Weekly Music Agenda
Our apologies for missing Monday and Tuesday. Better late than never, here's your abbreviated music agenda.
WEDNESDAY
>> Monsters of indie pop Andrew Bird and St. Vincent are in town tonight for a long since sold out show at the 9:30 Club. To those who bought early, enjoy. To the rest of you, good luck on Craigslist or finding that elusive extra ticket at the door. And, if you're unsuccessful, just close your eyes and listen to NPR's recording of Bird's 2007 9:30 Club show and a D.C. St. Vincent show from earlier this year. It's just like being there, except no Nachos of Ulysses. 7 p.m.
>> Tickets are, however, still available for tonight's show over at the Black Cat. The mainstage features laid-back indie rockers Pinback, who are well over a year removed from their last record, and reportedly at work on a release for next year, which likely means plenty of brand new material at tonight's show. The Obits open the night. $15, 8 p.m.
THURSDAY
>> Just in time for Halloween, The Black Heart Procession are coming to town, armed with their newly released sixth record (numerically titled, as is their tendency, 6) of dark soundtrack music to really cool horror movies that unfortunately no one has made yet. Having seen them play the mainstage to decent crowds before, I can't help but wonder why they're getting stuck downstairs this time at the Black Cat, especially with a ticket price that seems a little steep for the small room. But at least you'll be close to the stage, wherever you are, right? Bellini and The Mumlers start the evening off. $13 Adv/ $15 Door, 8 p.m.
>> The noisy, gloriously messy brashness of Welsh band Future Of The Left comes to the Rock and Roll Hotel, along with Brooklyn collective Uninhabitable Mansions, which features members of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Au Revoir Simone, and Dirty on Purpose. Drink Up Buttercup opens. $12 adv/$14 door, 8 p.m.
>> Montreal psych-poppers The High Dials will be at the Velvet Lounge, along with Columbus' The Receiver, and Self Servants, which features members from nearly a half dozen well known D.C. acts from years past, including High Back Chairs and Circus Lupus. $8, 8:30 p.m.
>> Mike Doughty, who may forever be known as "former lead singer of Soul Coughing" no matter how long his solo career outlives his tenure with that band, is currently on tour doing a series of "question jar" shows. It's basically just him and a guitar, along with cellist Andrew Livingston, and a jar at the front of the stage which audience members are welcome and encouraged to fill with questions, no matter on what subject. Mike and Andrew will draw questions from the jar and answer them in between songs. Brooklyn's Porter Block opens at the Birchmere. $25, 7:30 p.m.
>> Longtime cult faves Guster are playing not one, but two nights at the 9:30 Club, of which Thursday is the first. Both are sold out, testament to the band's enduring fanbase. 7 p.m. (both Thursday and Friday)
FRIDAY
>> Critical favorite Vic Chesnutt has a new record out, and is on tour with his band, which consists of Guy Picciotto of Fugazi, along with members of Thee Silver Mt. Zion. Locals Clare and the Reasons open on the Black Cat mainstage. $13, 9 p.m.
>> The Beatnik Flies have been kicking around D.C. for over 30 years, as has Marshall Keith, the former Slickee Boys guitarist now playing with Ottley. Those two bands will be joined by Pup Tent at the Velvet Lounge for an evening heavy on garage and psychedelia. $10, 9 p.m.
>> Local singer/songwriter Laura Tsaggaris, whose newest record we reviewed this past summer, takes the stage at Iota, with Dirty Martini member Stephanie Schneiderman performing solo to open the evening. $12, 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
>> It's Halloween! And it seems like nearly every club in town has a specially themed night to celebrate. Except, that is, for the 9:30 Club, which appears to just be having a regular concert with hip-hop journeymen Cypress Hill. Perhaps B-Real and company brought some costumes on tour? Check them out and see, with Tabi Bonney and Phil Adé. $35, 8 p.m.
>> The Rock and Roll Hotel, on the other hand, is celebrating the holiday with a full costume Halloween party. Bands for the night include Captured! By Robots, Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, and Bonjour, Ganesh!. And for only $1, you can bob for PBR, though we're unsure just how good an idea that might be as H1N1 season gets underway. $8 adv/$10 door, 8 p.m.
>> Just down the street from the Hotel, DCist Music Editor and Patrick Swayze aficionado Amanda Mattos will be happy to hear that The Red and The Black is hosting a Road House Halloween. Local rockers The Jones will be presenting a special performance as "The Swayze, A Tribute to Road House." We're thinking plenty of Jeff Healey covers, in an effort to turn the Red and the Black into D.C.'s answer to the Double Deuce. And, as a bonus, if you show up dressed as a character from the movie, you get in for free. $5, 8 p.m.
>> Not to be left out, the Velvet Lounge has a huge Halloween bash of their own, with Ra Ra Rasputin, Loderunner, Vita Ruins and Exactly playing upstairs, and a series of DJs spinning on the ground floor. Door prizes for costumes in a number of categories, zombie movies, and the website claims that there will be bobbing for apples in whiskey, which seems much safer than the Rock and Roll Hotel's PBR bob. There's also a "spooky jail" with guards armed with supersoakers filled with tequila, which is a recipe either for disaster or the greatest Brightest Young Things photo post ever. $8 for the show, $4 if you're just hanging out at the bar, 9 p.m.
>> If Halloween party is less important than some dark and punishing sounds appropriate to the holiday, then the night of metal at the Patriot Center is probably your best bet, where Metalocalypse's semi-fictional Dethklok's tour with Mastodon arrives on Halloween evening. $35, 6:30 p.m.
SUNDAY
>> Local singer/songwriter and Three Stars alum Justin Trawick's continuing series "The Nine at DC9" continues this weekend for what he bills as "one night with nine different points of view," featuring a number of singer/songwriters from the area. $8.
>> And, across town at The Red and the Black, there's another singer/songwriter-centric evening, with New York's Laura Meyer, playing with local Stripmall Ballads, and Brooklyn's Will Scott. $6, 8:30 p.m.