The State Theater presents a powerhouse doubleheader over two nights, Friday and Saturday.
Friday: Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the legendary vocal group from South Africa, sing spiritual songs that are simple and real, and work songs that are inspiring and uplifting.
Ladysmith made their first major impact in the U.S. refining - if not defining - the sound of Paul Simon's "Graceland" in 1986, with the hit songs "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes" and "Homeless." The ensemble has performed for Pope John Paul II, and accompanied Nelson Mandela when he received the Nobel Prize for peace. Showtime at the State is 8 pm.
Saturday: Indy star Neko Case. Ms. Case disdains labels of alt-country rocker or power-pop chanteuse for, in her words, "a rock and roll Six Flags of fun." Her 2006 release, "Fox Confessor Brings the Flood," has won wide praise.
Ms. Case is fronting her own band, after long collaboration with others, most notably the New Pornographers. Saturday's show at the State is her first appearance in Ithaca, though she has shared bills in Europe with the Johnny Dowd Band, and JDB's drummer Brian Wilson played on "Fox Confessor." The 8 pm show opens with Eric Bachmann, founding member of the 90's band Archers of Loaf.
It's probably also not too late (nor too early) to get tickets for the State's third big show of the week, guitar icon Richard Thompson, on Wednesday the 30th.
Other shows:
Friday, Billy Eli at the Pourhouse in Trumansburg.
Saturday, Thousands of One have a CD release party at Castaways.
Sunday, the ABC Cafe has Kelly Birtch at brunch (11 am), and Jairo van Lunteren with the Piano Creeps at 9:30 pm. Local Irish greats Traonach appear on Bound For Glory, in Anabel Taylor Hall , a free show starting at 8:30 pm.
Steve Burke
for Ithaca Blog
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