The words “allegedly shrouded in mystery” begin the bio for Abel Tesfaye, the Canadian recording artist and record producer who goes by his stage name, The Weeknd.
The 23-year-old vocalist (at right), in concert Sept. 30 at the Fox Theatre, first began drawing notice in 2010, when he quietly uploaded several songs to YouTube.
He became a bit more public in March 2011 with House of Balloons, a nine-track, 50-minute mixtape made available for free download on The Weeknd website. The contemporary R&B recording featured melancholy ballads, drug references and sexual longing. Within days, music fans and critics alike were wild with praise. Two more mixtapes followed — Thursday and Echoes of Silence — before Tesfaye signed with the Universal Republic label. The mixtapes were then remastered, augmented by three new songs and bundled as the collection Trilogy. It debuted in November 2012, immediately landing at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Pitchfork, the website devoted to covering independent music, called Trilogy “some of the best music of the young decade” and said, “judging by its already pervasive influence, it’s safe to say Trilogy … will be one of those records that will be viewed as a turning point when we look at the 2010s as a whole.”
The Weeknd, appearing with supporting acts Anna Lunoe and Banks, is one of several new concerts lined up for the Fox Theatre, a list that includes the great Aretha Franklin on Sept. 21 and Earth, Wind & Fire on Oct. 2, as well as classical crossover, country, Celtic and blues acts. Here’s a closer look, in chronological order (all tickets available at FoxAtlTix.com or 1.855.ATL.TIXX):
EARTH, WIND & FIRE. 8 p.m. Oct. 2. The groundbreaking funk-rock-soul-jazz ensemble — one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed and commercially popular funk bands of the 1970s — is touring with a mix of classic hits (“Shining Star,” anyone?) and the sounds of its new studio album, Now, Then & Forever. The album is the Chicago-born group’s first in eight years. It debuts Sept. 10. $62.65-$114.90.
SARAH BRIGHTMAN. 8 p.m. Oct. 9. The original Christine Daaé in one-time husband Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera tours behind her latest release, Dreamchaser. The CD uses space as a theme and is inspired by her childhood, when the first man landed on the moon. Dreamchaser is the 11th studio album and 17th overall (excluding compilations) for the British classical crossover soprano. Note: Every ticket buyer online or by phone is eligible to receive a complimentary copy of Dreamchaser. $99.20-$273.85.
HUNTER HAYES. 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17. Hayes (at right), on his Let’s Be Crazy tour, is an country music singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He released his self-titled debut album in October 2011. The 21-year-old is from Breaux Bridge, La., and on the rise. $47.50-$50.50.
CELTIC THUNDER. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16. The Irish singing group, well-known for its PBS specials, comprises soloists who perform both individual and ensemble numbers. The band debuted in August 2007 at the Helix in Dublin and has gone on to worldwide acclaim. The Atlanta stop is part of a 61-city tour that begins in September in British Columbia and ends in Seattle in early December. $62.15-$89.25.
BONOBO. 9 p.m. Nov. 16. Egyptian Ballroom. Simon Green, stage name Bonobo, is a British musician, producer and DJ who’s released eight albums to date, including the recent The North Borders (with guest singers including Erykah Badu). His work is best described, perhaps, as mixing the experimental warmth of 1960s French films with the pizzicato flavor of horizontal hip-hop. Got that? $28.
JOE BONAMASSA. 8 p.m. Nov. 22-23. Considered one of the world’s greatest guitarists and on the cusp of full-blown blues-rock stardom. He’s touring in support of his March release, An Acoustic Evening at the Vienna Opera House. The New Hartford, N.Y., native cites as his influences Guitar Slim, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and any number of British bluesmen. $105.70-$144.50.
