Music Picks: Lord Huron, Matthewdavid, Smell 15th Anniversary Party

Comments (0) By L.A. Weekly Music Critics Thursday, Jan 3 2013

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Avant

El Rey Theatre

PHOTO COURTESY HAHN-BIN

Amadeus Leopold: See Thursday.

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Triple platinum–selling R&B artist Avant knew from a young age that he was destined for music stardom. A native of Cleveland, the veteran R&B star honed his skills early in life as a junior member of the local church choir. Soon after matriculating from high school at the Cleveland School of the Arts, the crooner secured a deal with now-defunct MJM (Magic Johnson Music). His smooth, melodic style, a cross between contemporary and modern R&B, achieved mainstream success in 2000, when his brutally honest ballad "Separated" reached No. 1 on Billboard charts and quickly became an urban classic. His seventh studio effort, Face the Music, which he describes as "a taste of new and old school," is slated for release in February. —Jacqueline Michael Whatley

Amadeus Leopold

ROYCE HALL, UCLA

The violin virtuoso formerly known as Hahn-Bin cuts quite the flashy figure, taking his cues as much from Freddie Mercury, Donna Summer and Judy Garland as from Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Mozart. His performances are part "serious" classical music recital — the eminently qualified musician made his debut at age 10 with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, and studied for a decade under Itzhak Perlman — and part dramatically staged theater. The 25-year-old artiste bounds the boards in animal-skin tights and Kabuki-style makeup while essaying Till Dawn Sunday, his survey on "The Renaissance of Classical Music" featuring 20 composers in the classical, film soundtrack and pop genres. The program includes Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, Sarasate's "Gypsy Airs," Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" and selections from the scores of Schindler's List, The Wizard of Oz and Young Frankenstein. —John Payne