Cary Pierce

Saturday, Feb. 26 at The Bottleneck The good news is that Cary Pierce no longer has to perform under one of the dumbest names in rock history, Jackopierce. The bad news is that, slight as it may have been (ask the band’s old label), name recognition for the now-solo singer-songwriter is out the window. So Pierce is starting over, fronting the fourth-quarter 1999 release You Are Here with a low-key tour and a new Web site. The latter focuses on the ridiculously positive vibe Pierce found working on the record, an effort he says rejuvenated his interest in all aspects of the music business following a “burnt out” Jackopierce finale. He cowrote with former Tom Petty Heartbreaker Stan Lynch and recorded at what could comprise a travelogue of American studios — several studios in several cities, a method that seems to have become the norm for “ambitious” or “serious” artists. He set old breakups and road stories to music. And he enlisted pal Lisa Loeb to sing on a song about five years after her chart success might have helped him. All the ingredients for mellowness seem in place. If you find it hard to argue with the statement (from Pierce’s Web site), “I believe that things only mean what you decide them to mean. That’s a common thread in my music and in my life,” Pierce is the hot ticket of the week. Suga Daddies and Resident Clark open.