i know i missed a lot of good stuff this weekend, but i was in a rush .,..
FRIDAY
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, at 9:30 Club, is the perfect cure for those bored of the same cheesy dance beats. The 15-member troupe??s funk-tastic blend of Nigerian afro-beat and Latin rhythms electrifies dance floors.
Australia??s Ben Lee generated enormous amounts of buzz in the mid-90s as a precocious fourteen-year-old phenom and his now-failed relationship with Claire Daines only fueled the publicity machine. Head to Black Cat to see if the sometimes-precious singer/songwriter transcends the hype that always seems to nip at his heels.
Only the Grateful Dead could inspire a tribute band like Dark Star Orchestra, at State Theatre, that covers entire concerts by the jam-band legends ?? song-for-song and note-for-note.
SATURDAY
Michael Penn, at Iota with Jim Boggia, might be outshined by his movie star brothers Sean and Chris and his singer/songwriter wife Aimee Mann, but his quirky personality has translated into a few remarkably textured albums of folk-pop.
Local frat-rockers Kenin take their risk-free pop/rock to the 930 Club for an early gig. After clearing out the stray sandals and wayward ballcaps, the club reopens at 11pm for Blowoff, the regular dance party DJed by post-punk legend Bob Mould and Richard Morel.
Black Cat is hosting an alt-rock version of venerable Adams Morgan club Heaven and Hell. While the main room hosts the cheekily-titled Cryfest: The Cure vs. The Smiths, the backstage features Bliss, an indie dance party with DJ Will Eastman and special guest DJ Name Names.
The Clarks, at The Birchmere with Tim O??Brien, have been churning out accessible roots-rock with memorable hooks for 18 years. A brief flirtation with major label MCA in the 90s didn??t break them to a national audience, but they still make reliable albums and perform solid live shows.
SUNDAY
It??s tough to be a devout Christian in the indie rock world. At Black Cat, Damien Jurado ?? like Pedro the Lion??s David Bazan ?? avoids Christian rock stereotypes and weaves his faith into bare-boned, melancholy folk tunes.
Elvis Costello takes his Deep South concept album ??The Delivery Man? to Baltimore??s chronic exclamation point abuser Ram??s Head Live! If you can??t make it this weekend, Costello returns to the area this summer to play at Wolf Trap with Emmylou Harris.
