Welcome to Seven in Seven, where each week we look at upcoming shows in the region. Whether you like rock ’n’ roll, jazz, heavy metal, R&B, singer-songwriter or indie, there's always something to check out.
Here are seven of the best shows happening during the week of March 15:
Seamus Egan is performing on Friday at City Winery Main Stage
It’s difficult to think of a more influential artist in traditional Irish music than Seamus Egan. From his early days as a talented teenager, to his groundbreaking solo work with Shanachie Records, to his founding of Irish American band Solas, to his current role as one of the leading composers and interpreters of the tradition, Egan has inspired multiple generations of musicians and helped shape the sound of Irish music today. As a multi-instrumentalist, he's skilled in the Irish flute, tenor banjo, guitar, mandolin, tin whistle and low whistle, among others. As a composer, he was behind the soundtrack for the hit indie film “The Brothers McMullen,” co-wrote Sarah McLachlan’s breakout hit, “Weep Not for the Memories,” and has scored numerous documentaries and indie films since.
Mitch Rowland is scheduled to perform on Friday at The Theatre of Living Arts
After years of helping others find and improve their voice, acclaimed California and UK-based musician and Grammy-winning songwriter Mitch Rowland is coming to town on his first ever headlining tour. He’s on the road supporting his debut LP, “Come June,” which includes contributions from incredible players including his bandmate and wife, Sarah Jones, Ben Harper and Harry Styles. Rowland found himself working at a pizza joint when he was given the opportunity to write with Styles for his self-titled debut. This collaboration led to the two becoming long-term partners, resulting in hits like “Meet Me in the Hallway,” “Watermelon Sugar” and “Golden,” a place for Rowland in Styles’ touring band, and the distinction of being the first artist signed to Styles’ label, Erskine.
Health will be performing on Saturday at Underground Arts
Last year, Los Angeles industrial rock band Health released “Rat Wars,” the most violent yet vulnerable LP of their career. It is somehow fitting that such a brutal collection of songs is also their most comprehensive artistic statement. The record follows the path of groundbreaking heavy acts like Nine Inch Nails and Ministry, which blurred the borders between metal, electronic, and pop music. It also resonates with the band’s young, fervent online subculture with meticulously aggressive production that collides with deeply personal confessions and icy gallows humor. Like the group’s live shows, it’s surprisingly still a lot of fun.
Sleater-Kinney is set to perform on Monday at The Theatre of Living Arts
Released in mid-January, “Little Rope” is one of the finest, most delicately layered records in Sleater-Kinney’s nearly three-decades-long career. To call the album flawless seems disrespectful to its intent as it dives headfirst into imperfection and brokenness, reflecting on what living in a world of perpetual crisis has done to us, and what we do to the world in return. On the surface, the 10 songs range from minimal to anthemic, appealing to deliberately harsh. But beneath that lies perhaps the most intricate and nuanced arrangements of any record in the revered indie rock unit’s catalog, with songs practically begging to be performed live.
Ministry + Gary Numan — Wednesday, March 20, at Wind Creek Casino
Born in 1981 in Chicago, Ministry has been the lifelong passion project of founder and industrial pioneer Al Jourgensen. The band quickly developed the more aggressive and stylized sound they soon became well-known for on influential albums like “Twitch” and “The Mind Is a Terrible Thing To Taste.” Now, following the release of this month’s “HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES,” their 16th studio album, Ministry has hit the road with Gary Numan, the UK synth-pop legend who is currently celebrating his 45th anniversary of his “Replicas” and “The Pleasure Principle” albums. In addition, support for the two co-headliners is Front Line Assembly, the Canadian electro-industrial duo who have been making an impact for nearly 40 years themselves.
Dauzat St. Marie — Wednesday, March 20, at Santander Arena
Next Thursday, REO Speedwagon and Rick Springfield come to Reading, and if you’re headed to the show, be sure to get there early enough to catch support act Dauzat St. Marie, a duo known for their vocal harmonies and catchy yet thought-provoking songwriting. Comprised of guitarist Mat Dauzat and singer Heather St. Marie, the pair gained over 1.6 million YouTube channel views in 2020 with the music video for the song “Common Ground” amassing over a million views alone. It’s no surprise the two have been selected to join tours with the likes of Melissa Manchester, The Marshall Tucker Band, Sheila E. and Pat Benatar.
Samantha Fish — Wednesday, March 20, at Musikfest Cafe
Musician Samantha Fish has brought remarkable intensity to her self-expression by translating her inner world into explosive riffs, visceral rhythms and spine-tingling vocal work. Growing up in Missouri, she first discovered her love of songwriting in her late teens, drawing inspiration from Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Fish started playing the guitar at age 15 and began seeking gigs by cold-calling numerous local bars, eventually filling her schedule with shows. Over time, all of this has earned her a reputation as an outstanding live performer, garnering an increasing number of accolades for her passion on stage.
Soundcheck
• Seamus Egan: “Weep Not for the Memories”
• Mitch Rowland: “Come June”
• Health: “No Escape”
• Sleater-Kinney: “Hell”
• Ministry: “Just One Fix”
• Gary Numan: “Metal”
• Dauzat St. Marie: “Common Ground”
• Samantha Fish: “Bulletproof”
