Sounds Good: Fourth of July @ Bottleneck, Amon Amarth @ Granada, Soft Reeds @ Replay, Jeff Beck @ Uptown

Don’t do it for me.  Do it for you.  

This weekend, check out a couple of great local bands that you really need to see, if you haven’t by now.

And also, maybe think about checking out a Viking Rock band. 

Yes, there is such a thing.

You can even wear your viking hat and chain mail that’s been collecting dust since the ren fest.  Of course it makes you look cool.  I’m not just saying that…

Friday, April 15th

Fourth of July and Elevator Action at the Bottleneck in Lawrence

Fourth of July is a Lawrence folk-rock band that consists of three brothers who claim Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Rainywood, and Townes van Zandt as influences for their sound.  Full of hooks and harmonies, this band is always entertaining in a lo-fi indie sort of way.  Their happy vibe has earned them a decent following in Lawrence and KC.  Definitely a must see if you want to claim that you’re into local music. 

Saturday, April 16th

Amon Amarth at the Granada in Lawrence

This band is billed as "one of Sweden’s biggest viking metal bands."  However, the members of Amon Amarth don’t like to constrain themselves with labels.  Said lead singer Johan Hegg, "“We’ve never called ourselves Viking metal and like most musicians, we just don’t like to put labels on ourselves. In our mind, it’s very much associated with bands that come out of Norway who are playing a very black metal oriented music and that’s not what we play."  They do, however, have pictures of vikings and battle axes and stuff on their albums, so go figure. 

Soft Reeds at the Replay in Lawrence

Soft Reeds frontman Ben Grimes used to be a member of the popular KC indie band Republic Tigers.  Following his departure from the Tigers, Grimes has found something maybe even better in Soft Reeds.  Their jangly guitar, throwback synth, and tremelo vocals remind me a little of early REM at times, without the blaring, cranked up guitars.  And yes, you might want to grow out that ‘stache a little for this show, so no one can tell you’re actually a thirty year old IT guy sipping cheap beer at the Replay.  Just sayin’. 

Jeff Beck at the Uptown Theater in KC

If you are a "guitar guy," then you know that Jeff Beck is a guitar god.  If you’re not "guitar guy" then you might know Beck from the Yardbirds, the legendary English rock group with Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.  Most of Beck’s music over the years has been progressive guitar instrumental music, with his licks played at a speed that few can rival.