MAKING CHANGE: Thirty years ago, then President of the United States Lyndon Johnson decided to escalate the war in Vietnam in an effort to stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia. Since bad ideas are hard to sell, our government resorted to drafting young men into the military then loaded them on to planes, bound for a place about which only the CIA gave a rat's ass. From the mid-fifties to the mid-sixties, rock and roll was for fun; our involvement in 'Nam changed that. Anti-establishment themes began to run through popular music like the Mississippi at flood level, and although it remains arguable as to whether it actually effected social change, it certainly spread the word. This week, Tucson welcomes a couple of acts, from Haight-Ashbury to the Boston folk scene, who were at the forefront of protest during a time when having long hair or a big 'fro would have gotten your butt kicked in 99 percent of rural America (the other one percent being comprised of Indian reservations and Amish farms). On Friday, March 29, Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., presents Jefferson Starship on their Acoustic Explorer tour with original members Paul Kantner and Jack Casady. The show will feature hits and rarities spanning 30 years of the Starship and Airplane, overlooking "We Built This City" fluff in favor of creating aural acoustic landscapes. Kantner remains as musically and politically active as ever. Being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year hasn't signaled retirement for the Starship, a band that has toured both nationally and internationally for the last four years. Tickets are $12 in advance, available at Club Congress, $14 day of show. Call 622-8848 for more information. Taj Mahal and his seven-piece band will be at the Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St., on Saturday, March 30, celebrating the release of his most recent album, Phantom Blues. Mahal, who began his musical career after receiving a degree in animal husbandry from the University of Massachusetts in '63, has a body of work that includes 30 records exploring everything from R&B, rock and roll, pop, jazz and Zydeco to West African and Caribbean influences. On Phantom Blues, Mahal is joined by Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Mike Campbell and David Hildago for further exploration of the electric blues style begun on his last album, Dancing the Blues. Inspired by Ray Charles, Mahal adds one of his first songs with a strong country feel, "Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes." The show begins at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, available at Hear's Music, Zia Records and the Rialto. The price jumps to $12 day of show. LAST NOTES: KXCI presents Laurie Lewis & the Grant Street Band, featuring former Tucsonans Tom Rozum and Peter McLaughlin, on Friday, March 29, at the Southwest Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Lewis and Rozum's album, The Oak and the Laurel, was nominated for a Grammy Award earlier this year in the Traditional Folk Music category. A champion fiddle player, Lewis has been recognized twice as International Bluegrass Female Vocalist of the Year. Irish singer/songwriter Maireid Sullivan opens the show with an acoustic set of traditional and original Celtic songs. Her debut album Dancer is a beautiful layering of voice and instruments resulting in a seamless blending of the contemporary with the past. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance, available at The Folk Shop, Buffalo Exchange, Mars-Hall Music, Loco Records and KXCI, or charge by phone at 623-1000. The price goes up to $18 day of show. The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave., has a reggae line-up on Saturday, March 30, presenting The Itals in concert with special guest Andrew Bees opening the show. Tickets are $8 in advance, available at Twelve Tribes Reggae Shop, Loco Records and The Rock, $10 day of show. Doors open at 8 for 9 p.m. show time. Roscoe Taylor plays blues at The 3rd Stone, 500 N. Fourth Ave., on Saturday, March 30. Cover charge is $3. Call 628-8844 for more information. Wynona, the princess of country, will appear in concert at the TCC Arena on Tuesday, April 2. Black Hawk opens. Tickets are $23.50, available at Dillard's, the TCC box office, or charge by phone at 791-4836. Doors open at 7 p.m. Call 791-4266 for more information. The Rialto hosts "The Swingin' Safari" on Tuesday, April 2, with 8 1/2 Souvenirs playing Parisien Lounge music. Tickets are $5, available at the Rialto. --Jennifer Murphy

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