Weekly Music Agenda
MONDAY
>> We're just going to quote directly from the Black Cat's write up of mainstage headliners Firewater, because it's pretty damned interesting:
Firewater was birthed in a Brooklyn basement in the long, hot summer of 1997. Depressed, broke, and desperate, ex-Cop Shoot Cop leader Tod A tossed away a major label deal and a free meal ticket to launch what - at the time - was a crazy proposition: a punk band fueled by gypsy and klezmer tunes. He wanted to combine the mystery and melodrama of these tragic-comic sounds with the energy of his first love: punk rock. Ten years later, Tod left everything he knew behind and hit the road. Recording with just a single microphone and a laptop, he captured performances with a vast array of musicians across India, Pakistan, Turkey and Israel. Bhangra and sufi percussion would form the basis for a new batch of songs he wrote along the way, and the result is The Golden Hour and the return of one of punk's most interesting bands.With Frog Eyes and Evangelicals, both of whom have impressed DCist reviewers in the recent past. $12, 8 p.m.
>> The Surge is a new heavily Pavement-influenced local band made up of two Washington journalists who hate the war and love dark, rhythmic indie rock. At the Velvet Lounge with Michael the Blind from Portland, and Unicycle Loves You from Chicago. $7, 9:30 p.m.
>> Three Stars alums The Beanstalk Library are gracing the stage of the Rock and Roll Hotel this evening, along with the Retribution Gospel Choir and the Weather Underground. $12, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY
>> Head to the Black Cat this evening to see Sloan and you'll probably have as much fun seeing them as DCist Graham did last year. $15, 7 p.m. (early!)
>> It’s funky bass time when reunited ‘70s outfit Mandrill comes to the Birchmere. $37.50, 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
>> Frankly, we're not sure how all this awesome is going to be contained by the Black Cat. The F Yeah Tour '08 comes to D.C. with: Dan Deacon, Matt & Kim, TheDeathSet, Monotonix, Team Robsepierre, and Mannequin Men, with comedy by Reggie Watts and Jonah Ray, and art by Space 1026. And all of that is only $13! WTF. Things are starting early, so get there by 7 p.m. or you'll miss out.
>> Apparently there was a big ABBA tribute show at the 9:30 Club tonight, which has been canceled. But fear not, because your tickets for Wednesday's show will be honored at Thursday's. Or, you can receive a refund at the 9:30 box office through July 2, 2008.
>> After a journey around the world and back, These United States have come home to D.C. They'll be reminding us why we love them so much from the Rock and Roll Hotel's stage, along with Centro-matic and The M's. $10 in advance, $12 at the door. 8 p.m.
>> The Holmes Brothers take their old-school soul, blues, and gospel harmonies to the Columbia Festival of the Arts for a free 7 p.m. appearance at Centennial Park.
>> DC9 has booked two bands tonight: The Muslims and The Browns. Yup. $8.
THURSDAY
>> Orchestra Baobab, one of Senegal’s biggest bands in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, reunited this century and they’ll be back in town getting folks dancing to their Afro-Cuban sound in the Birchmere’s bandstand room. $37.50, 7:30 p.m.
FRIDAY
>> Salif Keita, Malian vocalist extraordinaire, sometimes likes to sing over bland jazz-fusion. Hopefully tonight at Lisner he will instead stick with his country’s energetic sounds. $25-$45, 8 p.m.
>> David Rudder’s mixture of socio-political lyrics and bouncy soca never did crossover, but that should not stop anyone from getting adventurous and checking out this Trinidadian’s wonderful live show at Zanzibar.
SATURDAY
>> Grupo Fantasma, an Austin-based Latin cumbia and funk band that Prince hired to back him in Las Vegas, will be trying to move hips at Black Cat. Bio Ritmo open. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. 9 p.m.
>> Loads of DJs (including a set from LCD Sound System) and a live performance by those lovable dudes in The Dance Party at the 9:30 Club, courtesy Blisspop and BYT. Sounds like fun. $15, 9 p.m.
>> Recapture the thrill of funk merging with rock when WAR (of “Why Can’t We be Friends” fame), and Original P feat. Fuzzy Haskins & Grady Thomas (founding members of Parliament Funkadelic) take the stage at 7:30 at the Carter Barron Amphitheater.
SUNDAY
>> I've never seen a band describe themselves as "visual" before. Head to DC9 to "see" Unwed Sailor. With Chicago's Sybris. $8 in advance, $10 at the door.
>> The mighty Pearl Jam is at the Verizon Center this weekend. They put on a great show there two years ago, proving that no matter how much their recent recordings pale in comparison to their glory days, they still know how to pwn a stage. $69, 7:30 p.m.
Steve Kiviat contributed to this week's agenda. Photos from the bands' MySpace pages.