Concert Calender

BEST BETS AT DC MUSIC VENUES

Menomena
TUES Nov 6 @ Black Cat -- $12
Menomena’s new album, Friend and Foe, may be the best rock album this year. Menomena’s music is dense and complex with layer-upon-layer of sound, but instead of sounding like a cacophony it all works together – almost symphonic.
Sounds like: The Shins
Sample track: “Wet and Rustling”
http://www.myspace.com/menomena

The Subdudes
THURS Nov 8 @ The State Theater (Falls Church)
New Orleans-based band the Subdudes blend soul with a bit of Zydeco to create a sound that is uniquely theirs.
Sounds like: Al Green meets Dr. John
Sample track: “Known to Touch Me”
http://www.myspace.com/thesubdudes

***NEW***
Lyle Lovett
SUN and MON Nov 11 & 12, 7:30 pm @ The Birchmere ($75)
If you wonder how a man who looks like Lyle Lovett managed to convince Julia Roberts to marry him (albeit only briefly), look no further than his music. He’s a modern master and everyone should hear him play once -- but, be prepared to shell out some dough for the privilege.
Sample track: “I Think You Know What I Mean”
http://www.lylelovett.com/

VHS or Beta
MON Nov 12 @ Black Cat -- $13
VHS or Beta is the darker side of new new-wave. They sound like the 80s were new all over again. Viva synth…
Sounds like: Joy Division, the Killers
Sample track: “The Melting Moon”
http://www.myspace.com/vhsorbeta

***NEW***
Robert Earl Keen
NOV 14 @ The Birchmere (in the bandstand) -- $35
No one does Texas country party-rock like Robert Earle Keen. Keen’s repertoire of toe-tapping tunes about blue-collar life in rural Texas has earned him a loyal if not fanatical following.
Sample track: “The Road Goes on Forever”
http://www.robertearlkeen.com/


The Swell Season
SUN Nov 18 @ Lincoln Theater
The Swell Season are Frames frontman Glen Hansard and Czech musician Markéta Irglová, the duo that starred in and composed the music for the film “Once.” These are some of the prettiest songs you’ll ever hear.
Sounds like: Elliot Smith returns from the grave and records an album with Emmylou Harris
Sample track: “If You Want Me”
http://www.myspace.com/theswellseason

***NEW***
Broken Social Scene Plays Kevin Drew's Spirit If
SUN. NOV. 18 @ 9:30 -- $25.00 (6pm doors)
Co-Founder and leader of Canadian indie-rock super-group Broken Social Scene, Kevin Drew enlists his band-mates to make guest appearances on this first in a series of Broken Social Scene solo projects.
Sounds like: Broken Social Scene
Sample track: “Tbtf”
http://www.myspace.com/kevindrewspiritif

***NEW***
The Hold Steady (w/ Art Brut and 1990's)
TUES NOV 20 @ 9:30 - $20 (7 pm doors)
Rearrange your schedule, call in sick to work, do whatever you have to do, but don’t miss a chance to see the Hold Steady live. Sometime in 2003, while watching the Band’s concert film “The Last Waltz,” Hold Steady lead singer Craig Finn turned to guitarist Tad Kubler and asked, "Dude, why aren't there any bands like this anymore? Let's do this from now on." The rest was history. Dubbed America’s #1 bar band, no one alive today does real all-American rock and roll better than the Hold Steady.
Sounds like: John Hiatt, the Band
Sample track: “Stuck Between Stations”
http://www.myspace.com/theholdsteady

Dinosaur Jr.
TUES Nov 27 @ Black Cat - $20
It came from the 90s! College-rock heroes Dinosaur Jr. are back with a new album and a tour to back it. I never got to see Dinosaur Jr. in college and look forward to getting a chance now.
Sample track: “Feel the Pain”
http://www.myspace.com/dinosaurjr