Vibes
TEARS FOR FEARS Whenever people bag on '80s pop rock (I'm usually leading the charge), a lotta folks reserve a little extra vitriol for Tears for Fears (unless, of course, they're doing karaoke, when it becomes OK to SHOUT/SHOUT/let it all out). And yes, there's the whole "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"/"Sowing The Seed of Love" period. But the duo also wrote "Mad World," still popular (if as a cover) after all these years, and "Head Over Heels," one of the finest singles of that era, and a decent amount of album cuts aside that far outweigh in emotional depth 80 percent of what is left of Top 40 radio today. Did they change the world? Hell no. But for a tiny little while, they did in fact seem to rule a tiny small part of it. With Wainwright. $34.50 and up, The Fillmore Charlotte, www.livenation.com (Timothy C. Davis)
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JESCO WHITE The last time I saw Jesco and familia was when the dancing troubadour (if you're unfamiliar with the man's peculiar oeuvre, don't read any further without going to YouTube and punching in his name) made quite the entertaining opening act for the Black Keys at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium. Jesco, it seemed, was awed by the fact he was pursuing his trade where his idols (Hank Williams, and Elvis, of course) once trod. Long story short, the mountain dancing (and yodeling, and yes, "singing") madman ended up getting thrown out the back door into an adjoining alley. White simply dusted himself off, and last I heard, plied his trade for a few drinks at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge. Is he the genuine article, carrying on an age-old art form? Is he being taken advantage of by smirking hipsters, or is he a man who's been fortunate enough to be able to turn Internet "fame" into a few dollars he would never see plying a trade in his tiny hometown? Probably all of the above. With Pick Up The Snake, Pinko. $15 and up, The Milestone, www.themilestoneclub.com (Davis)
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