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.

Big Mike Geier and his Kingsized orchestra deliver high Vegas glitz right here in the ATL with this annual celebration of The Big E.. The big band reworks the Elvis catalog in their own distinctive style, and of course backed by the gorgeous ladies of Dames A’Flame burlesque troop.

San Francisco's Tea Leaf Green is a band on the rise, and rightly so. The band continues to improve with each performance, showcasing a stunning array of sophisticated material that explores the sonic landscape of progressive, experimental rock music, From the Doors to the Grateful Dead, from Steely Dan to Yes, from the Jayhawks to Frank Zappa, from The Allman Brothers to Phish, the list of influences in endless. But more importantly, the music is distinctly their own definitive vision. There is no limit to the band's future, as new fans discover the awe inspiring quartet, as old fans shake their heads in understanding & as girls whirl beneath the psychedelic overtures.

Rising out of the low country of Savannah, GA in 2001, Perpetual Groove has grown quickly into a formidable internationally touring organization. Now based in Athens, GA, the band continues to ride an unending wave of momentum buoyed by an enthusiastic fan base and international critical acclaim. Fans of Perpetual Groove (or PGroove, as the fans like to call them) are known to follow the band from state to state, night to night, to experience their euphoric live show that features an ever changing set-list. Perpetual Groove’s music has evolved into a genre-bending, highly original sound that touches upon jazz-rock, neo-psychedelia, R&B, trance electronica, progressive rock, and anthemic arena rock. Their large catalog of original music offers something for everyone, but the band is also known for their eclectic range of covers; including everything from Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” to Rage Against The Machine’s “Bulls On Parade”. The addition of an intense, retina burning, intelligent light show creates an atmosphere unlike any other, assuring fans they’ll get a highly polished, yet different show each night.

The key to appreciating David Bromberg is to realize he has an equal passion for blues, folk, country and western, bluegrass and rock & roll. This diverse range of influences is reflected on all his recordings for Columbia, Fantasy, and Rounder, and in his performances as well. Often referred to as a musician's musician throughout his career, his musical eclecticism over the years may have cost him some fans, but a typical Bromberg concert can be mind blowing musical education.

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.

In response to Outformation’s auspicious entrance to the music world, the rising stars were named “Best New Band” of 2005  Honest Tune Magazine’s reader’s poll, and Tennessee Before Daylight was nominated for “Best Album” by the editorial staff of the same publication. But it’s not just readers and writers of Honest Tune who have taken notice, with club dates selling out across the country it appears that fans of blue-collar, hard-nosed rock & roll are taking notice everywhere. When talking to producer/keyboardist Jojo Hermann, about Outformation’s rapid success he is quick to reference the dynamic six-string skills of Sam Holt. “Sam's got that hypnotic thing,” says Hermann. “He kinda gets into that trance when he plays, and all my favorite guitar players have that ability to somewhat become hypnotized themselves. Mikey [Houser] and Junior Kimbrough - there was a hypnotic thing, and I think Sam has that. It's a big part of what drew me to him."

Regardless of whether Holt developed his confident, “hypnotic” style by touring with Outformation, learning at the foot of Michael Houser, sitting in numerous times with Widespread Panic, or by simply tapping into the music in his head, it’s a driving factor to the Outformation sound. Having already played for packed stadiums with tens of thousands of screaming fans, Holt is ready to lead Outformation to the masses.

Armed with an arsenal of story-based, workingman songs, ever-increasing moments of magic on stage, and growing pockets of fans across the country, Outformation is clearly on the move. “We’re to the point where we’re ready,” says Holt. “I’m looking forward to getting in front of bigger audiences and pushing it… just give it to ‘em, just go crazy. I’m looking forward to the ride, and I hope it’s a ride we can stay on for a while.”

Listening to Holt speak of the future, you can hear the excitement in his voice. “I definitely feel it… I see something; I’m on my tiptoes looking at something, can’t quite make it out, but something’s out there.” Although Holt may not quite be able to see it, what he’s looking at is the sound of Outformation making it. Outformation is a band on the brink of something big.

-Aaron Kayce

The Machine, America's premier live Pink Floyd experience, extends Pink Floyd's legacy through a multi-dimensional approach, faithfully recreating it's timeless music, while also reinventing it with interpretive jams. The Machine has forged a reputation for excellence and an intimate connection with their growing audience. Their show is nothing less than a full out musical experience that's not to be missed.

Fiction Family is Sean Watkins of Nickel Creek and Jon Foreman of Switchfoot and they've been working on a record together for the last three years. Unofficially they met maybe 12 years ago, in the parking lot of Off Shore Surf Shop in Carlsbad, CA. They both had just gotten out of the water and were introduced by a mutual friend who wanted them to meet cause they were musicians....they shook hands and gave each other a smile that said..."sure you're in a band, aren't we all?" But officially, they met backstage at a music festival in downtown San Diego called Street Scene. Nickel Creek and Switchfoot were playing one after another.They've never worked on any recording project in such a non pre-concieved and organic way. It was freeing to have no time frame, no one looking over your shoulder, no idea what it would end up as and no musical manifesto. And at times, it was a little frustrating for those same reasons. Thankfully ATO stepped in and agreed to release it which gave them motivation and a timeline for having it all finalized, turned in and done. The old adage that "you never finish a record, you just stop working on it" holds true. Whereas, they could have had endless fun adding and changing this record, it was nice to put it in the can and move toward getting out to you fine folks. Ultimately it was a wonderful experience that yielded a record they're both proud of and very invested in.

Brett Dennen has been compared with John Mayer countless times in the press, and with good reason; the former camp counselor is a youthful, acoustic guitar-toting troubadour with a soulful voice that sounds older than its years and a penchant for self-awareness and social-consciousness messages. Hope for the Hopeless, The follow-up to his Dualtone debut, So Much More, positions him for stardom. Non-stop touring over the past three years with John Mayer, Colbie Calliat, Rodrigo y Gabriella, Sheryl Crow, and Ziggy Marley has led to nationwide talk about Brett's unique sound and inspiring message. Rolling Stone hailed him as one of 2008's Artists To Watch.

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Keller Williams is literally a one-man jam band. His fascinating live shows feature him solo on-stage with a Gibson Echoplex Digital Pro looping unit, and he creates his backing loops in the moment, building and improvising as he goes on his custom-made ten-string guitar, and thanks to his equally as quirky, upbeat, and semi-surreal songs (which he frequently weaves into extended, half-improvised medleys) and his warm, friendly tenor singing voice, Williams is an utterly unique performer whose musical eccentricities don't keep him from being immediately accessible.

Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and lyricist Andrew Bird picked up his first violin at the age of 4. Actually, it was a Cracker Jack box with a ruler taped to it, and the first of his many Suzuki music lessons involved simply bowing to the teacher and going home. He spent his formative years soaking up classical repertoire completely by ear, so when it came time for a restless teenager to make the jump to Hungarian Gypsy music, early jazz, country blues, south Indian etc., it wasn't such a giant leap. It's fitting that now, though classically trained, he has instead opted to play his violin in a most unconventional manner, accompanying himself on glockenspiel and guitar, adding singing and whistling to the equation, and becoming a pop songwriter in the process. Though Andrew's voice has been compared to such eminent company as Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke, and Rufus Wainwright, like those performers, it has a quality all its own. He also adds to the mix his unnatural whistling ability, rendering him capable of adding organically generated yet otherworldly, Theremin-like sounds to the mix.

Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Tour 2008 is a fast-paced, live variety show, complete with short films, parodies, pranks and musical numbers. Tim and Eric will also show never-before-seen videos and clips from the upcoming season of their Adult Swim series. Special guests include Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! regulars David Liebe Hart and James Quall, and DJ Douggpound will perform an opening set. Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim got their start on Adult Swim as creators of the much-loved series Tom Goes to The Mayor. Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, produced by Absolutely Productions, is embarking on its fourth season and will premiere on Adult Swim Feb. 8. Also, the Season 2 DVD of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! debuts Feb. 10.

Using entire shows from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of extensive touring as a launching pad, Dark Star Orchestra recreates the original song for song performance set list for an entirely new generation of, as well as old school, Deadheads. Dark Star Orchestra presents its critically acclaimed live show at esteemed venues from coast to coast and internationally.

Dark Star Orchestra performs Grateful Dead classics in the same way that an orchestra interprets music of classical composers. The composer spirit is derived and channeled as the players capture the excitement and innovation of the original performances and compositions. Touring nationwide for nine years to the tune of nearly 1500 shows since forming, the band's determined commitment to "raising the Dead" has drawn national media attention.

This New York, based chamber cabaret outfit is led by the striking, androgynous figure of singularly named performance artist Antony. His unusual background saw him relocating from his native england at the age of 10 to be raised in California, USA. He moved to New York in 1990 to attend the experimental theatre wing at NYU, and before long had become heavily involved in the city's punk drag scene. Paying homage to fabled performance artists Leigh Bowery and Klaus Nomi, Antony began performing late night cabaret sets with the Blacklips Collective at the city's Pyramid Club. In 1995 he assembled a backing group, the self-styled Antony and the Johnsons, and began to focus on the musical side of his performances. The group built up a cult following at hip new york clubs such as The Kitchen and Knitting Factory, but their debut Blue Angel remained unreleased until current 93 leader David Tibet signed Antony and the Johnsons to his Durtro label. The cast list of musicians on the album, released under the title Antony and the Johnsons in 1998, included transsexual artist Baby Dee (harp), Francois Gehin (bass), Todd Cohen (drums), Charles Neilson (guitar), and a number of string and woodwind players.

When Reckless Kelly released its 2006 triple-disc CD/DVD package with the title, Reckless Kelly Was Here, the question almost begged to be asked: Where hasn’t Reckless Kelly been? In 11 years together, the Austin, Texas-based Americana band has figuratively left its mark everywhere from college bars to dancehalls to festival stages throughout the South and West, and now the quintet is carving a swath across the rest of the lower 48  and then some. The only question is whether Reckless Kelly should be introduced as a country rock band or a rockin’ country band. Not that it matters. Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Willy Braun, fidder/mandolinist/harp blower/vocalist Cody Braun and their fellow players, Berklee-grad lead guitarist David Abeyta, bassist Jimmy McFeeley and drummer Jay Nazz,  don’t care what you call it. They’re just happy to be making music — and they’ll do it their way regardless of anyone’s preconceived notions.

Chad "Chetro" Stokes Urmston (singer/guitarist of the wildly successful band Dispatch) is back on the independent music scene with his new band State Radio (formerly known as "Flag of the Shiners"). State Radio's tracks are characterized by deep, high-distortion guitars, driving rhythms, and sweet vocal harmonies. State Radio showcases an array of musical talents and influences from reggae all the way to punk rock. Evidence of the love for artists from Bob Marley and The Wailers to Rage Against The Machine can be found throughout their music.

If anyone needs to be convinced that Robert Earl Keen is the reigning champion of Texas twangers, his latest realease, What I Really Mean, makes one forceful knock-out blow. The disc paints a multitude of vivid pictures backed by memorable melodies and superb instrumental backing. Part of a long line of Texas singer-songwriters whose ranks include Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and buddy Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen has made his name over the years as a master storyteller. His Texas sized country sound, mixed with rock and folk influences, has built up a sizable following in his native Texas and on concert stages all across the country.

This special tour features three of the best the genre of guitar hero has to offer. In a career that has already spanned nearly a half century, Jorma Kaukonen has been the leading practitioner and teacher of fingerstyle guitar, one of the most highly respected interpreters of American Roots music and a founding member of two of the most important bands in American music history, Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Robben Ford is one of the premiere electric guitarists today, particularly known for his blues playing as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. Ruthie Foster is a Texas singer/songwriter whose blend of gospel, blues, folk and soul has drawn comparisons to Aretha Franklin and Ella Fitzgerald as well as Tracy Chapman and Joan Armatrading.

The spirituality of India is blended with modern influences by Long Island, New York-raised Krishna Das (b. Jeffrey Kagel). The founder of Triloka Records, Das continues to update the musical accompaniment to traditional Hindu chanting and satsong. Influential spiritual leader Ram Dass described Das as "an example of someone whose heartsongs open the channels to God". Das' connections to Indian spirituality developed in his early 20s. Having grown up on jazz, blues and rock and roll, Das was working as a school bus driver when friends inspired him to visit Ram Dass in 1968. Driving six hours through snow, Das arrived at his destination in New Hampshire. Although he only visited with Ram Dass for a few hours, the experience completely altered the course of his life. Two years later, Das traveled to northern India where he spent two years as a devotee of Guru Mahara-ji (Neem Karoli Baba). While in India, Das became involved with the spiritual aspects of the country's music. With his visa expiring, Das returned to the U.S. in March 1972. In 1990, Das founded Triloka Records. The label has become a leading distributor of world music recordings. His debut album, One Track Heart, released in 1996, focused on updated chants from the ancient tradition of Bhakti Yoga (Yoga of Devotion). His second album, Pilgrim Heart, released in 1998, featured a guest appearance by Sting, who sang on the tune "Mountain Hari Krishna" and played bass on "Ring Song." Das continues to conduct intensive seminars, workshops, live concerts and chanting sessions.

Consisting of Brendan Bayliss (guitar, vocals), Jake Cinninger (guitar, synthesizers, vocals), Joel Cummins (keyboards, vocals), Andy Farag (percussion), Kris Myers (drums, vocals), and Ryan Stasik (bass), Umphrey's McGee enters its second decade together with their hardest, darkest, and most artistically cohesive album to date. And that date is Inauguration Day, January 20, 2009, when Mantis casts another Windy City family into the limelight. A long-time-coming labor of love as well as an inspiring affirmation of musical brotherhood, Mantis is Umphrey's first fully fleshed-out studio statement since 2006's Safety in Numbers, which was followed by 2007's odds-and-sods collection The Bottom Half and the double live album Live at Murat. So when Brendan Bayliss sings, "We believe there's something here worth dying for," to kick off Mantis's majestic twelve-minute title track, you should take him at his word. Mantis is the first Umphrey's album to consist entirely of material never previously performed on the road, where the band rules the improv-rock circuit and plays more than 100 shows each year. Although the band already plays numerous songs they have yet to record, sometimes you just have to hold back in order to deliver a bigger bang. Mystique, thy name is Mantis.

Michael Franti puts the active in activist. In addition to a steady diet of touring, he plays countless benefits and free shows for everyone from Brazilian favela kids to US Iraq war veterans. He produces the annual Power to the Peaceful free music and arts festival in San Francisco, works with the organization Headcount to register US voters, and has his own FrantiV channel on YouTube. Since Spearhead’s last visit to Jericho Park in 2003, he has also become a filmmaker.

For his 2006 documentary, I Know I’m not Alone, he travelled to Iraq, Palestine and Israel to explore the human cost of war. As Franti says in the film, “This trip made me realize one very important thing, which is that I’m not on the side of the Americans, Iraqis, Israelis, or Palestinians. I’m on the side of the peacemakers…whichever country they come from.”

The film has been described as an antidote to despair, which is also an apt description of Franti’s music. Blending hip hop, dub, funk, reggae and rock, Spearhead (Carl Young on bass, Dave Shul on guitar, Manas Itiene on drums and Raliegh Neal on keys), mixes positive political messages with an upbeat party vibe. Franti says he has always seen music as a way to stir the soul and a vehicle for social change. “My role is as a storyteller and a songwriter. I’m somebody who is trying to keep the spirits of other people up, despite all the chaos and fear around us.”

The Black Lips are what you could call true visionaries of a skeptical age. Even from their very first 7" EP, you could tell they were doing their own thing on their own terms, and of course it didn't sit well, even with the dawning of the 21st century and all it promised. Wildly cross-eyed broken stars destined to waver in their importance in the cosmos, they know no boundaries and they take no pretense. Like a volatile and teetering amalgamation of the Swell Maps trying to cover the Swingin' Medallions, it's just not right for this world. Unless you long for the unhinged freedom that comes with music that challenges everything without becoming an unlistenable mess of sound. It's a dazzling catastrophe that needs to be absorbed before it vaporizes into thin air. The fun these guys have is hard to hide either live or on record. Seriously slurred swashbucklers living out the ultimate teenage dream, yet breaking through another layer of remarkable idiocy, transcribed through hallucinations, exasperation, and perfectly casual dick fumbling.

Each of Morrissey’s tours is a singular experience with iconic staging and a faultless setlist. Morrissey will be backed by his longtime band including Boz Boorer, Jesse Tobias, Matt Walker and Solomon Walker.
Morrissey’s influence is felt worldwide through the countless artists that cite him as their primary inspiration. His stellar 20-year solo career has produced countless UK Top 10 hits and a series of Billboard Top 20 albums including the popular “Vauxhall and I” that contains the hit single “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get.”