The Max Levine Ensemble plays Saturday night for a Net Neutrality Benefit. Photo by nanoenano91
MONDAY
Ken Vandermark and Nate Wooley with The Anthony Pirog Ensemble @ Union Arts 7 p.m., $15.
Although Chicago-based saxophonist/composer Ken Vandermark and New York trumpet aficionado Nate Wooley have separately built their own stellar reputations for decades, there’s something particularly special about seeing the two of them together. This collaboration has become an increasingly regular occurrence over the past year and a half and those folks who are still kicking themselves for missing their appearance at Iota in late 2013 will get another shot tonight at Union Arts. If that Iota show was any indication, this will be another mind-blowing night where the sounds from their instruments go into surprising new places, with freeing and masterful compositions. The Anthony Pirog Ensemble opens. —Valerie Paschall
[Editor’s note: This is the third and final night in CapitalBop’s three-day festival, The Preparation.]
DC9: Operators, Pleasure Curses. 9 p.m., $10/$12.
Communiverse: Quarterbacks, Qualms, Flashlight O and Juugy Strong. 7 p.m., $5-$10 suggestion donation
TUESDAY
Kahulanui @ The Kennedy Center. 6 p.m., free.
As a wise man once said, “You see, the problem with ukulele songs is that they’re all too short.” Another wise man once said, “Holy $%&!, it’s cold right now.” The Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage solves both of those issues this week. The ukuleles in question will be used in some seriously swingin’ jazz, written and performed by a group from the balmy state of Hawaii, which means you get to spend an hour or two in the tropics—for free. Kahulanui, a jazz group from Hawaii that sings in the native language of the islands, is stopping at the Millennium Stage on their first continental U.S. tour. Don’t miss your chance for some free warm-weather fun. If 6 p.m. is too early for you to make, Kahulanui is also playing at Tropicalia, at 14th and U Streets NW, later that night. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets at $15 at the door. – Caroline Baxter
Redline Graffiti, Ravi Shavi, Crystal Robots and Warm Sun @ the Paperhaus. 8 p.m., donations suggested
Redline Graffiti has established themselves as one of the best local ensembles of any genre in D.C., giving new definitions to melody and fusion in a city often dominated by bass amps on full volume. To catch their ecstatic live set at a venue as intimate as the Paperhaus this Tuesday will be a special treat, and no doubt bolstered by a diverse, all star bill. The entire show is slated to be a night of blissful pop and experimentation, with gritty pop rock band Ravi Shavi heading down from Rhode Island and locals Warm Sun and Crystal Robots starting the night off right. —Quinn Myers
Gypsy Sally’s: Dustbowl Revival and Swampcandy. 8:30 p.m., $12/$15. 21+
WEDNESDAY
The Vaselines with Amanda X @ Rock & Roll Hotel. 8 p.m., $20
In 1989, fey punk-popsters Eugene Kelly and Frances McKee broke up after releasing their only album, Dum Dum. Then fame came calling in the form of Kurt Cobain, who championed the band and reissued their entire recorded output on SubPop. The Vaselines eventually reunited and made their first ever U.S. appearance in 2008 (in Hoboken, natch). They’re in town this week for the first leg of a tour promoting their excellent second post-reunion album, V for Vaselines. —Pat Padua
9:30 Club: Alvin Risk with Kodak to Graph, Strike Stone and Rucca. 10:30 p.m., $20.
U St Music Hall: Anamanaguchi with Maxo and DJ Basscamp. 8 p.m., $15.
THURSDAY
U St Music Hall: DESTRUCTO, Anna Lunoe & Motez and T. Williams. 10:30 p.m., $15. 18+
DC9: Bane, Axis, Supreme Commander, Walk the Plank. 8 p.m., $12/$14.
FRIDAY
No BS Brass Band and Backbeat Underground @ Gypsy Sally’s. 7 p.m., $14-$17 21 & Up
Horn-heavy funk will rule D.C. this Friday night as Richmond’s No BS Brass Band comes to town once again, this time at Gypsy Sally’s in Georgetown. There are many brass bands currently on national tours, and yet No BS manages to claim their own territory with a distinctive sound that fuses soul, jazz, and rock into their signature sound. The supporting band will be D.C.’s own funky jazz and soul big band, Backbeat Underground, with special guest Flex Mathews joining them on stage. —Andy Cerutti
Occultist, Ilsa, Permafrost, Torrid Husk and Cladonia Rangiferina @ The Pinch. 7 p.m., $10
A huge night of metal is coming to the Pinch in Columbia Heights this Friday! Richmond’s Occultist continues their rampage up the East Coast, and are in good company for their stop at The Pinch. D.C.’s Ilsa oozes doomy sludge, and always put on a great show. Alexandria’s Permafrost will be celebrating the release of their debut album, Transitory, after West Virginia’s Torrid Husk and Lynchburg, Virginia’s Cladonia Rangiferina unleash a lethal dose of black metal. -—Jon Pacella
Donovan Blanc, Go Gozy, Raindeer and Treatment @ Baby City. 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation.
Donovan Blanc’ first single “Minha Menina” has a chimey-ness to it that fits right in with the sounds of, well, Chimes Records, the label that puts on shows at Babe City in Dupont Circle. Blanc’s well-crafted pop songs, featuring an abundance of 12-string guitar treble and psychedelic sheen, have just enough energy in the rhythm section to make it safe to assume this will translate into a really great live show. D.C.’s Go Cozy and Baltimore’s Raindeer couldn’t be a more perfect fit for Donovan Blanc; both also feature subtle hints of psychedelia and plenty of hooks in their respective pop song crafts. Add even more, yes, chime-y guitars with chorus effects from New Jersey’s Treatment and it would be fair to say there is a clear aesthetic that underlies this entire bill. So, if you like great songs with strong pop hooks, chimey bright guitars, and just enough of a ’60s influence to make a Byrds fan happy, then I’d highly recommend you check out this show. —Alex Tebeleff
?uestlove with Fort Knox Five DJ set @ The Howard Theatre 10 p.m., $20/$25.
DJ ?uestlove—of the Roots, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Twitter fame—brings another one of his eclectic and encyclopedic DJ sets to the Howard Theatre on Friday night. And while an invitation to spin through ?uestlove’s vast record collection is enough to draw a sizable crowd, be sure to show up early for a set from D.C.’s own Fort Knox Five. With a seasoned eye for hip-hop, funk and reggae, the local group has been producing singles and remixes since 2003 for their own label Fort Knox Recordings. For a taste of what’s to come, check out their debut album Radio Free D.C., a collaboration with local artists ranging from Asheru to Ian Svenonius. The party starts at 10, but with a bill like this one, be prepared to go all night long. —Max Steinmetz
DAR Constitution Hall: Chaka Khan. 8 p.m., $76-$88.
SATURDAY
The Max Levine Ensemble/Radiator Hospital/The Rememberables/The Black Sparks @ St. Stephen’s Church. 7 p.m., $5-$15 sliding scale.
Philadelphia’s Radiator Hospital reliably play a show in the D.C. area every 2-3 months and are always worth catching when they come through. Their two full-length albums boast more catchy pop-punk hooks than most bands are able to come up with over the duration of a career; hooks that are most enjoyable in a live setting. The rest of the lineup is rounded out by some of D.C.’s strongest pop and punk mainstays: The Max Levine Ensemble; The Rememberables, who recently released a 7″; and The Black Sparks, whose debut full-length is due out soon. Funds from this show will go to Free Press and their net neutrality awareness campaign. —Ahmad Zaghal
DC9: Roadkill Ghost Choir, The Jones. 8 p.m., $10/$12.
Rock and Roll Hotel: Hemlines, Flamers and Company Calls. 8 p.m., $12.
SUNDAY
Trouble Funk and Rare Essence: The Ultimate Reunion @ Howard Theatre. 10 p.m., $26.50-$50
You need to go to this, especially if you’ve never seen a go-go show. Just… go.
