Nighthawks, Terry Garland, Stephaine's Id, English Beat

Good evening or day, depending on when you read this.

Friday night, its a double dose for Nighthawks fans. The Nighthawks will be playing at the Canal Club at 8:30. The Jimmy Catlett Band comes on first, The Nighthawks will be second and then Bruce Courson and Mark Wenner from the Nighthawks will be backing up headliner and local Richmond blues man, Terry Garland. Should be a great night of blues-rock. Tickets are $14.

Also Friday night, Citizen Cope comes to The National. Show starts at 9, doors open at 8 and tickets are $23. Citizen Cope recently played in DC the night before the inaugaration at the "Hey America Feels Kinda' Cool Again" Inaugural Gala Featuring the Beastie Boys & Sheryl Crow. You'll dig Citizen Cope if you like G Love, Everlast, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, Randy Newman or Stevie Wonder.

Saturday night, 80's Two-Tone band, the English Beat come to Toad's Place. You'll remember them from such tunes as Tears of a Clown, Mirror In the Bathroom and Save It for Later. Also, the Beat's song "Rotating Head," remixed and renamed "March of the Swivelheads," was famously used in the climactic chase scene of 1986's Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Doors open at 7 and tix are $20. This should be a fun show so bust out your skinny tie and your pork pie hat and wear your black and white.

Here's the video for Save It For Later, a song Pete Townshend covered. I met Pete Townshend once (not kidding) and asked him about some cryptic comments he made during his show "I bet you're wondering what this song is about" before he played Save It For Later. He told me the lead singer of the English Beat told him the song was about getting a blow job. So there you go.



Stephanie's Id plays with Sajak at The Triple on Saturday night. Show starts at 10. You might dig Stephanie's Id (out of Ashville NC) if you like Bjork, The Sundays, Radiohead, Sigur Ros or other somewhat trippy indie pop. Here's a song of theirs I like called "Cold Cold":


Andrew Bird comes to The National on Monday night. Doors open at 6:30, show starts at 7:30 and tix are $23. Here's what allmusic.com says about Andrew: "Chicago singer/songwriter/violinist Andrew Bird updates the traditions of small-group swing, German leider, and New Orleans jazz, mixing gypsy, folk, and rock elements into his distinctive style." You might dig Andrew if you like Squirrel Nut Zipper, Flaming Lips, Jeff Buckley, DeVotchKa or Brian Setzer.

With Bruce Springsteen being the best thing about the Super Bowl this weekend, here are a couple articles about the Boss for your pleasure:
"Springsteen can't save us" on salon.com
"Who Is Bruce Springsteen?" on slate.com

Finally, the Flight of the Conchords have returned to HBO. The second episode of the new season was better than the first episode which I found a little dull, but then again I was depressed about the Eagles losing. I was a little worried that they might be a one-season wonder, but the second episode renewed my faith. Here is a little number from the first season called "Most Beautiful Girl In The Room":


Have a great weekend.

Tony Jordan