Living bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley still plays more than 100 road-shows a year, even though he's 79 years old and his place among the titans of the genre has long been cemented. He and his brother Carter helped define the 20th-century Appalachian sound with their seminal late '40s/early '50s recordings for Columbia Records. And he remains a hugely influential figure in roots music; his contributions to the songs and overall style of the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou? rekindled the nation's love affair with his voice, and he was subsequently inducted into the Grand Ole Opry's storied canon and awarded two Grammys in '02.
Jam-scene-beloved contemporary 'grass outfit Blueground Undergrass opens. Get your tickets for this one early, kids — the last Ralph Stanley show in town sold out.
Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys w/Blueground Undergrass, 8 p.m. Sat., Nov. 18 @ Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa; $25. —Scott Harrell
By the Numbers
Back in April, when we first named New Orleans indie outfit Mute Math one of the Top 10 regional bands to watch in our Southeastern Music Issue, the group was touring an ingenious show-only campaign for the indie release of its eponymous full-length. Now, after months of working out the details, Mute Math is available everywhere via a deal between Mute Math label Teleprompt and entertainment-industry monolith Warner Bros., and the world takeover can begin in earnest. The group's catchy blend of rock, pop, electronica and dance-punk should please just about anybody — it's new and fun, but by no means shlocky or trendy — and the live show is reportedly not to be missed. You'll also see a great set from super-stylish Athens underground-rock phenoms The Whigs and a very timely one from retro/Old Wave scene-riders Jonezetta.
Mute Math w/Jonezetta/The Whigs, 7 p.m. Fri., Nov. 17 @ State Theatre, St. Petersburg; $10. —Scott Harrell
She's the Great Pretender
When they broke big in the early '80s, The Pretenders were perhaps the biggest punk/new wave crossover act on the international scene. Early, attitude-heavy hits like "Brass in Pocket" and "Back on the Chain Gang" gave little thought to Top 40 concerns, other than well-crafted hooks and sassy performances. Chrissie Hynde's breathy, conversational vocals and black-eyeliner look were the antithesis of the pop femme fatale. Through the years, she has basically become The Pretenders, as original members have left and been replaced by hired hands. The 55-year-old, while no longer a hot commodity on the charts or rock radio, still makes credible new music. And then there are all those classic tunes …
The Pretenders w/Lorna Bracewell, 8 p.m. Tues. Nov. 21 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall; $50, $38.50, rutheckerdhall.com. —Eric Snider
This article appears in Nov 15-21, 2006.