Weekly Music Agenda
Stellastarr* play the Rock and Roll Hotel on Friday.
>> In case you were wondering why all those tweens are around he Verizon Center tonight, it's because the Jonas Brothers are there. They'll perform tonight with Jordin Sparks and Honor Society, who left a very special message on their MySpace page just for D.C!!!!1! 7 p.m., looks to be predictably sold-out.
>> A supergroup of sorts, The Dead Weather, play 9:30 Club tonight and tomorrow. With Alison Mosshart of The Kills and Jack White of the White Stripes combining forces to create their own brand of organ-fueled garage rock, odds are this'll be a good show. Check out their cover of Gary Numan's oft-sampled, "Are Friends Electric?." With The Screaming Females, a band whose name actually describes their sound pretty well. The show is sold out, but there are several on Craigslist. 7 p.m. doors.
TUESDAY
>> The Dead Weather take two at 9:30. Sold out.
>> Acoustic singer-songwriter Justin Trawick is at Iota in Arlington. With Bess Rogers from Brooklyn. $10. Doors at 8 p.m.
>> I believe "tropical punk" is the best description of Abe Vigoda I've come across, though it doesn't really do the band's sound justice. Abrasive at times, with erratic song structures and a wash of hazy guitar riffs, it's probably a good show for anyone who wants to see some experimental indie-rock. With Talbot Tagora, who are similarly experimental. DC9. 8:30 p.m. $10.
>> Enjoy some heavy drop-D rock 'n' roll with D.C.'s Velvet and The Public Good at Black Cat backstage. $8, 9 p.m.
>> Rockabilly is back, or maybe it never left. Billy Woodward and the Senders are at The Red and The Black, with Paper Ship Armada and Mikey C. $6, doors at 8:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
>> The great and often unintelligible Joe Cocker is at Wolf Trap. Seats $45, lawn $25. 8 p.m.
>> Ashes performs at Busboys and Poets on 14th Street. "Coming together from vastly different musical backgrounds, each band member of Ashes adds their own flare to the group, creating a colorful musical ensemble that cannot be tagged to just one genre. Centered on the backbone of acoustic guitar, the sound builds from there with the addition of percussion, piano, cello, banjo, mandolin, and bass. The strong instrumental basis is met by a powerful lyrical collection that seeks to personally involve the feelings of the listeners." 9 p.m., $10.
>> Soulful country music from Corey Smith and Randy Rogers Band will be on offer at 9:30 Club. $18, doors at 7 p.m.
>> Wreckless Eric and wife Amy Rigby bring their quirky underwater psychedelic sound to Black Cat backstage. $12, 9 p.m.
>> Headliners Audrye Sessions are worth a visit to DC9. Openers Nashville's Paper Route play electronic infused pop-rock and are said to put on quite the live show. Three stars alums Solar Powered Sun Destroyer (***) also play. Doors at 8 p.m. and tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the night of.
>> Check out the "rowdy americana" of Buffalo from Asheville, NC. With openers Techniquelle AKA Joanne Kim, and The Northernness. $6 at The Red and The Black. 9:30 p.m.
THURSDAY
>> Take an indie-rock guitarist, two Ghanaian musicians, a jazz saxophonist and a jazz drummer and you have Chicago’s Occidental Brothers Dance Band International, who will be at DC9. $10, 9 p.m., with D.C.'s own The Moderate.
>> Blues rock blues: The Robert Cray Band are at the Birchmere. 7:30 p.m. $55.
>> Greg Laswell brings his mellow, plaintive sound to Rock and Roll Hotel. The fun and quirky Elizabeth and the Catapult and Rosi Golan kick things off. You might want to have a date on hand for this one. $10 and 8 p.m. doors.
>> The Pixies' Frank Black comes to town with his wife and their latest side-project, Grand Duchy. The very curious and experimental Bunnies open. Black Cat. $15. 8 p.m. Tickets are still available for this one!
FRIDAY
>> If you're one of those new-wave nostalgia freaks (and lord knows I am) then you might like Stellastarr* (and lord knows I do). They always put on a good show. $100 says "My Coco" is their encore. The Postmarks and Wild Light open. And do check out Wild Light's song, "California On My Mind." No one could make the phrase, "Fuck California," sound any sunnier. 8:30 p.m. doors. $12 advance/$14 night of.
>> John Legend is at Merriweather with Vaughn Anthony and India Arie. Ticket prices vary. 7:30 p.m.
>> This should be a fun one. A little afro-pop action with King Sunny Ade at the 9:30 Club. 7 p.m. $25.
>> Or if straight afro-pop is too much, there's this show at Black Cat: Novalima blends African rhythms with South American and Caribbean influences for a nice effect. $18 in advance or $22 the night of. 9 p.m.
>> A bit like the Editors, Telograph find the sweet spot between radio-friendly catchiness and indie rock. They're joined by locals Cobra Collective and Michael Ford Jr. and The Apache Relay. Iota. $10 at 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
>> Apparently the '90s are back! emmet swimming are at 9:30 Club, touring on the back of their new release, Swimming In The New Economy. Yeah, more like drowning but ok, emmet, glad someone is staying afloat. With The Dreamscapes Project. 9:30 Club $15. 6 p.m. doors.
>> Local singer-songwriter (though, perhaps that is a bit tame for her) Laura Tsaggaris is at Iota. With NY's La Strada and Laura Zax. $12 at 9 p.m.
SUNDAY
>> Who's the whimsical and, OK, just goofy band who dominates the oft-overlooked kid pop genre? Maybe it's Rocknoceros! They're kind of like Ben Folds without a single friggin' F-bomb. 9:30 Club. $15. 2:30 p.m. doors.
>> More '90s! Post-rock gods Tortoise are at Black Cat, with Grey Reverend. $20, 8 p.m.
>> Future of the Left come to D.C. all the way from Cardiff, and has its roots in the some of the members’ former band mclusky. They sound a bit like some of Tenacious D's dungeons and dragons metal, but they're 100 percent serious. Satan, temples, death, ghosts, stuff like that. With Mount Vicious. DC9. $12. 8:30 p.m.
>> Indo-Iranian Yiddish-infused ambient rock. Or, Thievery Corp's little brother? Drop Electric. Rock and Roll Hotel. $10. 9:30 p.m. doors.
>> And still more '90s! Fallen rock giants Stone Temple Pilots are at Merriweather, with Nirvana-influencers The Meat Puppets. Prices from $35-$45. 7:30 p.m.
Steve Kiviat contributed to this week's agenda.