FRIDAY
Ex-Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan??s latest incarnation as a mellow shoegazer is on display tonight at a sold-out 9:30 Club. If you believe his full-page ad in a Chicago newspaper this week, Corgan is looking to reform the Pumpkins, so this might be the last time you can catch his solo act.
While his TV show may be the best ever, Jerry Seinfeld ?? at the Kennedy Center ?? is best appreciated in his element: performing his stand-up routine on stage. Seinfeld has outgrown intimate venues, but he??s adept at transforming cavernous halls into cozy comedy clubs.
Thad Cockrell, at Iota, is one of the best newcomers in the traditional, tears-in-your-beer country scene. Cockrell??s earnest tenor perfectly complements his downhearted lyrics and languid pace. Ex-Whiskeytown member and frequent Cockrell collaborator Caitlin Cary opens.
Local indie rockers The Alphabetical Order celebrate the release of an EP with a gig at Velvet Lounge. Fellow locals Running with Scissors, The Rachel Nevadas, and Mic Harrison open.
In an R&B scene drenched with hip-hop beats, Kem??s gospel-tinged, rigorously traditional 2003 debut ??Kemistry? was a breath of fresh air. At Warner Theatre, Kem is back supporting his sophomore effort, appropriately titled ??Album II.?
SATURDAY
Sleater-Kinney, headlining at 9:30 Club, have long been pigeonholed as angry riot grrrls blindly attacking The Man. On their latest release, however, Sleater-Kinney complete their steady maturation into a tight group capable of making skilled music. Local psychedelic veterans Dead Meadow open.
The secretive Leon Redbone, at the Birchmere, has spent the last 30 years carving out a niche by reviving the early twentieth century sounds of ragtime and vaudeville. Redbone??s oddly compelling and danceable folk music and famously reclusive image have turned him into a pop culture icon.
Black Cat hosts Run for Cover, an annual benefit concert featuring local rockers performing in hilariously titled, one-off cover bands. This year, Fort Reno??s Summer Concert Series is the deserving beneficiary of your $8 cover fee. Backstage at Black Cat is Bliss, an indie rock dance party with DJ Will Eastman.
SUNDAY
If his latest excellent LP is any indication, the legendary Reverend Al Green is showing no signs of slowing down. At 9:30 Club, the good Reverend will likely dip deep into his tremendous back catalogue of classic soul nuggets. Surprisingly, there are still a few $75 tickets remaining.
Organic Philly hip-hop crew The Roots continue their tradition of opening for innovative rock groups when they set the stage for alt-country experimenters Wilco at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Hired gun and guitar wizard Nils Cline has taken Wilco??s sound to the next level.
Farther south at Nissan Pavilion, Dave Matthews Band just keeps on truckin??. While their latest albums may have slipped into adult-contemporary land, fans keep coming out to hear old concert favorites and big jam sessions. Inoffensive newcomers Blue Merle open.
