Bob Seger and Silver Bullet Band, J. Geils Band Set to Jam Consol; Tommy Davidson Plays Pittsburgh Improv (CPs Thurs., 1/22/15)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgOA24hAe60

1) Bob Seger enjoyed regional success in the ’60s playing the bars and venues in the Detroit region until, in ’73, he put together the Silver Bullet Band. Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band took off with the release of albums Live Bullet  (’75 ) and Night Moves (’76). When the song “Night Moves” hit the radio, it charted as high as No. 4 on Billboard, and Seger and his band were on the fast track to major league music success. Seger’s sound features his pleasingly smokey voice and interesting lyrics laid upon a solid foundation of piano, guitar, and drums. The soundtracks of many American lives are peppered with such Seger songs as “Rock and Roll Never Forgets,” “Main Street,” “Old Time Rock and Roll” (used in the Tom Cruise film Risky Business), “Beautiful Loser,” “Turn the Page,” and “Like a Rock” (used in Chevy truck TV commercials).

The J. Geils Band used to call themselves “the funkiest band in the land,” and that sure was true with albums like the live recording “Blow Your Face Out.” Bloodshot—the band’s fourth album, released in ’73—was pressed using red instead of black vinyl, which made for colorful rotation on the turntable. They started out as a funky rock band led by J.Geils, who has since left the band, and then turned into a synth rock, new wave band in the early ’80s—reaching their pinnacle with the No. 1 hit “Centerfold” in ’82. Their new wave sound was great, but their earlier rock work with Peter Wolf singing, Magic Dick on harmonica, and a steady thrashing of drums, guitars, keyboards, and bass could outshine many bands. This concert is a fantastic opportunity to see some true classic rock performers in action. 7:30 p.m. Consol Energy Center, 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown.

2) Comedian and actor Tommy Davidson headlines the Pittsburgh Improv this weekend with performances today through Sunday. He worked very diligently performing stand-up at comedy clubs, opening for musical acts, and teaming with Robert Townsend  for his HBO series “Partners in Crime.” Davidson rose to fame as a cast member on Keenen Ivory Wayan’s Fox comedy show “In Living Color” and has created three specials for Showtime. He’s known for doing great impressions of President Obama, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Michael Jackson. 8 p.m. 166 E. Bridge St., The Waterfront, Homestead.

3) There aren’t many musicals better known or loved than My Fair Lady by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Nor are there heroines more captivating than the show’s Eliza Doolittle—a Cockney flower girl who learns to be a cultivated lady, then turns the tables on her teacher, Professor Henry Higgins. That’s why Pittsburgh Public Theater chose the 1956 Broadway classic as the musical entry for its 40th anniversary “Season of Legends.” The Public’s My Fair Lady features all the songs that are classics in their own right: “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face,” and more. The opening night’s performance is at 8 p.m. Through Feb. 22. O’Reilly Theater, 621 Penn Ave., Cultural District.

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