Weekly Music Agenda
Ray Davies |
Monday
>> Say what you will about aging legends of rock 'n' roll continuing to tour into their golden years, when you've got a catalog of songs as strong as Kinks frontman Ray Davies, we say let 'em go 'til they can't go anymore. Where the Stones and the Who depended upon a vitality and power that they just can't summon anymore, for the Kinks it was all about the songwriting, and those songs have aged quite well. With a well of tunes as deep as Davies has, plus the semi-recent release of an album of new material, don't expect a retread of just the hits. If reports from other solo shows this year are any indication, tonight's 9:30 Club show should be a mix of new stuff and older album cuts and b-sides. Brooklyn garage rockers Locksley kick off the evening. 7 p.m., $40.
>> We're not in the habit of checking out the Black Cat's web site for our movie listings, so this week's two nights of band-centric rock movies at the Backstage passed us by for a listing in Popcorn & Candy last week. Tonight, it's a trio of Ramones movies, with Hey! Is Dee Dee Home?, End of the Century and one of our favorite rock movies of all time, the Roger Corman cult classic Rock 'n' Roll High School. Tomorrow night, it's an evening with The Only Band that Matters (aka, The Clash), with Let's Rock Again, Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, and the until-recently difficult to find Rude Boy. 8:30 p.m. both nights, FREE.
Tuesday
>> Longstanding Fairfax band Emmet Swimming is putting on a benefit for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America at IOTA on Tuesday night. A trio of local acts fill out the rest of the bill with Two Kings, Mike Huckleberry, and Justin Trawick Group(***). 8:30 p.m., $10 minimum donation.
Wednesday
>> Fans of the fast and the loud should head over to the Velvet Lounge on Wednesday for a trio of punked-up outfits, including locals The Points (who we just interviewed last week) and The Electrocutions, and Detroit's Terrible Twos. 9 p.m., $8.
>> For a more rootsy rock option on the same night, you can head over to The Red and The Black, who will play host to Atlanta's Hightide Blues, along with local bluesy rockers The Jones. 9 p.m., $6.
>> Bound and determined to get D.C. audiences to quit doing the standing still, locals Ra Ra Rasputin have quickly established themselves as the area's foremost current purveyors of danceable punk. Loosen up and get on down to DC9, where the evening will also feature three more local acts, FFFever, who have a way with simple yet infectious and dreamy melodies, The Spiritual Machine, and Exactly. 8:30 p.m., $8.
Poor But Sexy |
Thursday
>> Last time we caught Poor But Sexy, we had an excellent time, so we're sure this week's Velvet Lounge show with the band (featuring ex-Dismemberment Planner Jason Caddell) won't disappoint. Indie poppers The Bloodsugars and Typefighter open up. 9 p.m., $8.
>> Legendary banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck is in town with his Flecktones to spread a little holiday cheer with his eclectic sound. Tickets for the Birchmere show, even at a pricey $59.50 face value, are sold out, so if you need your holiday Fleck fix, there are probably tickets out there to be found.
>> My Brightest Diamond is known for elaborate costumes and lush orchestrations to accompany opera-trained singer Shara Worden's evocative story-songs and eclectic style. They'll pair up with the sweetly sung melodies of Clare Muldaur Manchon of Clare & The Reasons at the Rock & Roll Hotel. 8 p.m., $12 advance, $14 at the door.
Friday
>> There's a second benefit this week, this one at Iota to kick off the weekend, and just in time to help some folks have a merrier Christmas than they might have otherwise. The organization is Community Lodgings, an Alexandria-based organization dedicated to helping homeless families get back on their feet and gain independence and self-sufficiency. On the bill are a slew of prominent local acts under the umbrella of the Federal Reserve collective, including Vandaveer, The Moderate, These United States, John Bustine, Brandon Butler, Revival and Rose, and more. 9 p.m., $12.
>> The Gene Ween Band may be a side project, but they generally throw plenty of Ween songs into the mix for their live shows, so fans of Gene's main band should have plenty of familiar material to go with whatever oddball surprises he decides to throw into the mix. Pajo opens the show at the Black Cat. 9 p.m., $18.
>> Jukebox the Ghost comes up quite a bit on this site, from album and show reviews to a Three Stars feature. It's safe to say we're fans. Head over to the Rock & Roll Hotel on Friday and we're sure you'll become one if you're not already. With The Postelles and Pretty & Nice. 8:30 p.m., $10.
Saturday
>> Jeremy Enigk's single greatest rock 'n; roll achievement remains his first, the debut Sunny Day Real Estate record, which still sounds just as visceral today as it did back in '94. Uneven as SDL's subsequent material was, Enigk managed to maintain a small but loyal cult following with the gentler direction taken in his solo material. He'll deliver just such a solo acoustic show with a sneak peek at tunes from his forthcoming record at Jammin' Java this weekend with Andy Zipf and Distrails. 9 p.m., $18 advance, $20 at the door.
>> The first time I ever saw Ted Leo live was a completely solo show at the old Black Cat back in his early post-Chisel days, and that man can do wonders with just him and a guitar on stage. I'm sorely disappointed to have to be out of town for this solo Backstage gig at the Cat, apart from the fact that the Backstage is awfully uncomfortable (and sightlines are non-existent) when it's packed in there. And it will be packed, as this one sold out in a hurry. So get there early if you want a spot on the stage or on the few high spots in the room, otherwise get used to watching the back of the head in front of you. Aloha multi-instrumentalist Cale Parks opens. 8 p.m., $10.
Sunday
>> Still bloody after all these years, Richmond's Gwar have been doing their kitschy thrash metal sideshow for more than two decades now. If you're in the mood for the costumed, cartoonish violence, they'll bring the act to the 9:30 Club on Sunday. A perfect after-church musical interlude, we're thinking. Kingdom of Sorrow and Toxic Holocaust will warm up the crowd. $20.
>> Ear-searing metal and bowing down before your flesh eating galactic overlords not really your thing? More on the heartwarming side is the traditional holiday concert from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, who play two shows this weekend at the Verizon Center. 3 and 7:30 p.m., $39-$49.