FRIDAY
While seminal Southern rockers like the Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd still get heaped with praise, Molly Hatchet seems to have slipped through the cracks. At Jaxx tonight, see the aging Jacksonville natives blaze through classics like ??Beatin?? the Odds? and ??Shake the House Down.?
The latest in a long line of sensitive yet quirky singer/songwriters like John Mayer and Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson built a rabid fan base the old-fashioned way: constant touring. Check out his unpredictable live act tonight at 930 Club, with fellow troubadours Matt Wertz and Kate Earl in support.
If you simply can??t wait for Depeche Mode??s concert at the Patriot Center in December, head to Black Cat tonight for an all-Depeche Mode dance party hosted by DJs Steve EP, Mellie Mel, & Krasty McNasty on the mainstage. Your $8 cover charge gives you a chance to win tickets to their upcoming show. Backstage is Black CATatonia, a free 80s hip-hop, soul, and funk dance night with DJ DK.
SATURDAY
After releasing the best album of the year, Canada??s indie supergroup the New Pornographers is taking a victory lap around the continent. At the 930 Club for a sold-out show, the Pornos?? straightforward power pop hits the sweet spot on nearly every song. Guitarist/songwriter Dan Bejar??s pre-Pornos band Destroyer opens.
We Are Family, a Hurricane Katrina benefit at MCI Center, brings soul and R&B performers from multiple generations together for a great cause. American Idol vet Ruben Studdard shares the stage with New Edition, Jodi Watley, the Chi-Lites, the Dramatics, the Stylistics, and many more.
The Fiery Furnaces, one of the biggest internet-fueled buzz bands of 2004, return to Black Cat with openers the Child Ballads. The enigmatic brother-sister duo play fractured indie pop with frequent progged-out diversions that take their tunes on impulsive detours. Backstage is a special 80s synthpop edition of the dance night Guilty Pleasures with DJ Swank.
Well into his seventh decade of performing and recording, living legend James Moody is showing no signs of slowing down. Finishing a three-night stand at Blues Alley tonight, Moody has a rich legacy as one of the greatest jazz saxophonists and flutists of his time.
SUNDAY
Unlike his sold-out Saturday show at Birchmere, tickets are still available for punk innovator and unreserved DC native Henry Rollins?? spoken word performance at Black Cat tonight. Proceeds benefit the eSharp Music Center, a superb local community development initiative.
One of the hottest blues acts comes to Birchmere tonight. Susan Tedeschi jumps between grimy R&B, bayou blues, and thumping soul to create a sound that??s fascinating both in the studio and live. Americana youngster Jackie Greene opens.
Solely responsible for spoiling every pre-game shoot-around, halftime, and seventh inning stretch over the last three years with their ubiquitous 2002 hit ??Headstrong,? Trapt takes their tired nu-metal sound to 930 Club with fellow angst-ridden acts Blindside and Aphasia.
