Comin’ Soon…

Having finally recruited someone (William DuVall) as the replacement at the microphone for the late Layne Staley, Alice in Chains uncorked their comeback album, “Black Gives Way to Blue” last year, and now their tour is bringing them to the Glens Falls Civic Center on Wednesday, May 19. Tickets are slated to go on sale at 10am Saturday.

Toby Keith has announced that his upcoming American Ride tour with Trace Adkins will be pulling into Albany on Thursday, September 23. No venue has been announced yet, however, so we’re guessing maybe the Fuze Box? Moon & River Cafe? Palais Royale?

The Don & Bunk Show? What the heck is that, we wondered? As it turns out, it’s Don Preston and Bunk Gardner – two original Mothers of Invention – playing the music of Frank Zappa at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock on Wednesday, March 24. Sounds pretty nifty, eh? And if that’s not enough for ya, Bearsville is also hosting Grizzly Adams on Friday, April 23. Who’s Grizzly Adams, you ask? An all-star Catskill Mountain rock combo led by keyboardist John Medeski, also featuring guitarist Jamie Saft (Beastie Boys, Bad Brains, Laurie Anderson, John Zorn); bassist Danny Blume (Lounge Lizards, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, Lisa Loeb, Klezmatics); and drummer Ben Perowsky (Rickie Lee Jones, Roy Ayers, Mike Stern, Joan as Police-woman). Stoney Clove Lane opens the show.

The concert calendar at Northern Lights in Clifton Park is all a’twinkle with new additions, including power-pounders Killswitch Engage with Dark Tranquility (Saturday, March 20), Sick Puppies (Monday, April 12), the fiery Celtic punk sounds of Flogging Molly (Sunday, April 18) and Brand New with P.O.S. (Wednesday, April 28).

Saxman John Ellis – who played at both the Freihofer’s Jazz Festival at SPAC and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival last year – will be making his next Nippertown concert stop at a considerably more intimate venue – Red Square in Albany. Ellis leads his New Orleans-based band Double-Wide (featuring Brian Coogan on organ, Matt Perrine on sousaphone and Jason Marsalis on drums, plus special guests Gregoire Maret on harmonica and Alan Ferber on trombone) into town on Thursday, March 4 in support of their new album, “Puppet Mischief.”

The Saratoga Performing Arts Center‘s “Extended Season” will feature three performances in the Spa Little Theater this spring. Jazz bassist Ben Williams – a member of Stefon Harris’ Blackout – kicks off the series on Saturday, May 22, followed by Jason Samuels Smith and his tap-dance troupe A.C.G.I. on Friday, May 28 and jazz vocalist Sachel Vasandani on Friday, June 3. Tickets are $25.

Country singer Randy Houser rolls into Vapor at the Saratoga Gaming and Raceway on Thursday, March 11.

Soulful rock singer Dana Fuchs pulled a last-minute postponement of her show at the Van Dyck in Schenectady earlier this month, but she’s making good on her promise by re-scheduling a pair of shows (7 & 9:30pm) for Friday, April 16.