has nothing to do with Scarlett Johansson’s recent CD of Waits covers. We hope.—L.E.G.
July 5, 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre. 404-817-8700. www.foxtheatre.org.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND

What is there to say about Dave Matthews that hasn’t been said? Matthews and his admirably tight ensemble don’t even need a new album to tour behind. Mixing a somewhat eclectic blend of sounds with sprawling jams, catchy choruses and Matthews’ growly delivery, they’re the acceptable mainstream face of the sandals-and-sororities jam-band demographic. Gomez also performs.—K.F.M.
July 7, 7 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS

Petty’s timeless classic rock may not be the ticket for an exciting Super Bowl halftime show, but his endless string of comfort-food hits—“Refugee,” “The Waiting,” “Free Fallin’”—are right at home on the summer concert circuit.—K.F.M.
July 9, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

TRACE ADKINS

Adkins’ Web site refers to him as “country music’s alpha male,” and that’s not far off the mark, given his gruff baritone and imposing presence. Goodness knows it takes a supremely self-confident man to sell novelties like “Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk” and “I Got My Game On” alongside a deep grab-bag of less-gimmicky hits. Ronnie Milsap also performs.—K.F.M.
July 11, 7:30 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

POETS & PIRATES TOUR

Implacable hit machine Kenny Chesney headlines this outing, named after his latest album, which further positions him as country music’s more palatable version of Jimmy Buffet. Also performing: LeAnn Rimes, Brooks & Dunn, Gary Allan and, uh—Sammy Hagar?—K.F.M.
July 13, 3:30 p.m. at Turner Field. 404-249-6400. www.ticketmaster.com.

RUSH

More than 30 years into its long and winding career, the hard-rocking Canadian power trio hasn’t relaxed into a nostalgia-circuit groove. Ultra-proficient instrumentalists Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart keep pushing at the limits of their craft: Last year’s “Snakes & Arrows” is their most mature and accomplished album to date. This show closes the band’s current world tour, which kicked off in Atlanta last summer.—K.F.M.
July 22, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

TONY BENNETT

He's living proof that an 81-year-old crooner can still get down and funky with the best of them. With more than 50 million records sold worldwide (including several platinum and gold albums), Bennett has entertained a broad range of audiences, from Grandma to the MTV generation, and he’s still got game, as he proved performing alongside Christina Aguilera at last year’s Emmy Awards.—Meryl Frick
July 24, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

Last year’s “West” found talented singer-songwriter Williams continuing an artistic maturation that began a decade ago with her landmark “Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.” Williams’ confessional Americana becomes more expansive and universal in concert, as the fans who’ve already sold out her Atlanta appearance can attest.—K.F.M.
July 25, 8 p.m. at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. 404-249-6400. www.concertsinthegarden.org.

311

It just doesn’t feel like summer in Atlanta without the requisite dose of white-kid reggae-inflected rock from 311. Randomly enough, Snoop Dogg and Fiction Plane (led by Sting’s son Joe Sumner) also appear. (Snoop Dogg? Really?)—L.E.G.
July 26, 6:30 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

WILLIE NELSON, B.B. KING

The long-reigning king of modern electric blues teams up with country’s craggiest vet for a tour that should appeal to nostalgic Baby Boomers, blues aficionados and fans of Nelson’s stellar songwriting, which is often overshadowed these days by his marijuana-consuming public image.—K.F.M.
July 27, 7 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

RASCAL FLATTS, TAYLOR SWIFT

 The anonymously scruffy pop-country trio Rascal Flatts tops this bill, but it’s teenage phenom Swift who’s racking up all the attention these days. While much of her eponymous 2006 debut is unmistakably the work of someone not yet old enough to drink, the songwriting prodigy already exhibits the kind of talent that should translate into a durable, decades-long career. Too bad the same can’t be said of the headliners.—K.F.M.
Aug. 1, 8 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

RETURN TO FOREVER 

Thirty-one years after its last album, the pioneering jazz-fusion group led by Chick Corea reforms for a tour with an all-star lineup of guitarist Al Di Meola, bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White.—K.F.M.
Aug. 2, 8 p.m. at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. 404-249-6400. www.cobbenergycentre.com.

JACK JOHNSON

Since John Mayer’s not hitting town this summer and scoring a ticket to see the Dave Matthews Band is a pain, why not check out the other college-kid standby? Johnson’s mellow, acoustic vibe may make James Taylor seem edgy by comparison, but who wants loud music spoiling the buzz of a nice summer evening?—L.E.G.
Aug. 13, 7 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

NINE INCH NAILS

Having severed ties with his record company after last year’s “Year Zero,” Nine Inch Nails mastermind Trent Reznor has fully embraced the Internet-only distribution model; this year he released the instrumental “Ghosts I-IV” and “The Slip” online. The latter gets a more physical release in July, which should expose more listeners to its leaner, more accessible charms.—K.F.M.
Aug. 13, 7 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. 404-249-6400. www.gwinnettcenter.com.

AMERICAN IDOLS LIVE! 

If watching this year’s top “American Idol” contestants (including winner David Cook, David Archuleta, Carly Smithson and Jason Castro) perform other people’s hits live without comment from Simon, Randy or Paula sounds like your idea of a good time, well, congratulations—this is the show you’ve been waiting for. If you believe this season of “Idol” was the sleepiest ever, you’ll probably want to skip it.—K.F.M.
Aug. 18, 7 p.m. at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. 404-249-6400. www.gwinnettcenter.com.

THE JONAS BROTHERS

This polished, preppy trio got its start on the Disney Channel, which explains the throngs of pre-teen girls swooning and crying tears of sheer adolescent joy as this energetic brother act breezes through songs like “Kids of the Future” and “That’s Just the Way We Roll.” If you end up taking your daughter or little sister, beware: You may find yourself singing along to “S.O.S.” when you can’t take the deafening screams any longer.—M.F.
Aug. 20, 7 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

BACKSTREET BOYS

Oddly enough, the same night the Jonas Brothers play to a crowd of screaming girls, one of pop’s original boy bands swings into town to serenade those kids’ swooning mothers. Years after their rivals in N’ Sync called it quits (and two years after the departure of Kevin Richardson), these not-quite Boys may find themselves upstaged by this summer’s New Kids on the Block reunion, but they keep plugging on, selflessly singing “I Want it That Way” to the masses well into their 30s. (Take note, Nick, Kevin and Joe.)—K.F.M.
Aug. 20, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

MY MORNING JACKET

Jim James and the rest of this hard-to-pigeonhole Louisville, Ky. Quartet—think dreamy, psychedelic indie rock/Americana—have a brand-new album on the horizon (“Evil Urges,” out June 10). The group’s ghostly, atmospheric and insistent songs are the perfect complement to the Fox’s spooky stage.—L.E.G.
Aug. 27, 8 p.m. at the Fox Theatre. 404-817-8700. www.foxtheatre.org.

LOTS OF MUSIC, JUST ONE STAGE

UNPLUGGED IN THE PARK

The long-running free outdoor music series returns for another season under the summer skies at Park Tavern, overlooking lush Piedmont Park. This year’s lineup includes Sonia Leigh, the Lee Boys, Angie Aparo, Charlie Mars and Glen Phillips (formerly of Toad the Wet Sprocket), among others, with more to be announced.—K.F.M.
Sundays at 7 p.m. at Park Tavern. www.parktavern.com.

VANS WARPED TOUR

What better way to experience a condensed version of teen angst in the span of a single afternoon? This perennial angry-young-man tour boasts a diverse lineup including Angels & Airwaves, Against Me!, Gym Class Heroes, Anberlin, Reel Big Fish and The Secret Handshake. No doubt you’ll have to check your skateboard (and your mom) at the door.—M.F.
July 9, 12 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

PROJEKT REVOLUTION

If you’re into screaming as a viable substitute for singing, this package tour headlined by Linkin Park. With acts including Chris Cornell, Atreyu and Hawthorne Heights, you likely won’t be able to hear anything else for the rest of the week.—M.F.
Aug. 3, 2 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

HIPPIEFEST

Flower-power remnants Jack Bruce (Cream), the Turtles' Flo & Eddie, Badfinger featuring Joey Molland and Eric Burdon and the Animals are thrown into the mix with Melanie and Jonathan Edwards. If this lineup were any more “far out,” you’d need to hunt down some high-grade LSD to cope with it.—L.E.G.
Aug. 8, 7 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL

Only one tour can contain so much unfocused anger and aggression. Slam-dance and scream your way through hard-core and/or death metal performances by the likes of Slipknot, Disturbed, Underoath and Atlanta’s speed-sludge heroes Mastodon, just to name a few.—L.E.G.
Aug. 12, 2 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

MUSIC BUILDS TOUR

As an antidote to Rockstar's mosh party at the gates of Hell, this bill takes a more spiritual approach to the summer stage, with Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay and Robert Randolph and The Family Band. A portion of the proceeds benefits Habitat for Humanity.—L.E.G.
Sept. 20, 6 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

THE BEST OF THE REST (A SUMMER SHOW SAMPLER)

Jimmy Buffett
June 5, 8 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

ZZ Top, Zac Brown Band
June 7, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Stevie Nicks
June 10, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

Ingrid Michaelson, Greg Laswell
June 10, 8:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Dilated Peoples, The Alchemist, Aceyalone, 88 Keys
June 11, 8 p.m. at the Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.

Steely Dan
June 11, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

Ladytron, Datarock
June 13, 8:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Jakob Dylan and the Gold Mountain Rebels
June 18, 8 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Raheim Devaughn and Chrisette Michelle
June 20, 8 p.m. at the Tabernacle. 404-249-6400. www.tabernacleatl.com.

Rooney, Locksley, the Bridges
June 22, 7:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Marc Broussard
June 23, 9:30 p.m. at the Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.

Chicago, the Doobie Brothers
June 24, 7:30 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Jonny Lang
June 25, 8 p.m. at Center Stage. 404-885-1365. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.

Kenny G.
June 25, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

Emmylou Harris & Sam Bush, Jimmy Gaudreau, Moondi Klein
June 27, 7 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.classicchastain.com.

REO Speedwagon, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
June 29, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Peter Murphy
July 2, 8 p.m. at Center Stage. 404-885-1365. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.

Pat Benatar
July 3, 8 p.m. at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre. 770-819-7765. www.mablehouse.org.

Soul Asylum, the Gin Blossoms
July 9, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

John Hiatt and the Ageless Beauties
July 11, 8 p.m. at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. 404-249-6400. www.concertsinthegarden.org.

Earth, Wind & Fire
July 14, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Michael McDonald, Al Green
July 16, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

Alkaline Trio
July 18, 8 p.m. at Center Stage. 404-885-1365. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.
 
Gladys Knight
July 18, 8 p.m. at the Atlanta Civic Center. 404-658-7159. www.atlantaciviccenter.com.

The Gutter Twins
July 18, 9 p.m. at the Loft. 404-885-1365. www.theloftatl.com.

Michael Bolton
July 19, 8 p.m. at Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre. 770-819-7765. www.mablehouse.org.

Tilly & the Wall
July 24, 8 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Boyz II Men, Morris Day & the Time
July 25, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

Butch Walker
July 25 & 26, 9 p.m. at Center Stage. 404-885-1365. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.

Dokken, Poison, Sebastian Bach
July 27, 7 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Wolf Parade
July 28, 8:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Mark Knopfler
July 29, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Hootie & the Blowfish, the Drew Davis Band
Aug. 1, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

Rick Springfield
Aug. 1 & 2, 8 p.m. at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater. 404-249-6400. www.amphitheater.org.

Crosby, Stills & Nash
Aug. 2, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

Yes
Aug. 4, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

The Faint
Aug. 14, 8:30 p.m. at Variety Playhouse. 404-524-7354. www.variety-playhouse.com.

Boston, Styx
Aug. 17, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

Boy George
Aug. 19, 9 p.m. at Center Stage. 404-885-1365. www.centerstage-atlanta.com.
 
.38 Special
Aug. 22 & 23, 8 p.m. at the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater. 404-249-6400. www.amphitheater.org.

Sister Hazel with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Aug. 23, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

Blues Traveler, Collective Soul, Live
Aug. 23, 6:30 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

Rod Stewart
Aug. 27, 8 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.vzwamp.com.

The Regeneration Tour: The Human League, Belinda Carlisle, ABC, A Flock of Seagulls, Naked Eyes
Aug. 29, 7 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-733-5000. www.classicchastain.com.

COMEBACK KIDS: THE B-52’S

From “Rock Lobster” to “Love Shack,” Athens’ B-52’s are responsible for some of the most irrepressible and flat-out fun moments in modern music. But it’s been 16 years since the group’s so-so last album, the optimistically titled “Good Stuff,” and almost 20 since the pure-pop peak of “Cosmic Thing.” Given today’s fickle marketplace, that lack of new product threatened to paint the band as a nostalgia-circuit act (the fact that its members have left their 40s behind didn’t help). But the B-52’s have weathered the passage of time with admirable pluck: The recent “Funplex,” which nods to the digital age without sounding like the result of a midlife crisis, proves that Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson can still whip up sugar-rush harmonies, and that Fred Schneider remains an engagingly snarky master of ceremonies. The quirky quartet may not replicate the giddy heights of their late-’70s or late-’80s peaks, but they’ve comfortably sidestepped obsolescence.—K.F.M.
The True Colors Tour with Cyndi Lauper, Rosie O’Donnell, Tegan & Sara, the Cliks and host Carson Kressley. June 16 & 17, 7 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.livenation.com.

COMEBACK KID: MELISSA ETHERIDGE

Back in 2004, the same year Melissa Etheridge released her eighth album, “Lucky,” fate dealt her an ironic hand: a diagnosis of breast cancer. One long battle later, her 2007 album “The Awakening” finds the singer and songwriter looking back on that experience. Whatever changes it wrought in her personal life, cancer hasn’t affected her musical approach: Etheridge still relies primarily on her husky delivery and broadly written lyrical tropes to construct a sense of drama or catharsis. But if parts of “The Awakening” feel a little narcissistic, well, that approach has yielded some of Etheridge’s most anthemic work, and her fans are likely willing to forgive a little self-indulgence if it means they get another chance to commune with this aggressive and resilient performer.—K.F.M.
June 20, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. www.classicchastain.org.

COMEBACK KIDS: R.E.M.

Let’s all just admit it—after their last album, the murky “Around the Sun,” we’d all pretty much written off R.E.M. for good. Things hadn’t been the same since drummer Bill Berry left in 1997, and by the time the band hit the road for the album, it seemed they were more excited about the 2004 elections than anything else. Luckily, we weren’t the only ones who noticed, and the group has rebounded in a big way with this year’s aptly titled “Accelerate,” widely hailed as one of the year’s best records. With a set of smart, bracing rock songs and sure-footed slower numbers like the sublime “Until the Day is Done” under their collective belts, Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills seem reenergized and ready to prove all over again just why they were once one of the most intriguing and invigorating acts in all of popular music. The National and Modest Mouse also perform.—K.F.M.
June 21, 6:30 p.m. at Lakewood Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. livenation.com.

COMEBACK KIDS: ROBERT PLANT AND ALISON KRAUSS

Most of us assumed that the comeback Robert Plant would be embarking on this summer was the seemingly inevitable reunion tour of ’70s stadium-rock powerhouse Led Zeppelin. Instead, while that undertaking remains in limbo, the formerly explosive rock vocalist is enjoying a career resurgence thanks to last year’s “Raising Sand,” a left-field collaboration with bluegrass star Alison Krauss and producer T-Bone Burnett. A disarmingly listenable stroll through various homegrown styles, from acoustic blues to funky, rootsy folk, “Raising Sand” pairs these two very different singers to eye-opening effect. Burnett opens the show.—K.F.M.
July 10, 8 p.m. at Chastain Park Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400. livenation.com.

COMEBACK KID: GEORGE MICHAEL

Thanks to Michael Cera and “Arrested Development,” the name “George Michael” conjures entirely different connotations today, but in the ’80s, those two words were synonymous with a leather jacket, tight jeans, carefully sculpted stubble and a honeyed, soulful delivery on tunes like “Faith,” “Father Figure,” “I Want Your Sex” and “One More Try”—all from Michael’s 1987 masterpiece “Faith.” George Michael spent the ’90s largely incognito, and has released only three albums (one of them a covers record) since 1990’s “Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1.” But that lack of recognizable new material shouldn’t be a barrier to the former member of Wham!, who seems to have matured into the critically accepted peer of Elton John and Madonna he’s always hungered to become.—K.F.M.
July 31, 8 p.m. at Philips Arena. 404-249-6400. www.philipsarena.com.

COMEBACK KIDS: STONE TEMPLE PILOTS 

When these California rockers first emerged in 1992, few would have wagered they’d become one of the dominant bands of the decade. Dismissed as opportunistic clones of rising grunge-era acts like Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, STP nonetheless amassed an impressive collection of hit singles, and by the end of the decade had surpassed all but Pearl Jam in staying power and popularity. Thanks in part to singer Scott Weiland’s substance abuse issues, the band parted ways after their fifth album in 2001, with Weiland going on to front the supergroup Velvet Revolver and brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo forming the short-lived Army of Anyone with Filter’s Richard Patrick. Whether this reunion tour will grow into something more remains to be seen, but with Filter back in action and Weiland feuding with his former Revolver mates, another album doesn’t seem as unlikely as it did, say, four years ago. And betting against STP hasn’t proven a smart move in the past.—K.F.M.
Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m. at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. 404-249-6400.
www.vzwamp.com.