Weekend Picks: English Beat, The Mavericks, Pennywise, Lydell Williams, Mark Roebuck, Bush League, Big Payback

Head back to the 80's to start your weekend with one of the most danceable bands of that time, ska band English Beat. They are at The National Thursday night. Tix are $19.50 advance, $23 day of show. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 with 808 featuring members of Fighting Gravity. The opener is going to do an entire set of Fighting Gravity songs for those of you who were fans of that RVA band from back in the day. Don't expect just the oldies from English Beat. They've been making new music and will have an album coming out in the spring. I'll play my favorite song from them here, "Save It For Later". Pete Townshend of The Who used to play this song on his solo gigs and would often introduce it by saying, "I bet you wonder what this song is about" or something to that effect. I met Pete at a meet and greet after his solo show in 1993 and I asked him what it was about. He told me one of the band members told him it was about getting a blow job and not wanting to come. So I got to talk with Pete Townshend for a minute and we talked about bj songs by English Beat. Still not sure if that was a missed opportunity. But now you'll never hear this song the same way again.



The Big Payback: A Tribute to James Brown are having a 10th anniversary party and you're invited. It goes down at The Broadberry on Friday night. Tix are $10 advance, $12 at the door. Doors open at 8, show starts at 9 with openers Dead 27's who will be celebrating the release of their new album. Hope Big Payback plays this one. I don't think I've seen them do it before.



Blues band The Bush League is at Sonny's Bar and Grill in Lakeside Friday night. Starts at 8:30 and I think it's FREE to get in. The Bush League will be part of the International Blues Challenge in January on Beale Street in Memphis. Good luck, guys! Here they are at 7 Hills Brewing Co a few weeks ago ripping into Funkadelic's "Maggot Brain":



Americana country rock Tex-Mex rockabilly band The Mavericks are at The National Saturday. Tix are $43 and $38 for reserved in the balcony and $33 for GA on the floor. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8 and no opener is listed. They've got a new live album out, "All Night Live Vol. 1". Perhaps they'll be recording Vol. 2 Saturday night. This is gonna be one fun Saturday night party. And as crazy as it seems, they may even do a Pink Floyd cover. But here's an original. This is "Dance The Night Away" from 1998:

RVA soul singer Lydell Williams will be live in concert Saturday at TASTE at Infuzion. Tix are $20. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 with special guest Deli Rowe. Lydell's new single is "Groove Your Body" and here he is on CBS6 performing the song:

There's a CD Release Party at Sound of Music Studios Saturday night for folk/Americana artist Mark Roebuck. Hazleton & Mike Koehler open the show which starts at 8. It's $10 to get in and it's BYOB. Mark and his band will be playing "Gratitude" and a bunch of other tunes from the new album "The World All Within". From that new album, here's "One More Fall":

So-Cal Punk band Pennywise rocks The National Sunday night. Tix are $23 advance, $26 day of show. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 with openers Strung Out, Unwritten Law, and Runaway Kids. Pennywise will play their classic 1995 album, "About Time" in it's entirety along with other Pennywise favorites. From "About Time", here's "Same Old Story":

That'll do it. I'll see you somewhere this weekend. I'll leave you with Rick James frolicking in a hot tub while wearing a speedo.



Have a great weekend! Hopefully as good as Rick.

Tony Jordan