Balkan Beat Box / Wednesday, March 17
JDub Records
Balkan Beat Box
wants world peace.
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Balkan Beat Box often sounds like a cross between Matisyahu and a whacked-out DJ vibing in a black site somewhere in the Middle East. This is a good thing, by the way. The two New York-by-way-of-Israel musicians, Ori Kaplan and Tamir Muskat, live on the border between a hectic array of Mediterranean-influenced arrangements and a spiritualized mélange of more-or-less-standard electronic-music formulations. Their third album, last year’s Nu Made—a retread of songs from their first two proper discs, which a Pop Matters critic memorably labeled a “salmagundi of different cultures being tossed from one upbeat remixer to another”—felt a little slapdash. Here’s hoping their new album, Blue Eyed Black Boy, slated for release this spring, shows them putting in a little more effort. Showbox at the Market, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151. 8 p.m. $17.50 adv./$20 DOS. KEVIN CAPP
Devendra Banhart and the Grogs / Thursday, March 18 See preview.
The Davanos / Thursday, March 18
The Davanos are local legends—if you live in Lake City, that is. Every Wednesday, the three-piece cover band—Dusty 45 Jerry Battista on guitar, Fred “Right On” Holzman on drums, and a rotating cast of bassists—plays to packed crowds in the Rimrock Steakhouse’s tiny, raucous bar. Their renditions of Zeppelin and Rolling Stone covers are peerless, and the charismatic Holzman’s mind, despite an appearance that might make you think he forgets everything except what to do at 4:20 each day, is like a steel trap when it comes to popular-music lyrics. They play the city’s lone honky-tonk, the Little Red Hen, with some regularity too. And the Hen being a honky-tonk, their set list tends to be a cross between what the Davanos play and the twangier vibe they achieve as an acoustic alter ego called the Lazyboys (every first and third Monday at Mr. Villa in Maple Leaf). But, as Battista says, even the most ten-galloned Hen regular “still loves Pink Floyd.” These guys played my fuckin’ wedding, man. Can there be a more genuine endorsement than that? Little Red Hen, 7115 Woodlawn Ave. N.E., 522-1168. 9 p.m. $3.MIKE SEELY
The Femurs / Thursday, March 18
Imagine the Ramones unplugged, or the Violent Femmes without quite so much angst, all played by one guy with a semi-acoustic guitar perched atop one leg and kick drums at his feet. Now you’ve got at least some idea of the good time you’re in for when you catch the Femurs live. That one guy is Seattle-via-New York singer and multi-instrumentalist Rob Femur, who’s led the Femurs through four albums (including the recent Ride Together) and has also been spotted playing drums for local pop-punks the Cute Lepers. Occasionally Femur is joined by other players onstage, but no matter the configuration, you can expect smart, spiky pop tunes with a fun-snotty punk edge that don’t overstay their welcome. With the Love Tycoons, Sickeversince. Blue Moon. 712 N.E. 45th St., 675-9116. 9 p.m. $5. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG
Wild Orchid Children / Thursday, March 18
There’s good reason why Wild Orchid Children’s sound is so hard to define—the number of conflicting elements in the band can be overwhelming. Kirk Huffman’s voice is eerily reminiscent of Zack de la Rocha’s, near-shouting and impossible to ignore. Thomas Hunter and Ryan Van Wieringen’s guitars are pure psychedelic rock, prone to solos and drawn-out jams. Members of the band also moonlight with the experimental music amalgamation Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground and once played in Gatsbys American Dream, a pop-hardcore-synth fusion band. Perhaps the only way to actually define Wild Orchid Children is by the drums—they’re the most consistent and persistent instrument in their songs, always echoing, always driving the beat, no matter how many tempo changes a single song has. It’s like listening to improvisational jazz, if it were performed by a drum circle—on acid. With Strong Killings. Can Can, 94 Pike St., 652-0832. 8 p.m. PAIGE RICHMOND
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists / Friday, March 19 See CD Reviews.
BOAT / Friday, March 19
Headlining BirthDIYfest (billed as Vera Project’s one-night-only do-it-yourself music festival), BOAT rides high on bright, guitar-driven melodies and quirky lyrical inspirations. Known to shower audiences with confetti and jump off equipment, frontman and multi-instrumentalist D. Crane seems just as content shouting his sing-along rock choruses from the edge of the stage as he is serenading with them. Chaotic and bouncy, the local outfit charms with a unique sense of humor and an appeal to pop sensibilities that make chatting with Mom over a plate of nachos seem like perfect lyrical fodder. Sometimes the live show chases entertainment value at the expense of the actual music, but sometimes that’s what happens when you throw a party. With Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground and Feral Children. Vera Project, 305 Harrison St., 956-8372. 7:30 p.m. $9. All ages. NICK FELDMAN
Fair / Friday, March 19
Local guitar-pop quartet Fair is one of those bands you know the kids are going to love. With sing-along, Top 40–worthy choruses, frontman Aaron Sprinkle’s boyish tenor, and musing, yearning lyrics like “I wish I felt something more concrete/Something where I could plant my feet,” Fair’s music is disarmed and completely in earnest. I can’t remember the last time I heard music so inoffensive. Their debut album, 2006’s The Best Worst-Case Scenario, was a popular success for Tooth and Nail, and the follow-up, Disappearing World, was released last month. Sprinkle is also a veteran producer and sound engineer who has worked with MxPx, Eisley, Beth Orton, and Rocky Votolato, which explains why the songs on both Fair records are so neat and clean, almost spotless. With The Pale Pacific, Monarch. Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-7416. 5 p.m. $10. All ages.ERIN K. THOMPSON
