What’s pleasantly surprising for this season is how many of the standouts among them are female artists, and what a wide swath they cover across multiple styles and generations (from Adele to Chaka Khan; Bonnie Raitt to Dolly Parton).
***
If you think the most memorable thing about Portland, Ore.-formed rock band the Dandy Warhols is a gimmicky moniker based on pop culture artist Andy Warhol, then you likely haven’t heard its music. The quartet was formed by vocalist/guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmstrom in 1994, with keyboardist Zia McCabe joining shortly thereafter. All three original members remain, and drummer Brent DeBoer has rounded out the lineup since 1998. With no bassist, the group’s sound has morphed between alternative rock, psychedelia and power pop, often combining all three, from its 1995 debut Dandys Rule OK through this year’s Distortland. Its amoebic course isn’t unlike one charted by the late British chameleon David Bowie, who was a fan. He had the Dandy Warhols open for him on the tour in support of his 2003 recording Reality. See the Dandy Warhols at 8 p.m. on Oct. 1 at the Culture Room, 3045 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale ($20 + fees, 954-564-1074).
Supergroups are more prevalent throughout rock than hip-hop, but the fledgling Prophets of Rage combines both genres under the banner of social and political activism. Its hip-hop front men are Public Enemy founder Chuck D and Cypress Hill’s B-Real; Public Enemy turntable artist DJ Lord provides samples and sound effects, and its rocking instrumentalists are three-quarters of Rage Against the Machine — guitarist Tom Morello, bassist/vocalist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk. The group blared its new composition “The Party’s Over” throughout Cleveland as the Republican National Convention took place there in July, and it draws material from the Public Enemy (its self-titled anthem), Rage Against the Machine (“Killing in the Name”) and Cypress Hill (“(Rock) Superstar)”) catalogs. A Beastie Boys classic, “No Sleep Til Brooklyn,” was even turned into “No Sleep Til Cleveland” for the convention. See Prophets of Rage at 7 p.m. on Oct. 2 at Perfect Vodka Ampitheatre, 601 Sansburys Way, West Palm Beach ($30 + up, 561-795-8883).
If you feel like he does, you’ll be in for a quieter, gentler Peter Frampton at his forthcoming South Florida shows. The 66-year-old singer/guitarist, known for his roaring electric work with Humble Pie in the late 1960s/early 1970s and subsequent talk box-fueled, chart-topping solo career, will appear on his Raw: An Acoustic Tour to promote the 2016 recording Acoustic Classics. It’s a new, surprisingly successful solo paint job on several of the Englishman’s best-known songs, mostly due to the underrated guitarist’s facility in an unplugged setting. Many tracks are from the 40-year-old double LP Frampton Comes Alive!, his catapult him to stardom: “Show Me the Way,” “Do You Feel Like We Do,” “Baby, I Love Your Way,” “Lines On My Face,” and “All I Want To Be (Is By Your Side).” See Peter Frampton at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 5 at the Parker Playhouse, 707 N.E. 8th St., Fort Lauderdale ($67.50-$97.50, 954-462-0222), and at 8 p.m. on Oct. 7 at Sunrise Theatre, 117 S. 2nd St., Fort Pierce ($69-$75, 772-461-4775).
Bar bands come and go in blues, but the Nighthawks may be the only band that comes to your town by going nearly anywhere. Based in Washington, D.C., the quartet has defied the odds by existing far longer than most bands in any genre (45 years), especially when it hasn’t scored a major radio hit (like the Fabulous Thunderbirds, a comparable Texas quartet that had chart-topping smashes in the 1980s but didn’t stay intact nearly as long). The Nighthawks’ constant has been founding vocalist/harmonica player Mark Wenner, who’s been joined for the past several years by guitarist Paul Bell, bassist Johnny Castle and drummer Mark Stutso. A roaring electric blues act, the quartet added a new twist in 2010 with its acoustic recording Last Train To Bluesville, which won the Acoustic Album of the Year award at the Blues Music Foundation’s Blues Music Awards in Memphis in 2011. See the Nighthawks at 9 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton ($15-$25, 561-395-2929).
They’re still together? It’s a logical question regarding long-standing touring act the Psychedelic Furs. One of the most popular New Wave acts of the 1980s, the band formed in 1977 in London as a post-punk partnership between brothers Richard Butler (vocals) and Tim Butler (bass). Its self-titled, Steve Lillywhite-produced 1980 debut album streamlined the group’s often raucous sound to help it climb the UK charts. The subsequent 1981 release Talk Talk Talk featured the hit “Pretty in Pink,” which inspired director John Hughes’ 1986 film of the same name and appeared on its soundtrack. “Love My Way,” the single from 1982’s Forever Now, furthered the Furs’ climb before Hughes’ film helped them become Stateside stars before disbanding in 1991. Having released only compilations since re-forming in 2001, the current lineup with guitarist Rich Good, saxophonist Mars Williams, keyboardist Amanda Kramer and drummer Paul Garisto proves that touring, not albums, now pays the bills. See the Psychedelic Furs at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Culture Room ($30 + fees).
There certainly aren’t questions about British singer Adele’s voice, with its soaring range and pristine pitch, phrasing and articulation. Or the logical title of her next recording, since each one (19 from 2008, 21 from 2011 and 25 from 2015) has been titled for her age when she recorded them. Now 28, Adele Laurie Blue Adkins has charted a wildly successful career of hit singles by chronicling her relationships, from “Someone Like You” to “Rolling in the Deep” to “Hello.” Having dated Simon Konecki since 2011 and had a son with him in 2012, perhaps the only question will be whether future subject matter centers on parenthood and domestic bliss. Not that it’ll matter if she performs new material on this tour, her first since 2011. With multiple Grammys and a voice influenced by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and Annie Lennox, Adele could sing the dictionary and be compelling. See Adele at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 25-26 at American Airlines Arena, 601 Biscayne Blvd., Miami ($96.50-$146.50, 786-777-1000).
Bonnie Raitt turns 67 years old in November, meaning she’ll have officially survived two-thirds of a century to become one of the great triple-threats in music history: poignant songwriter, soulful vocalist, and incendiary slide guitarist. Raitt started her recording career with her self-titled debut in 1971, and released some of her most roots-based, bluesy, best material during that decade — even if critics noticed more than the general public. The Burbank, Calif., native didn’t find her commercial groove early in the following decade, getting dropped by her Warner Bros. recording label and battling excesses that had taken many of her musical peers. That all changed with the 1989 recording Nick of Time, as sobriety helped start a string of more slickly-produced releases that resulted in repeat Grammy Awards (she now has 10) and her latest, this year’s Dig In Deep. See Bonnie Raitt at 8 p.m. on Nov. 1 at the Au-Rene Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 S.W. 5th Ave., Fort Lauderdale ($40.50-$100.50, 954-462-0222).
Los Angeles is likely popular music’s capital city, with a who’s-who scroll of artists it spawned from the 1960s through present-day, and one of recent vintage is Fitz & the Tantrums. Singer/keyboardist Michael Fitzpatrick formed the band in 2008, and by the following year, it was opening on tour for another L.A. smash, Maroon 5. The sextet released its debut CD, Pickin’ Up the Pieces, in 2010 with the same lineup it employs today, including vocalist/percussionist Noelle Scaggs, saxophonist/flutist James King, keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna, bassist Joseph Karnes, and drummer John Wicks. The Tantrums’ neo-soul pop sound has since been featured on the releases More Than Just a Dream (2013) and a self-titled 2016 effort, and songs like “MoneyGrabber,” “News 4 U,” and “Dear Mr. President” have been featured in TV settings from Desperate Housewives and Criminal Minds to a Wells Fargo commercial. See Fitz & the Tantrums at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 at Revolution Live, 100 Nugent Ave., Fort Lauderdale ($29.50, $32 day of show, 954-449-1025).
Sure, they were here last year, but the fact that Daryl Hall and John Oates are actually touring together again is newsworthy (as is the fact that they played at the smaller Hard Rock Live last November but appear at an ampitheater this year). Certified by the Recording Industry Association of America as the number-one selling duo in music history in 1987, the two singing multi-instrumentalists still hold that title nearly 30 years later. Hall’s golden voice has perennially kept him in the spotlight, from the duo’s early chart-topping gems “She’s Gone,” “Rich Girl” and “Sara Smile” through his recent guest star-studded, free internet live performance webcasts of Live From Daryl’s House. Yet his solo career never gelled in the same way without Oates — whose backing vocal harmonies and musicality couldn’t be equaled. Opening is the world’s most recognizable trombonist, Trombone Shorty. See Hall & Oates with Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Perfect Vodka Ampitheatre ($25-$125 + fees).
At age 74, singer/songwriter and keyboardist Leon Russell has been around long enough to help cross-pollinate American music’s modern blend of rock, pop, blues, jazz, country, bluegrass, world music, soul and R&B in ways that mirror the United States’ multi-heritage population. The Lawton, Okla., native moved to Los Angeles to become a session musician in the late 1950s, and his credits through the 1960s mirror those genres, including Gram Parsons, Jan & Dean, George Harrison, the Rolling Stones, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson, Frank Sinatra, Herb Alpert, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. Russell’s songwriting flourished then, as evidenced by his subsequent solo hits like “Tight Rope,” “This Masquerade” and “A Song for You.” His career was rejuvenated by a 2010 recording with Elton John, The Union. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member will perform with singing multi-instrumentalist Beau Charron, bassist/vocalist Jackie Wessel, and drummer Brandon Holder. See Leon Russell at 8 p.m. on Nov. 18-19 at the Funky Biscuit ($50-$70).
Bob Marley may be the king of reggae, and Peter Tosh the prince, but Steel Pulse is at least among the genre’s royal family. Along with the still-active Third World, Steel Pulse has existed for more than 40 years, from 1975 to present day. Yet among this royal court, it’s the only non-Jamaican artist, having formed in Birmingham, England. The group still features original vocalist/guitarist David Hinds, whose voice exploded out of the gate on its 1978 debut album, Handsworth Revolution, and started its initial, influential first decade. In 1986, Steel Pulse became the first non-Jamaican the band ever to win a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for Babylon the Bandit. Its current octet lineup also features seven other longtime members in keyboardist/vocalists Selwyn Brown and Sidney Mills, guitarist Clifford Pusey, saxophonist Jerry Johnson, backing vocalist Makiesha McTaggert, bassist Amlak Tafari, and drummer Wayne Clarke. See Steel Pulse at 8 p.m. on Nov. 19 at the Culture Room ($30 + fees).
Bob Dylan has long since reached the stage in his 50-plus-year performing career where he can do whatever he wants. And the 75-year-old proved it earlier this year by releasing his latest recording, Fallen Angels, on which the gravelly voiced singer recorded a surprisingly strong collection of songs associated with the pristine vocal delivery of the late Frank Sinatra. Of course, Dylan’s achievements only include 11 Grammy Awards, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for some of the most memorable albums from the 1960s into the 21st century. And those albums are made up of songs that have changed musical history through the Hibbing, Minn., native’s social and political commentary, including “All Along the Watchtower,” “Blowin’ In the Wind,” “The Times They are A-Changin,’’ “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” “Masters of War,” “Hurricane,” “High Water,” “My Back Pages,” “Maggie’s Farm,” “Forever Young” and “The Mighty Quinn.” See Bob Dylan at 8 p.m. on Nov. 23 at the Au-Rene Theater ($63.75-$129.75).
Dolly Parton is all-too well-known for her non-musical assets during a rise to celebrity over the past 30 years, but the now-70-year-old’s career started decades before films from 9 to 5 to Steel Magnolias, or a series of DollyWood theme parks and resorts. The Tennessee-born Parton’s multi-instrumental talents include not only her pristine, gospel-influenced vocals, but also guitar, banjo, dulcimer and autoharp. And as a songwriter, she’s authored more than 3,000 compositions. Many recognize the Whitney Houston pop hit “I Will Always Love You,” from the 1992 film The Bodyguard, but fewer are likely to know that Parton wrote it, and had a No. 1 country hit with it in 1974. It was an ode to Porter Wagoner, whose self-titled TV variety show gave Parton her springboard, and it started the course that’s morphed into pop music and multi-media. Parton is currently touring in support of her new, latest No. 1 country album, Pure & Simple. See Dolly Parton at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 27 at the BB&T Center ($46.25-$125.25).
Singer/songwriter Melissa Etheridge may be as well-known for coming out as a lesbian more than 20 years ago, and for being a breast cancer survivor for more than 10, but anyone who witnessed one of her early concerts likely knew they were seeing a future musical star. The 55-year-old Leavenworth, Kan., native’s powerful voice and guitar playing surfaced on her self-titled 1988 debut album and the sophomore release Brave and Crazy, yet stardom would wait until the 1990s. Etheridge’s 1993 fourth release, Yes I Am, was an open answer to questions about her sexuality, and featured the hits “I’m the Only One” and “Come To My Window.” The three-time Grammy winner’s 2007 The Awakening was her powerful comeback after her cancer diagnosis and treatment, and her latest studio release is This Is M.E. from 2014. See Melissa Etheridge at 8 p.m. on Nov. 28 at Dreyfoos Hall at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach ($20 + up, 561-832-7469).
With his prodigious technique and 11 of 15 solo recordings reaching No. 1 on the Billboard blues chart, 39-year-old vocalist/guitarist Joe Bonomassa’s talent has never been in question. But what makes him a polarizing modern blues figure is the fact that his extreme self-confidence hasn’t been in question, either — from the New York native calling his self-titled group Smokin’ Joe Bonomassa at age 12 through his current website, which advertises him as “One of the world’s greatest guitarists.” Then again, he was opening for B.B. King at 12, even if the young guitarist’s primary influences were the British greats influenced by such traditional American blues artists — Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Peter Green, and Jimmy Page. Bonomassa’s ace quartet helps him state his case, including former Stevie Ray Vaughan keyboardist Reese Wynans, heralded country session bassist Michael Rhodes, and Anton Fig, the longtime house drummer on the Late Show With David Letterman. See Joe Bonamassa at 8 p.m. on Feb. 16 & 18 at the Au-Rene Theater ($83.50-$153.50).
“Chaka Khan” were Grandmaster Melle Mel’s first two words in his rapped intro to the vocalist’s 1984 hit “I Feel For You” (which was actually written and recorded by Prince five years earlier), and the name-dropping shout-out marked one of the most memorable and top-selling singles of that decade. The composition jump-started the Chicago-born singer’s solo career, just as the offbeat, Stevie Wonder-penned “Tell Me Something Good” had launched her underrated funk band Rufus into a 10-year run a decade earlier. That Grammy-winning tune was the now 63-year-old’s first of two such awards with Rufus, a band that had rare jazz instincts and insight for one topping the popular music charts. She’s garnered eight since, the two latest for her 2007 CD Funk This. Khan’s voice is powerful and piercing, with practically unlimited range. Her latest effort is the single “It’s Not Over,” a danceable number featuring a middle rap by guest vocalist LeCrae. See Chaka Khan at 8 p.m. on Feb. 18 at Dreyfoos Hall ($25 + up).
Tribute acts have become the new musical acid for the masses, but a few such bands stand out amid the non-creative mediocrity. One is the Fab Faux, a gifted Beatles cover quintet that features musicians you might not recognize, but you’ve undoubtedly seen and heard. The band was formed in 1998 by bassist/vocalist Will Lee, a member of the house band for the Late Show With David Letterman from 1982-2015. Another visible figure is guitarist/keyboardist/singer Jimmy Vivino, from Conan O’Brien’s long-standing late-night show. The other members are New York City-based standouts Rich Pagano (the drummer/vocalist who started the band with Lee), Frank Angello (guitar/vocals) and Jack Petruzzelli (keyboards/guitar/vocals). With two keyboardists, three guitarists and five singers, the quintet even fabulously pulls off complicated studio material that the Beatles never could after ceasing touring in 1966 — including The White Album and Abbey Road, sometimes in their entirety. See the Fab Faux at 8 p.m. on March 3 at the Parker Playhouse ($60-$115).
