A playground for classic rock fans
Oh yeah. This is what summer feels like.
It’s a bead of sweat running down the back of your neck as you walk to lunch. It’s the shock of cool water as it envelops you – from fingertip to toes – after a dive off the dock. It’s the glare of sunlight as you roll down the car windows and crank your favorite tune.
Speaking of tunes, this is a good week for fans of roots rock-Americana and classic rock ’n’ roll as three legendary players make their way to the Lilac City.
John Hiatt, who in his nearly 40-year career has played with or been covered by pretty much everyone from Bob Dylan to Keith Urban and Joan Baez to Paula Abdul, is at the Knitting Factory on Sunday. “Have a Little Faith in Me,” from his 1987 album “Bring the Family,” has been covered by Jewel, Bill Frisell, Mandy Moore, Joe Cocker, Bon Jovi, Kenny Rogers and Chaka Khan. Oh, and it was featured on the “Benny & Joon” soundtrack, so it has a tenuous Spokane connection.
Also performing on Sunday is Bad Company featuring Paul Rodgers, at Northern Quest Resort & Casino. Rodgers is one of rock’s great vocalists, having fronted Free before he formed Bad Company. Bad Company had a number of hits, including “Feel Like Makin’ Love” and “Shooting Star,” and had six platinum records before Rodgers left in 1982. He would find more success later in the ’80s when he formed The Firm with Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, and got a Grammy nomination for his 1993 record “Muddy Water Blue: A Tribute to Muddy Waters.”
On Thursday, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Ian McLagan will perform a solo concert at Chateau Rive at the Flour Mill. McLagan played keyboards for both Faces and Small Faces, and collaborated extensively with the Rolling Stones. He’s done session work with a vast array of rock legends, from Jackson Brown and Bruce Springsteen to Frank Black and Paul Westerberg.
Rock on, Spokane.
Carolyn Lamberson
Features editor
on Twitter @clamberson