Why Gentrify?!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khA5zJYZrYw]

5/23

The Sketches, a local pop-rock band, will perform at the 9:30 Club with Honey Chuck and the Dreamscape Project. Cost is $12. Recognize our city in the above video?

5/24

The Urban Verbs, a new wave band from DC will perform at the 9:30 Club on Saturday with Martin Royle at 6 pm. Cost is $20.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tebluTKKTAQ]

KRS-One, the revered hip-hop legend, will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm on Saturday with Kokayi.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWa4UpajKTc&feature=related]

5/25

Kuku, a Nigerian acoustic guitarist and singer with a U Street open-mic following, will perform at Bohemian Caverns on Sunday at 7 pm. Cost is $10.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow-Xz-fOhH4&feature=related]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIicqULYhGw]

The Helio Sequence, an indie rock band from the Portland, Oregon area, will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm with Pattern is Movement.  Cost is $10.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLBRUZOxnTw&feature=related]

Wye Oak, an indie rock duo from Baltimore, consisting of Andy Stack and Jenn Wasner, both in their early 20s, will perform at the Black Cat tonight at 9 pm. They’ll be joined by Dead Science and Yukon. Cost is $8.

Check out Stack drumming below. One handed drumming is pretty impressive, at least to a non-drummer such as myself. Seems like a good workout. What is the keyboard/synthesizer for? I don’t hear it.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQTt4JtLn9c&feature=related]

There’re a whole lot of concerts going on!

5/16 (tonight)

DeVotchka, the four-piece multi-instrumental that blends Eastern European sounds with rock, will perform at the 9:30 Club with Basia Bulat at 9 pm. Cost is $15.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6SO_yKMe8]

Los Campesinos!, the Welsh seven-piece indie pop-rock band, will perform at the Black Cat with the Aquarium and Pash at 9 pm. Cost is $12.

5/17 (Saturday)

Junior League, will bring its bluegrass, country, and folk music to the Black Cat at 9 pm. Cost is $10.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXB_vOB0emI&feature=related]

The Speaks, a local five-member rock band with fame in Asia, will be play at the 9:30 Club with Monako and Dreaming of Eden at 6 pm. Cost is $12.

5/18 (Sunday)

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQw4PevmCws]

Alice Smith, the R&B, soul, jazz, etc. chanteuse with a powerful voice and some DC roots, will perform at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 pm with Res. Cost is $18.

Bishop Allen, the indie rock band from Brooklyn will perform at 8 pm at the Black Cat with the War on Drugs and Deleted Scenes. Cost is $12.

Yo Majesty, a female hip-hop crew known for its electro-rap jams, will perform at DC9 at 9 pm with Innerpartysystem. Cost is $12.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZSKvSz1roQ]

Serj Tankian, the Armenian-American frontman from metal band System of a Down, will rock out and thrash at the 9:30 Club tonight at 7:30 pm. Cost is $25. He’s doing his solo album thing and definitely has a political-bent and seems a bit quirky.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCRuCAcAZK0]

Cut Copy, the Australian dance-pop group with the ’80s sound, performs at the Black Cat at 8 pm with Jacksonville, FL rock band Black Kids (huh?). Cost is $15.

I had to include a Black Kids video, it’s retro catchy!

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaa4eGOtrTg]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSyxy-gjboM]

Red Racer, the local DC quartet that creates “pop-addicted rock and roll,” will perform at the Black Cat with Mother at 9 pm.  Cost is $8.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKXlgISd3iA]

The Black Keys, the Ohio-based blues rock duo, will be performing at the 9:30 Club at 7:30 pm tonight and tomorrow, 5/13, with the Buffalo Killers. Cost is $25 (shows are sold out). The Black Keys have a newly released album called “Attack & Release.”

Local rock group the Wild Fictions will perform at the Black Cat at 9 pm tonight with Drew Danbury and Lode Runner. Cost is $8.

Well, U Street is always full of action, and more importantly, always full of music. Here’s the weekend roundup of where you can catch a show:

Polvo, the influential indie rock band from Chapel Hill, NC is reunited for their first show in almost a decade. They will be performing with Sir Arthur & His Royal Knights at 9 pm tonight (5/9) at the Black Cat. Cost is $13.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA1DoMNL3GA]

Dorothy Norwood and Friends will put on a Mother’s Day Gospel gala at the Lincoln Theatre on Saturday, May 10 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $40. I think I read that Dorothy was born in 1935. She has been well-preserved. Check out this classic footage:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKqN4cic3JA&feature=related]

Drive-By Truckers, the Southern rock band, known for its “three axe attack” (that’s guitars, not actual axes, of course) will perform at the 9:30 Club tonight (5/9) and Saturday at 9 pm with the Dexateens. Cost is $20.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3icBcr1_Tw]

The Scare, the Australian punk rock band will perform at the Black Cat on Sunday (5/11) at 9 pm with Police & Thieves and Lion of Judah. Cost is a mere $8.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxe9Xgxd7is]

There are a few recommended acts performing in the U Street Corridor tonight:

Lady Pcoq and the Plumes, a popular spoken word acoustic band will be at Duke’s City at 6 pm. The are a fusion of jazz, fun, Latin, soul and jazz. The performance is free.

El-P, an indie rapper and founder of Definitive Jux label, will rap at the 9:30 Club with DJ Mr. Dibbs, the Mighty Quinn, Dizzee Rascal, and the Busdrivers at 7:30 pm. Dizzee Rascal has been mentioned in the Post lately as a British rapper seeking fame on this side of the pond. Cost is $20.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yww1JSBYcjo&feature=related]

British Sea Power is an eccentric rock quartet from Brighton, England known for their strong lyrics. They will be performing at the Black Cat with the Rosebuds at 8 pm. The cost is $15 ($13 in advance).

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2n-7K0Ef6Y]

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JshkoBVFy3Y]

The Teenagers, a French electro-pop rock band of three with a fascination with American teen and pop culture, will be performing at the Black Cat at 8 pm, joined by Brooklyn rock band Team Robespierre and local Bliss DJ Will Eastman. Cost is $13. Looks fun.