FRIDAY
Talib Kweli??s breakthrough hit ??Get By? finally gave the once criminally underappreciated rapper the mainstream acclaim he deserves. Unlike many in his world, Talib is also a gifted live performer and headlines a sold-out 9:30 Club with Res and Jean Grae in support.
In a scene full of teenage wannabees, emo veterans Rainer Maria are still going strong. Headlining Black Cat??s mainstage with openers Hail Social, Rainer Maria continues to produce intelligent, soul-baring indie rock.
The And 1 Mix Tape Tour blows into town again, stopping at the MCI Center to showcase streetball at its best: rim-rattling dunks, no-look passes, and ingenious ball-handling. Just don??t expect to see much defense.
The UK??s answer to the Monkees, Herman??s Hermits stormed the charts on both sides of the pond during the mid-60s. Former frontman Peter Noone takes his nostalgia-tinged teen-pop act to the Birchmere.
Liberation Dance Party continues to spin the hottest and most danceable indie tunes upstairs at DC9, while DJ Medusa??s Saccharine party takes over Zucchabar in Adams Morgan with an unconventional mix of britpop, indie, and synth. Get to Saccharine early for an open bar from 9-10pm.
Local alt-country darlings Last Train Home open a weekend stand at Iota. Tonight??s and Saturday??s show are for the old folks, while Sunday??s 2pm gig is billed as family friendly.
SATURDAY
Like many of their paint-by-numbers punk-pop pals, Finch cut their teeth on the Warped Tour. Now one of the hottest young groups on the emo circuit, see Finch headlining 9:30 Club with RX Bandits and A Static Lullaby.
Blues legend James Cotton swings into Blues Alley for the second of two nights. Cotton??s frenzied harmonica playing with Muddy Waters and later as a bandleader earned him a much-deserved reputation as a blues master.
DC??s longest running Britpop night, Mousetrap helped spawn a huge revival in alt-rock dance parties throughout the city. Head to the Black Cat to help celebrate the sixth birthday of the venerable indie institution. $10 also gets you entry to Right Round, an 80s alt-pop dance night in the backstage.
Local rockers Exit Clov have been pounding the pavement, spreading their sweet indie pop stylings all over the east coast. Luckily for us, they??ve returned for a headlining gig at Velvet Lounge with A Rooster for the Masses and The Sunday Mail in support.
Another lowest-common-denominator country-pop mega-tour rolls into Nissan Pavilion tonight. Elder line-dancing statesmen Brooks & Dunn team up with Big & Rich and the ??hick-hop? of pioneering country rapper, Cowboy Troy.
SUNDAY
One of the most overlooked bands of the early 90s shoegazing movement, Swervedriver spent the decade quietly compiling a monumental career. While the group broke up towards the end of the decade, frontman Adam Franklin performs at Iota with former Swervedriver drummer Danny Ingram.
