Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Fray to play nearby cities this month
Red Hot Chili Peppers — April 7, Colonial Life Arena
The Chili Peppers are mainstays in the rock arena, building a ten-album discography around tracks like “Give It Away” (1991), “Californication” (1999) and “Dani California” (2006). So, naturally, when the “Under the Bridge” rockers announced they would be gracing Columbia with their heavily-rooted brand of lasting hits, the city sold-out the show. But after lead singer Anthony Kiedis’ foot injury and subsequent surgery, the tour stop was rescheduled for this Saturday. The show is still sold out, and the excitement for the born and bred industry stars holds steady, but tickets are popping up on Facebook statuses, forums, and Twitter feeds across the city. It is Easter weekend, and students making the hard choice between egg hunts and honey-baked hams and what is sure to be one of Columbia’s best showings in years, are throwing their seats up for sale.
Cage the Elephant — April 13, Amos’ Southend (Charlotte, NC)
Kentucky’s alternative funk group Cage the Elephant has earned a reputation for high-energy, style-fitting live shows. The guys have stuck to a simple studio record, with just two albums — 2008’s self-titled release and 2011’s “Thank You, Happy Birthday” — defining their dose of blues-y alternative rock. Singles “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” (2009) and “In One Ear” (2008) have held their own on the airwaves with frontman Matt Shultz’s signature easy-listening grit hinging on indie rock fame. Tickets for the band’s Charlotte show are still available for $21 general admission.
Cake — April 16, Township Auditorium
They are sarcastic and witty, with the driest musical delivery on the books, but it works. Cake, headed by vocalist John McCrea, is best known for 2001’s single “Short Skirt/Long Jacket,” which sticks to simple lyrics — supplemented with a music video critiquing the track. Cake first entered the game in 1994 with “Motorcade of Generosity,” moving through the ranks until 2011’s “Showroom of Compassion.” Although the latest release, which was Cake’s first independently-produced album, has not found the same mainstream support, their sound holds true to McCrea’s dry humor, with a back beat of trumpet, tambourine, cowbell and everything in between. Tickets for the group’s Columbia concert start at $62 and go up to $369.
The Fray — April 22, U.S. Cellular Center Asheville (Asheville, NC)
Even the biggest The Fray fan, myself included, can admit that Monday night’s National Anthem was a bit misguided. But hey, there is still no denying the talent behind Isaac Slade and the Denver-based “How to Save a Life” boys. The Fray has spaced out the release of their three albums, with “How to Save a Life” in 2005, their self-titled sophomore release in 2009 and, the latest, “Scars and Stories” in 2012. With everything from “All at Once” to “You Found Me” to the most recent king of the airwaves “Heartbeat,” the guys have won the hearts of millions. Slade is emotionally driven, with the passion behind every lyrically undeniable track writhing through his unmistakable vocals — even in his hip-hop cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Tickets for The Fray’s Asheville show start at $546and go up to $504 for the front rows of the orchestra.