Weekly Music Agenda
Squeeze |
MONDAY
>>Yes, Suzanne Vega is the person who sings “Tom’s Diner”, and, lucky for you, we're guessing she plays it at her Monday night set at the Birchmere. Unfortunately for your neighbors, roommates, co-workers, and spouses, you’ll probably be singing its a cappella intro for days. With Christina Courtin. $35, 7:30 p.m.
>> Considering what it costs to see currently touring pop acts these days, a $25 lawn seat at Wolf Trap for the Backstreet Boys seems like a steal. Then you remember that, wait, you can’t remember the last thing they put out (it was actually last fall) and you think the disc you bought back in ’99 is still stuck between the seats in your dad’s old Buick Century. Worth the trip out to Vienna? We’ll let you decide. $25-45, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY
>> Surprise at the Club! It's never-were Three Stars act Good Charlotte. Will Joel Madden bring wifey and the kids? Can you think of another reason to go? $25, doors at 7 p.m.
>> If heavy rock is your thing, Pittsburgh's Don Caballero will be playing with Baltimore's Ponytail at the Iota Club. Caballero are just kicking off a tour in support of their new LP, Punkgasm. Yep. $12, Doors at 8:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
>> Ever find yourself wondering what The Monkees have been up to since the Brady Bunch went off the air? Find out for yourself. Peter Tork, former guitarist, comes to Jammin’ Java in Vienna. $15, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY
>> BBC music personality's former band and classic new-wavers Squeeze are back on the road. Founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook are still around, bringing their hit parade -- "Pulling Mussels (From a Shell)", "Tempted", "Up the Junction" -- to the 9:30 Club. Hefty price to pay though. $45, with the Spring Standards. Doors at 7:30 p.m.
>> It’s a good night for proto-psych fans at the Black Cat. L.A. veterans Nebula cap off a three-band bill. Totomoshi, fresh off the release of their latest Milagrosa, and Indiana punk group The Coke Dares open things up. $10 at the Backstage, Doors at 9 p.m.
The Jet Age |
FRIDAY
>> Bryan Scary and the Shedding Tears (Queen/ELO/Bowie disciples out of New York) headline a mammoth bill at the Black Cat. Former Three Stars pop classicists The Beanstalk Library will be in attendance, as well as the hushed, folky Kitty Hawk. And then there’s The Jet Age, whose winter 2008 release What Did You Do During The War, Daddy? is still riding a wave of great reviews. Definitely the most bang for your rock-and-roll buck this week. $10, Doors at 9 p.m.
>> Just when you thought you were “never gonna get” the smooth, funky R&B stylings of En Vogue ever again, they show up on your doorstep. That is, if you live in Alexandria’s Del Ray neighborhood, where they’re playing the Birchmere. Tickets are $45, but wait – it’s sold out. Can we get a show of hands – who else is shocked that this many people are willing to cough up for a $45 ticket to see En Vogue? Doors at 7:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
>> It’s the 8th Anniversary of Bliss at the Black Cat. Natch, Three Stars alum DJ Will Eastman will be there spinning his usual indie rock jams, but this time he’s got Chicagoland’s own DJ Pogo and Wallpaper, making a special live performance. $10, 9:30 p.m.
>> A diverse, all-star lineup pays tribute to James Brown on Saturday night with Still Black, Still Proud: The African Tribute to the Godfather himself. Pee Wee Ellis, Wunmi, Vieux Farka Toure, Fred Wesley, Fred Moss, and Reggie Ward all join in. $25, doors at 8 p.m.
>> Downstairs from Bliss you’ll find something quite unblissful – a manic triple bill of noise, punk, and psych. Three Stars alums The Apes bring their guitarless heavy psych-stylings along with their newest album, Ghost Games. Pittsburgh’s Dirty Faces open with their turn-back-the-clock post-punk, but my guess is you’ll be there for Oneida, the multi-dimensional, instrumental, experimental rockers from Brooklyn. $10/12, Doors at 9 p.m. At the Backstage.
>> I’ve been fearing this day for a long time and it’s finally here. An act billing itself as “It Was Forty Years Ago Today: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is coming to the DC-area to play Wolf Trap. As the title suggests, they’re celebrating the anniversary of one of pop’s most innovative and influential records. The group was supposed to include Taylor Hicks, but instead includes American Idol loser Bo Bice, Lou Gramm of Foreigner, Denny Laine of the Moody Blues, and they’re all led by Todd Rundgren. Normally, besides a few missteps, we don’t begrudge Rundgren’s McCartney-esque songwriting, but this, frankly, could be a recipe for disaster. $25-40. 8 p.m.
SUNDAY
>> Here's a good way to wind down one of your last summer weekends: a free concert at the 9:30 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Ben's Chili Bowl. The lineup is heavy on funk and hip-hop, with a lot of local groups turning out, including Mambo Sauce, Trouble Funk, EU, Wes Felton and Friends, and Sage Infinity. FREE, 1 p.m.
Photos from the bands' websites.