2020 concert preview: 10 live music shows to chase away the winter woes

Here it is and here it sits – the dead of winter. The holidays are over and the thing most of us now await the most is spring. And, folks, it’s a looooong way off.

Here is a way to warm up for the winter evenings ahead. In fact, here are 10 ways, a rundown of 10 upcoming concerts heading our way in January and February.

There is something here for pretty much anyone with an ear for live music, from R&B to jazz to Americana to modern string quartet music.

The venues presenting these sounds are just as diverse. You’ll get to experience them in local clubs and theatres as well as the mighty Rupp Arena and even the Kentucky Castle.

Here is the lineup of the shows that will light up the Bluegrass this winter.

Delvin Lamarr Organ Trio

8 p.m. Jan. 12 at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $12. 859-447-8166. theburlky.com.

This may be the sleeper show of the winter – a return outing of instrumental, groove-oriented music by B3 organist Lamarr that will likely bring to mind such jazz-soul greats as Brother Jack McDuff and Dr. Lonnie Smith. Lamarr is still a new name to many, but over two albums he has established a sound learned in its sense of organic, soulful groove.

Kathy Mattea

6:30 p.m. Jan. 12 at the Kentucky Castle, 230 Pisgah Pike in Versailles. $35, $95. 859-256-0322. thekentuckycastle.com/concerts.

Perhaps known best for a series of late ‘80s and ‘90s country hits, Mattea is equally versed in folk and bluegrass tradition. As such, she has long been able to lend an original voice to a variety of stylistically disparate material. Her newest album, 2018’s “Pretty Bird,” offers her takes on tunes by the Wood Brothers, Hazel Dickens and Bobbie Gentry.

Steep Canyon Rangers

7 p.m. Jan. 18 at Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. $20, $32. 859-537-7321. manchestermusichall.com.

It says a lot for the flexibility of a Grammy-winning bluegrass band when it can count Steve Martin and Boyz II Men as collaborative pals. But the Rangers pack plenty of diverse inspiration and appeal on their own. On the new “North Carolina Songbook” album, the group covers classics by James Taylor, Thelonious Monk and Doc Watson.

Rebirth Brass Band

8 p.m. Jan. 21 at The Burl, 375 Thompson Rd. $20. 859-447-8166. theburlky.com.

For the record, Jan. 21 is a Tuesday. Even though that falls a full month before Mardi Gras, New Orleans’ own Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band will head to the Burl to make Jan. 21 its own version of Fat Tuesday. The band blends the festival inspirations inherent in Crescent City brass bands with elements of funk, jazz and more.

Kronos Quartet

7 p.m. Jan. 28 at Transylvania University, Haggin Auditorium, 300 N. Broadway. Free. 859-233-8300. transy.edu, kronosquartet.org.

The Grammy-winning, genre busting Kronos continues a 45-year career that, for this performance, will include works by George Gershwin, Egyptian keyboardist artist Islam Chipsy, jazz titan John Coltrane and more. Best of all, it’s a free event. Tickets are required, however, and can be reserved at go.activecalendar.com/transy/event/smith-endowed-concert-series-presents-kronos-string-quartet.

Billy Strings

8 p.m. Feb. 6 at Manchester Music Hall, 899 Manchester St. Sold Out. 859-537-7321. manchestermusichall.com.

One of the more homespun thrills at last summer’s inaugural Railbird festival was catching Billy Strings, a proven innovator in progressive string band music, go old-school by tearing into a warp-speed reading of the Johnny Horton classic “Ole Slew Foot.” Strings is currently all the Americana rage, as evidenced by the sold-out status of this show.

Kiss/David Lee Roth

7:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine. $44.50-$997. 859-233-3535. rupparena.com.

The ‘70s live again as two acts that were frequent flyers during the early years of Rupp Arena return for another hurrah. For Kiss, this is supposedly “the end of the line.” At least that’s what the name of its tour tells us, although we’ve heard that before. For Roth, it’s business as usual. He’s still hammering out the ‘70s and ‘80s hits he cut with Van Halen.

Luke Combs

7 p.m. Feb 14 at Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine. Sold Out. 859-233-3535. rupparena.com.

The night after the Kiss/Roth retrofest, country sensation Luke Combs moves in as an even bigger deal. The North Carolina songsmith, known for a string of hits that includes “When It Rains It Pours,” “Even Though I’m Leaving” and “One Number Away,” broke a Rupp attendance record by selling out this performance in 12 minutes.

The Chieftains

7:30 p.m. Feb. 15 at the Norton Center for the Arts, Newlin Hall, 600 W. Walnut in Danville. $52-$75. 859-236-4692. nortoncenter.com/events.

The scuttlebutt surrounding this latest North American tour by Ireland’s foremost traditional music ambassadors is that it will be their last after a career spanning over 55 years. The tip-off is the band’s dubbing of the trek as “The Irish Goodbye Tour.” But an Irish Goodbye is really just slang for leaving a party without telling anyone, so go figure.

Raul Midon and Lionel Loueke

7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Singletary Center for the Arts, 405 Rose St. $18 public, advance tickets free for University of Kentucky students. 859-257-4929. finearts.uky.edu/singletary-center.

Two guitarists, one from New Mexico (Midon), the other from Benin (Loueke), team up for a performance that uses jazz as a very tenuous base. While the two are at home with a standard like “My One and Only Love”) and possess a hearty jazz pedigree (both have played with Herbie Hancock), their joint music reveals a variety of global influences.

This story was originally published January 3, 2020 at 6:00 AM.