'Rumours' continue at The Burl with The Binders' Fleetwood Mac tribute
By Walter Tunis
The Binders are (L-R) Kelly Richey, Robbie Morgan, Sherri McGee, Alicia Cox, Lannie Mossing and Blake Cox.
Steven Vaughan
Second Hand News
8 p.m. May 19 at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $10. 859-447-8166. Theburlky.com.
Fleetwood Mac has been in the news again of late for hitting the road without chief architect Lindsey Buckingham. But before that little bombshell exploded, Lexington’s female-led, power-pop crew The Binders — vocalists Robbie Morgan and Alicia Tighe Cox, guitarist Lanie Mossing, bassist Blake Cox and keyboardist Kim Conlee — were preparing a concert tribute to the band that would include a full performance of Mac’s seminal 1977 breakup-and-rock out opus “Rumours.”
Curiously, Buckingham commented last weekend that his famed band had “lost their perspective” in letting him go. But that hasn’t stopped the Binders’ cover project from proceeding. On Saturday at The Burl, “Rumours” becomes reality as The Binders become, for the evening, Second Hand News, with the addition of Pallisades and Easy Fiction guitarist Scott Whiddon and Justin Wells drummer Daniel Mohler. Mac fans, of course, will recognize the band name as the title to the Buckingham-penned leadoff tune to “Rumours.” The Vaticans will open.
Mars Williams/Tollef Ostvang Duo
7 p.m. May 19 at Kentucky for Kentucky Fun Mall, 720 Bryan Ave. Free. Kyforky.com.
The Outside the Spotlight Series makes a late spring return on Saturday with an improvisational duo featuring Chicago-based saxophonist Mars Williams and Norwegian drummer Tollef Ostvang. A self-described “open-minded musician” with a long list of credits outside of the jazz marketplace (topped by a long running association with the Psychedelic Furs), Williams last visited Lexington as part of Ken Vandermark’s massive Audio One army in 2014. Ostvang is more of a frequent flyer with OTS, having played shows here in 2015-16 with the Keefe Jackson Quartet, Universal Indians and Friends & Neighbors. While the two haven’t released a duo recording yet, Williams is the catalyst of a ferocious sounding 2017 album titled “Thinking Out Loud” as part of the Boneshaker trio with OTS alums Kent Kessler and Paal Nilssen-Love.
Chris Robertson, Ben Wells, Jon Lawhon, and John Fred Young are Black Stone Cherry. Amy Harris Invision/AP
It’s seem perfectly natural for Black Stone Cherry to name its 2016 album “Kentucky,” since it was recorded not just in the band’s home state but at producer David Barrick’s studio in its homebase of Glasgow. Now Black Stone Cherry is back, its Southern rooted rock ‘n’ soul sound intact, with “Family Tree.”
The new record is also aptly named as it enforces a sense of obvious heritage. Drummer John Fred Young is son and nephew of two mainstay members of the Kentucky Headhunters: guitarist Richard Young and drummer Fred Young. Curiously, the key guest on the album comes from out-of-state. Gov’t Mule guitarist and Allman Brothers Band alum Warren Haynes helps out on the very Mountain-esque rocker “Dancin’ in the Rain.” Otis and Shaman’s Harvest will open Black Stone Cherry’s return to Manchester Music Hall Friday night.
John Fred Young of Black Stone Cherry performs during the Louder Than Life Festival on Oct. 4, 2015, in Louisville, Ky. Amy Harris Invision/AP
At the forefront of a roots music movement over two decades ago dubbed alt-country was a Chicago by-way-of North Carolina artist named Robbie Fulks. Through a series of arresting recordings for the indie Bloodshot label that introduced an expert sense of country songcraft but with a broad stylistic palette as well as regular stops at long-gone Lexington haunts like Lynagh’s Music Club and The Dame, Fulks established a devout local following.
A 2016 appearance for a taping of Mountain Stage at the Singletary Center for the Arts coincided with the release of Fulks’ Grammy nominated “Upland Stories” album. He is back in Lexington Friday night for a performance at Willie’s Locally Known.
Fulks fans should note that the artist also mentioned in a recent blog post of an impending album release, a “semi-experimental reversioning” of Bob Dylan’s 1978 critically maligned “Street-Legal” album.
