The Variety Playhouse is an intimate theatre and nightclub located in Atlanta's colorful Little 5 Points district. We present live concerts featuring top national acts representing Roots Rock, Indie, Jazz, Folk, World Music and more.
The Variety features flexible seating and standing arrangements and the best sound and light systems in Atlanta.

Windstorm Productions is very pleased to present Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea, Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White to the Cobb Energy Centre on Saturday, August 2. Get tickets now!

All the while, no matter the accolade, Joan Armatrading has focused on the music. "I write", she says, "because I love it". When first you hear the voice, rich, warm, remarkable, it's a voice that suits a secret sharer, a woman who tells the truth. For 33 years, Joan Armatrading has done just that-- in songs crafty, subtle and sublime. Armatrading's songs are in the truest sense soul music; even at their boldest, driven by her passionate guitar, they touch the listener like a whisper to the ear, like confessions from heart to heart. Armatrading's backing musicians have included members of Little Feat, Fairport Convention, XTC and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. She works only with the finest, like Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones), Tony Levin (King Crimson), Manu Katche (Sting), Benmont Tench (Tom Petty) and studio stalwart Greg Phillingames. Joan has also worked with an impressive list of producers and co-producers legend Glyn Johns, Gus Dudgeon, Steve Lillywhite, David Tickle (Prince, Debbie Harry). Working with such a varied cast comes naturally to Armatrading. Effortlessly eclectic, her sound ranges from share soul to sophisticated pop --an apt mix for a performer born under the palms of the West Indies and raised beneath the smokestacks of Birmingham England.

The Beatles changed forever the face of rock 'n' roll with their 1967 release of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".  What better follow-up than MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR? Not only a stunning musical work but also a feature length motion picture, the Fab Four took their studio prowess to a new level, tastefully blending their original songs with innovative orchestral arrangements. This album contained some of the Beatles finest masterpieces, including "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane" and "I Am The Walrus".  See the whole album come to life (complete with a horn section and string players) as Abbey Road LIVE! celebrates the 40th anniversary of Magical Mystery Tour!

Escovedo's music can range from full force rock'n'roll to the subtle delicacy heard from a string quartet, sometimes in the same song. Fricke describes him well as "a folk-blues classicist with a gritty, plaintive voice and an equal fondness for dirty boogie and spectral balladry." That approach has distinguished Escovedo as one of contemporary music's truly original and unique artists, earning him consistent critical hosannas. The breadth and depth of his creativity prompted No Depression magazine to name him its Artist of the Decade even before the close of the 1990s.

Athens, Georgia can cover bases most college towns can only hope to when it comes to a polished, eclectic mix of musicians and bands that thrive on each other’s energy in a place where bars and bands are as common as corner coffee joints. This is where Dubconcious has crafted something that has rarely been done successfully: a dub reggae collective that picks at the resounding characteristics of the genre and fashions them for 21st century.

Some bands blast out of the gate and never recapture their early energy. Other bands establish themselves as models of consistency. Still other bands take a while to find themselves. And then there are bands like the Old 97s, who blast out of the gate, establish themselves as models of consistency, take a while to find themselves, and then, fifteen years in, deliver a glorious record that sums up everything about them that fans have always loved. With Blame It On Gravity, the seventh Old 97's record and the second for New West, the band has made its definitive statement. "It's really exciting," says Rhett Miller, the band's lead singer and songwriter. "I read an interview with Randy Newman where he said that if your work is as good at 50 as it was at 20, you've won the battle. We're nowhere near fifty, but I feel like this collection of songs is the best we've ever done. And I LOVED our earlier albums."

Formed from the ashes of the trance-rockers Spacemen 3, singer/guitarist Jason Pierce's group Spiritualized did not break away from his prior band's trademark hypnotic minimalism; instead, they perfected it. Drawing on the continued influence of the Velvet Underground, La Monte Young, and Steve Reich, Spiritualized stakes out a common ground between minimalism and lush symphonics -- while powered by simple, repetitious motifs, their songs simultaneously blossoming into rich, shimmering sonic panoramas inspired by the majestic studio wizardry of Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. Such seeming contradictions are essential to the group's alchemy, as Spiritualized's very name acknowledges the existence of other forces, further reflected in their heavy debt to gospel and soul music as well as an affinity for mantras and devotional hymns.

Tilly and the Wall sprang out of Nowheresville, USA — a Midwestern band of like-minded friends with pockets full of melodies….and a lot of pockets. The serendipitous result of five Omaha residents with a penchant for the same classic ‘60s pop, boy/girl harmonies and Americana folk records, Tilly and the Wall celebrates the petulant, determined, feisty nature of youth. They rejoice in tales of dreams followed, mistakes made, and hearts broken.

Wolf Parade is an indie rock band from Victoria, Canada, now based in Montreal, Canada. Wolf Parade was formed when Spencer Krug (also Sunset Rubdown and formerly of Destroyer and Frog Eyes) was offered a gig supporting Arcade Fire. He called Dan Boeckner (formerly of notable B.C. band Atlas Strategic) and they wrote songs with a drum machine before calling Arlen Thompson to play drums. Hadji Bakara joined in 2004. Dante DeCaro (formerly of Hot Hot Heat) joined in summer 2005 as second guitarist and percussionist. Wolf Parade released their eponymous debut EP in 2003 with only Spencer, Dan and Arlen performing on it. After Hadji joining, they released another independent, self-titled EP in 2004. They were signed to Sub Pop by Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse and released their first widely-distributed record, the Wolf Parade EP. In September 2005 their debut album Apologies to the Queen Mary was released. The follow up album, At Mount Zoomer, will be available soon from Sub Pop.

The She & Him story begins when in 2006 , renowned one man band M. Ward, recorded a duet with a girl named Zooey Deschanel. A delightful recording session, the experience lead to a dialogue between the two about collaborating further. This, in turn, led to Deschanel admitting to secretly making dozens and dozens of home demos and hoarding them like acorns for the winter. Sick and tired of being stingy and secretive about music, Deschanel realized that if songs were acorns then this was indeed her wintertime: she sent the recordings to Ward and these demos became the basis for their first record, entitled Volume One. Ward’s unique arrangements and virtuostic guitar playing paired with Deschanel’s affinity for vocal harmony give Volume One its characteristic sound . Ward and Deschanel share a mutual affection for the songs they grew up hearing on Los Angeles radio stations - and keep in their hearts the records that most DJ's aren't playing anymore: Les Paul and Mary Ford, The Ronettes, Nina Simone, Chet Atkins, Linda Ronstadt, the Carter Family and about a hundred others. Aiming to achieve the warmth and charm of pop and country records from the early and mid part of the twentieth century, Ward, who also produced the record, and Deschanel, who wrote most of the music, called upon the help of a number of extraordinary musicians including: Rachel Blumberg, Adam Selzer, Mike Coykendall, Tom Hagerman, Peter Broderick, Mike Mogis, and Paul Brainerd. Without whom this record would just be two people with no drums, bass, strings or pedal steel.

Singer/songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from such soul and folk artists of the '70s as Bill Withers, John Prine, Neil Young, and James Taylor. The Philadelphia native first became serious about performing while attending the University of South Carolina during the mid-'90s. Eventually, he landed some high-profile opening-slot gigs including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones and now regularly sells out large venues on his own.

Since "Black Skin, Blue Eyed Boys" through "Living on the Frontline", Eddy Grant has been recognised as a vociferous promoter, through socio-political commentary, of the culture and achievements of contemporary black people. Eddy's meticulous method of recording is to a great degree responsible for his reputation - he has played every single instrument, sung every vocal part and produced every track on all of his solo albums - a time consuming and little known fact, which only a man of his committed vision could so painstakingly ensue. This was enormously successful for Eddy Grant; in less than four years he enjoyed eight major international hit singles, including the US#1 - "Electric Avenue", "I Don't Wanna Dance" and "Romancing the Stone". By that time he had established his own label, Ice Records, with which he astutely avoided the pitfalls of many long since formed, failed and forgotten independent labels, by occasionally tapping into the distribution muscle of the major companies (viz. Phonogram, Virgin, RCA, CBS, EMI and Warner) without ever losing control of either his music, or his destiny..

The Silver Beats are a Beatles tribute act from Tokyo, Japan, and since their 2002 debut at Tokyo’s world renowned Cavern Club, they have received national and international acclaim for their faithful reproduction of the Beatles music, and style. This acclaim includes endorsements from such music notables as Denny Laine (Wings), Alan Parsons, Tower of Power, Brian May and Roger Taylor (Queen), Keith Emerson (ELP) and The Killers. There was even a personal backstage meeting with Sir Paul McCartney, where McCartney introduced the band’s “Paul” (Tadaaki Naganuma), as the “Japanese Paul”!

In America the “Beats” has been interviewed and/or noted in major print publications such as the Milwaukee Journal, Mercury Sun, Spin Magazine Online, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, and most recently, an interview for NPR’s “All Things Considered”(Jan. 2008).

In early 2007 multi platinum recording artists “The Killers” were in Tokyo filming a music video, and went to the Cavern Club to see the “Beats”. They were so impressed that they asked them to open as direct support for their upcoming US tour, which would include sold out appearances at some of America’s most historic and important venues including The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Of all of the things that have been written about the “Beats”, perhaps what is most talked about is their incredible ability to create a true “Beatles experience”. Many have written comments saying; “This is as close as it gets to the real thing!” Even those old enough to have seen the actual Beatles have also remarked similarly. An amazing accomplishment given that they are Japanese, and speak very limited English!

Onstage and off the band has that same kind of playful charm that made the Beatles themselves so endearing, and each member of the “Beats” takes their chosen character very seriously. They are not just “acting out” a role, but quite literally seem to take on the whole spirit, and persona of their “Beatle” counterpart. In fact the Beats “John” bears an uncanny resemblance to the late John Lennon. Though their English is limited, the band knows every lyric, and performs over 160 songs from the Beatles canon. Their style focuses on the early “Beatlemania” period with “mop top” haircuts, matching Black (Ed Sullivan), Tan (Shea Stadium), and Green (Buddokan), suits, “winkle Picker” boots, Rickenbacker, Epiphone, Gretsch, and Hofner guitars, Vox amps, and Ludwig drums.

Omaha, NE's the Faint have gone through countless changes in their relatively short career, but with each shift, they have made a distinct new impression and turned more and more heads. The group's early years were a mix of lo-fi pop and tongue-in-cheek easy listening with a touch of punk rock ideals borrowed from their early skateboarding days. Along with a prepubescent Bright Eyes and a recently formed Cursive, the band was one of the seeds that spawned the explosive Omaha scene as well as a flagship act for the highly regarded Saddle Creek Records. With each release, the band moved more and more away from their guitar rock past towards keyboard driven dance music. With an explosive live show featuring video and an intense stage presence, The Faint have become not only one of the best selling acts on the Saddle Creek label, but a top concert draw across the US. Their new album, Fascination, drops on August 5, just in time for the show.

Big Mike Geier and his Kingsized orchestra deliver high Vegas glitz right here in the ATL with this annual death day tribute to the King Of Rock N Roll. The big band reworks Presley standards, but in their own distinctive style, and of course backed by the gorgeous ladies of Dames A’Flame burlesque troop and this time with support from El Vez.

Variety Playhouse favorite Aimee Mann returns while touring on Smilers, her newest album. She's bringing the record's producer, Paul Bryan, on bass and with Jay Bellerose on drums and Jamie Edwards on keyboards, Aimee has "formed a band that was perfect for this project and stuck with it" and we're very excited about having them on our stage. With a repertoire a mile long, no one ever leaves her shows disappointed.

Silver Jews are an indie rock group, formed in 1989 by writer David Berman along with Pavement's Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Sometimes regarded as a Pavement side project (Pavement drummer Steve West has also been a member of the band), in fact "The Joos" were formed before Pavement, and 1996's The Natural Bridge featured none of the Pavement musicians, offering listeners a quieter folk album without the inimitable influence of Stephen Malkmus' guitar and vocals. The Silver Jews were always a conduit for David Berman's brand of sardonic, countrified indie rock, and Berman has remained the only constant member. The band has gone on to release several full-length albums, including the latest Tanglewood Numbers, released on October 18 2005 (Drag City). Berman's sophisticated lyrics have come to dominate the band's music and critical reputation. Berman had long been steadfast in his almost complete refusal to play live, and so surprised the indie world when he announced their first ever tour in the spring of 2006. Berman is also a published poet. His collection Actual Air was released in 1999 and received favorable reviews from The New Yorker and GQ.

These days - when membership of the rock army can be symbolised by the simple purchase of a Ramones T-shirt - dedication has become a debased currency, subject to the hyper-inflationary dictates of fashion. Raw recruits sign up for the short term, soon surrendering their affections to whichever sexy “scene” might spring up next. Unswerving commitment to rock's righteous cause is rare; it demands a troop of seriously single-minded dudes with their collective heart and soul fixed on one goal - to bring the noise.

Scottish five piece Mogwai formed in 1995 and debuted a year later with the single “Tuner/Lower”, released on their own Rock Action label. They've since gone on to develop their distinctive style of apocalyptic, yet deeply humanised noise across four albums, establishing the transcendentally effective quiet-loud/quiet-loud dynamic as their very own and spawning a generation of imitators. Usually tagged a post-rock band because of their slow-build, instrumental workouts and the neo-classical majesty of their more ambitious songs, Mogwai are rather a bunch of a-rockers, drawn to whatever serves their cause - be it the stripped-down delicacy of Erik Satie or the boiling rage of Big Black. Mix light and dark together, Mogwai understand, and you make magic.

Rootsy folk-rock sextet Donna the Buffalo formed in 1987 in Ithaca, NY. The group's three vocal harmonies, backed by fiddle, guitar, accordion and percussion add layer upon layer of diversity to the group's eclectic and often socially conscious sound.

Combining an inclination for melodic '60s pop with an art rock aesthetic borrowed from Krautrock bands like Faust and Neu!, Stereolab were one of the most influential alternative bands of the '90s. Led by Tim Gane and Laetitia Sadier, Stereolab either legitimized forms of music that were on the fringe of rock, or brought attention to strands of pop music -- bossa nova, lounge-pop, movie soundtracks -- that were traditionally banished from the rock lineage. The group's trademark sound -- a droning, hypnotic rhythm track overlaid with melodic, mesmerizing singsong vocals, often sung in French, is deceptively simple, providing the basis for a wide array of stylistic experiments over the course of their prolific career. Throughout it all, Stereolab rely heavily on forgotten methods of recording, whether its analog synthesizers and electronics or a fondness for hi-fi test records, without ever sinking to the level of kitsch.

Hailing from London, Hot Chip entered the picture with the release of their 2000 debut, Mexico. The EP was released by Victory Garden Records, a label owned and operated by members of London's resident lo-fi psychedelic rock institution, Southall Riot. The Mexico EP was a hypnotic wash of subtle -- nearly subliminal -- pulse-like techno beats, acoustic guitars, and plinky pianos, but the vocals were the true star of the show (no small feat in a musical climate overrun with disaffected Lou Reed-esque mumblers and bland Eddie Vedder impersonators). The voices of Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard are a fine study in contrast. Taylor offers dreamy, effortless falsettos that cut to the heart of the beauty of performers like Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake (minus any of the pretentiousness of Radiohead or even Coldplay). Meanwhile, scattered throughout the record (and in the occasional duet), Goddard offers a tone that sounds a bit more world-weary and at times almost gruff in comparison to Taylor, calling to mind Damon Albarn's cool monotone tendencies. 2002's self-released Sanfrandisco E-Pee showed the band dabbling in more playful sounds, from the beatbox dubbing of the title track to the closing notes of "Fanta," in which Taylor pleads with the listener to "make sounds of the summer." There are moments of gorgeous melancholy as well, but on the whole the album feels a bit more hopeful than Mexico had. The group signed to revered N.Y.C. record label DFA in 2005 and released the Over and Over EP, as well as the excellent 2006 release The Warning. Their latest album is 2008's Made In The Dark.

Martin Sexton is one of the most talked-about arrivals to the "new folk" acoustic music scene. The guitarist, singer and songwriter has an amazing vocal range and makes effective use of it in his live shows and recordings. Unlike so many other contemporary singer-songwriters, his vocal style can best be described as soulful, combining the best qualities of singers like Van Morrison, Al Green, Aaron Neville and Otis Redding.

After releasing 2 platinum records and headlining hockey stadiums in their native Newfoundland,  US labels took notice and GBS was subsequently signed to Sire by Seymour Stein (Madonna/Talking Heads), who unleashed the band on an unsuspecting American public. Accolades and a solid cult following ensued. “We are showmen and we live and die by our trade,” offers electrified lead singer Alan Doyle. “I am drawn to the light and I was born to burn”. Born and raised in ‘the far east of the western world’, the lads have traversed the globe, all the while wearing their hometown on their sleeves. “Our music is of Newfoundland,” explains Sean McCann. “It would be impossible to do what we do if we were from anywhere else. Our songs come from the sea and the cliffs and the rocks and all the other natural beauties our country provides. Without her we simply couldn’t exist." A remarkable 15 years in, the band should by this time be content to slow down and rest on their laurels. Instead,  their newest release Fortune’s Favour sees them boldly embracing new sounds and new ideas, fearlessly pushing the boundaries of their own art and music. In their lifelong quest to marry the traditional music of Newfoundland with their own pop explorations, Fortune’s Favour is a new benchmark.

Windstorm Productions is very pleased to present Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea, Al DiMeola, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White to the