Hot Concerts

With the leftovers chilling in the fridge and Black Friday exhaustion setting in, the annual Christmas show rolls into uptown as a reminder of the joy of the holidays. Blending synthesizers and a string section, electric guitar, piano, percussion and horns, the holiday institution revisits favorite carols and seasonal songs that have become tradition for fans.

In 2010, roots outfit the New Familiars opened for Helm, the legendary Band drummer/vocalist. After his 2012 death, the Charlotte band honored him with a tribute to “The Last Waltz” (the classic concert film of the Band’s Thanksgiving 1976 farewell show) with guest musicians in the spirit of the original. Now in its fifth year, this year’s concert also marks the 40th anniversary of that show.

The Double Door farewells keep coming as many bands who’ve played its stage perform at the venue one last time. This week, it’s two Charlotte Americana acts who put their own twist on the genre. Flatland Tourists – some of whom met at the club – infuses its folk-based songs with ample soul and lyrical heft, while Henry River Honey is a female folk duo that juggles instruments, vocals, and emotions on its folky originals.

The Louisiana singer-songwriter who had adult contemporary hits with 2002’s “The Wanderer” and 2005’s “Home” plays his soulful, bluesy, Bayou-steeped adult pop to benefit the United Way. On his latest nostalgic album – a sequel to his covers record “S.O.S. Save Our Soul” – he pays homage to ’50s and ’60s soul and R&B greats Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, the Isley Brothers and others.

With its most ambitious concept album, “The Astonishing,” guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess score a world of the band’s own making. Set in a post-apocalyptic dystopia with characters straight out of Medieval fantasy/sci-fi, “The Astonishing” makes use of not only added musical elements like choir and orchestra but adds a visual aspect to its grand exercise in storytelling.

Husband and wife duo Frankie Sunswept (vocals, guitar) and Moselle Spiller (drums, vocals) weave ’50s rock n’ roll, surf guitar, spaghetti westerns and a taste for psychedelic visuals and ample eyeliner to create a fun, inclusive concert that’s more than just another night at the bar. Its latest album, “Alien Ocean,” is heavy on water references, pays respect to wooly mammoths, and elevates the pair’s artsy output.

Having kicked off his tour last week, the co-founder of the Byrds and Crosby Stills & Nash (who is now 75) returns with a low key set reminiscent of the direction of his new album, “The Lighthouse.” Crosby avoids an obvious hits setlist and gives better known older songs new life while remaining relevant and true to himself hitting on subjects like war and profit that speak of his activist heart.

This story was originally published November 22, 2016 at 1:35 PM with the headline "Hot Concerts."