One of America’s most brilliant finger-picking guitarists, JOHN FAHEY profoundly influenced a generation of stringbenders (Leo Kottke among them) and has led one of the most singular careers in American music. In 1959, Fahey began recording dazzling original compositions that elaborated on the style of old-time country and Delta blues players. Over time, Fahey incorporated unorthodox sonorities and ideas from 20th Century classical music into his increasingly dark creations. After an extended hiatus, Fahey resurfaced in 1997 with three records. “City of Refuge” (Tim/Kerr) delivered an often beautiful, haunting melange of sparse electronics, classic finger-picking and non-standard structures, while “The Epiphany of Glenn Jones” (Thirsty Ear) was a sometimes arresting, sometimes bizarre collaboration with the experimental group Cul de Sac. “Womblife” (Table of the Elements) mingled semi-free-form acoustic picking with more abstract guitar sonorities. Ever fascinating and unpredictable, John Fahey performs Saturday at the Unity Temple, 875 Lake St., Oak Park. 708-383-8873.
THE A LIST
Bonnie Raitt, Wednesday at the Rosemont Theatre: When mega-stars “revisit their musical roots,” they often do so with all the sincerity of a gladhanding politician visiting a corner tap on his way to a $10,000-a-plate fundraiser. Not so Bonnie Raitt. Featuring a musty, murky Froom/Blake production job, Raitt’s excellent new LP, “Fundamental,” gets back to basics with abandon, laying out a warm, low-key, soul-R&B-roots bedrock smoldering with passion, sincerity and great hooks. (Sold out.) 5400 N. River Rd., Rosemont. 312-559-1212.
Alana Davis, Monday at the Park West: The fresh yet familiar feel of Alana Davis’ debut LP, “Blame It on Me,” isn’t hard to trace. Her vocal delivery can recall Phoebe Snow’s, while the mellow, sultry soul of her music owes something to Bill Withers. But it’s the hard-to-categorize confluence of R&B, pop and folk in Davis’ sound — along with her engaging songwriting — that helps it stand out from the myriad niche-dwellers on the charts. 322 W. Armitage Ave. 312-559-1212.
Other concerts
Jamboree 1998, Saturday at the World Music Theatre: Q101 (WKQX-FM) kicks off the summer outdoor concert season with its annual Memorial Day weekend Jamboree. This year’s lineup includes Foo Fighters, Scott Weiland, Ben Folds Five, Barenaked Ladies, Soul Asylum, Creed Eve6, the Specials, Harvey Danger, Spacehog and Fastball. I-80 and Harlem Avenue, Tinley Park. 708-614-1616.
Amy Grant, Sunday at the Rosemont Theatre: In 1991, when Amy Grant told a reporter, “Christians can be sexy,” she not only demolished the widely held myth that only pagan idolaters were attractive but also justified her dual role as a wholesome pop songwriter and fresh-faced sex symbol. It’s a combination that has served her well, along with her knack for hummable, middle-of-the-road epistles to the Emteeveesians. 5400 N. River Rd., Rosemont. 312- 559-1212.
Southern Culture on the Skids, Friday at Lounge Ax and Saturday at the Double Door: Psychedelia had its Strawberry Alarmclock. Punk its Sigue Sigue Sputnik. And roots music has Southern Culture on the Skids. The pseudo-hillbillies of SCOTS certainly know their music (rockabilly, swamp blues, early rock), and they’ve got nifty chops, but they’re ultimately more about yuks and career moves than down-and-dirty field work in the rock ‘n’ roll boneyard. Lounge Ax: 2438 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-525-6620. Double Door: 1572 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-489-3160.
Coal Chamber, Friday at House of Blues: If rock ‘n’ roll’s loud, rowdy roar is, as some have said, the sound of teenage hormones running amok, then the seething, grinding, low-end convulsion of Coal Chamber is the sound of chronic intestinal obstruction. That’s not a putdown, just a description. A perfect blend of punk thrash and metal’s dark, disciplined menace, Coal Chamber’s burn-and-grate attack is as unpleasant as it is hard to ignore. 329 N. Dearborn St. 312-923-2000.
Vonda Shepard, Sunday at the Vic Theatre: Art may imitate life, but life increasingly seems to imitate TV fantasy. Singer-songwriter Vonda Shepard’s lightweight folk-pop generated little excitement when her debut LP appeared nearly a decade ago, but a regular gig on “Ally McBeal” has created new fans for her generic, ginger ale-and-seltzer water renditions of classic covers and originals. Maybe mainstream radio ain’t so bad. 3145 N. Sheffield Ave. 312-559-1212.
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Wednesday at the Star Plaza Theatre: What’s that smell? Could be Polygrip, Preparation H and Grecian Formula wilting under the stage lights. Boasting three original members and Ronnie Van Zant’s younger bro Johnny, the new Skynyrd ably re-creates the whiskeyed-up gator boogie slash of its ’70s incarnation, though the new tunes may prove less long-lived than the band’s legend. I-65 and U.S. 30, Merrillville, Ind. 219-769-6311.
Also: George Clinton and P-Funk, Friday and Saturday at the Star Plaza Theatre; Run-DMC, Friday at the Park West; Cornershop, Saturday at Metro; the Roots, Monday at House of Blues; Joan Jett, Wednesday at House of Blues.
