Take 5: Dec. 23-29
JEEZY
FRI DEC 27 | 8 PM | JOHNNY MERCER THEATRE
He’s not young anymore, and hasn’t been since around 2010, but Jeezy (née Jay Wayne Jenkins) is a product of the early-mid-2000s Atlanta rap scene that also featured Gucci Mane and TI. It was the second regional paradigm after The Dirty South era that gave us Goodie Mob, Geto Boys, OutKast and Li’l Wayne.
Big shoes to fill, but Jeezy has held up his end with consistent, quality work. The writing remains strong, and he’s maintained most of the momentum gained by his meteoric rise after the release of his major label debut Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101 (2005). He added his trademark swerve by conspicuously using trap beats.
Early on, Jeezy honed his skills as part of Boyz n Da Hood before his solo release and then avoided the sophomore slump with the chart-topping The Inspiration. If that weren’t enough to cement his position at the top of the Atlanta rap business, his third album, The Recession, also hit No. 1 in 2007. He’s kept busy, dropping eight more albums since, a better rate than most.
There aren’t many rappers still killing it 20+ years after their debut. See why the unbeatable combination of talent and experience counts.
NEW QUEERZ DRAG & BURLESQUE SHOW
SAT DEC 28 | 10 PM | THE WORMHOLE
Is there a more tired cliché than the woeful expectation of generational disagreement at Holiday gatherings with the blue hair, borderline communist student at philosophical odds with problematic old Uncle Whatever, who isn’t up to speed on suddenly foundational social justice dictates that boomers are somehow expected to understand, comply with, and respect? There is not, but it still does happen in some form or another.
So how do you reward yourself for enduring another eye-roll-inducing stereotype battle that you found yourself in or had to witness? On top of severe gift disappointment, mystery drones, and a dry, flavorless turkey?
A drag and burlesque show at the Wormhole should do the trick (no pun intended). A mere 70 hours after the last second of Christmas, Savannah’s notorious Red (pictured) and friends take the stage to stun, repulse, and amaze you with one last chance before New Year’s Eve to get sloshed, sexy and flushed.
CANDLELIGHT: TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES + HANS ZIMMER
FRI DEC 27 | 6:30 PM + 8:45 PM | VICTORY NORTH
Launched in 2020, the Candlelight Concert series has appeared in 80 cities across the globe. In venues lit by a bazillion candles, a local or regional string quartet takes on the work of various artists, from Vivaldi to Queen to Taylor Swift, and all points in between.
These two separate shows also offer an exemplary breadth of styles. The early show covers the seminal band of modern rock and pop, The Beatles. What needs to be said other than you likely know every song they’ll play?
The late show is a highbrow surprise featuring the music of German film score composer Hans Zimmer (pictured). With two Oscars (The Lion King, Dune), four Grammys, and nominations for three Emmy Awards, he’s made his mark in Hollywood, scoring over 150 films.
Known for innovating the use of electronics with symphony orchestra arrangements, he’s worked on Gladiator, The Last Samurai, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, and Dunkirk. If you noticed the big-budget productions trend in that list, you get his wheelhouse.
LYN AVENUE
SAT DEC 28 | 3–6 PM | OVER YONDER
Lyn Avenue performs as a duo, a trio, or a full band, but there’s no guarantee it’ll be the smaller of the options just because it’s the last Saturday matinee of the year at Over Yonder.
Whichever it is, the husband-and-wife combo of CC Witt and Patrick Ellington leads the way down a country road of Americana, folk, classic country, and smooth, soft rock like the hybrid genius of mid-70s Eagles hits.
Vocals, whether solo or harmonizing, soar and connect the listener to stories of Southern life and love and are practically tailor-made for the confines. Come for CC’s siren songs and Patrick’s scintillating guitar work, stay for a double stack and a Lone Star or four.
COLE GOODWIN
SAT DEC 27 | 8 PM | BARRELHOUSE SOUTH
Say what you will about TikTok, but you can bet Pooler’s Cole Goodwin has nothing but praise for the platform. The Savannah suburbs’ most famous young country artist went viral with 400,000 views of his single When I Get Home in December 2023, before the release of his debut EP Soon Enough.
The successful results of studying every second of Hank Williams and Charlie Daniels he could find online, the traditional sounds and stories from the origins of the genre resonated around the world. It was what he calls his “first ‘whoa’ moment as far as original music goes” and it led to more opportunities and collaborations. Closing out a great year in his (sort of) hometown promises good things that sound great.
By Frank Ricci