Weekly Picks: Black Joe Lewis, Bassekou Kouyate, Maxwell, Into It. Over It., Transit, Fatoumata Diawara, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, Hit the Lights, Bio Ritmo, Black Girls

If you were planning on going to see Toubab Krewe and Southern Belles tonight (Thursday) at The Canal Club, think again, because the show has been cancelled due to the weather. Hopefully, they'll reschedule that combo for a later date, because that would have been a tasty show.

If you're looking for some music to dance to with your significant other on Valentine's Day, there are quite a few shows to choose from. If you're a Latin lover or like to pretend that you are, go to The Camel, to see Richmond's world famous salsa group, Bio Ritmo. Doors open at 9:30, and things get under way at 10 with a demonstration of Capoeira by Capoeira Resistencia, which is both a dance and a martial art. So you can get down while you're kicking someone's ass. Here's Bio Ritmo at Radio Radio Sing Sing in Satin-Malo, France.



If you skew a bit older, you might want to go to the Landmark Theater for a night with Gladys Knight (sadly without the Pips). Tix run from $67 - 87 and the show starts at 8. No opener is listed. Gladys is a 7-time Grammy winner and has hit #1 on the Pop, R&B and Adult Comtemporary charts over her career.Here's Gladys with some replacement Pips (Jack Black, Ben Stiller, & Robert Downey Jr):

At the National, you can get our your leisure suit and pretend it's Valentine's Day 1979 on Friday night, with the cool and sexy Yacht Rock sounds of Three Sheets to the Wind. Doors open at 7, show starts at 8, it's $10 in advance, $13 at the door. Here's the band doing Steely Dan's "Reelin' in the Years" and Eddie Money's "Two Tickets to Paradise":

No one to hug and kiss on V Day? We have a show for you. Head to Gallery 5 Friday for WRIR's annual Black Valentine's Day show. Musical acts Clayton England, The Cales, and Lightfields will play songs of love gone bad. There will also be a live bachelor auction to benefit WRIR and all those bachelors will come with a gift certificate for dinner for two at a fantastic local restaurant. It's FREE to get in. Maybe someone will play this classic:

It's a night of Malian music at the Modlin Center for the Arts Saturday. Here's the press blurb, "Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara has packed a lifetime of experience into her 33 years. Diawara’s career includes stints as a dancer, and a film and stage star before finding her true calling as an unparalleled singer and songwriter. Blending Wassalou traditions of Southern Mali with international influences, Diawara has performed and recorded with Oumou Sangaré, AfroCubism, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou.

Bassekou Kouyate is one of the true masters of the ngoni, an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa. Following his celebrated debut album Segu Blue and his Grammy-nominated follow-up I Speak Fula, Kouyate and his band Ngoni ba performed as a headliner in the AfroCubism project and appeared with Sir Paul McCartney, John Paul Jones, Damon Albarn, and many more on the Africa Express tour."

Here's Fatoumata with "Bissa":

And here's one from Bassekou: "Ngoni Fola":



If you are still in a Valentine's mood and want some sexy R&B to accompany that, go see Maxwell at the Landmark Saturday night. Tix range from $62 to $127, show starts at 8 with comedian Bo Dacious opening. Maxwell is, of course, the romantic neo-soul singer who has been making albums since '96 and has been compared to Al Green, Marvin Gaye, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Teddy Pendergrass and other soul greats. Needless to say, he is one smooth m**herf**ker. Here's Maxwell's "Matrimony: Maybe You":

And after either of those two shows, keep the night, and your groove, going by heading to Balliceaux to see Black Girls. It's $5 to get in and the show starts at 10 with opener The Awesome Few. Here's a teaser video for Black Girls new album, "Claire Sinclaire":



There's an alt/indie/emo rock show at Strange Matter Sunday night with Into It. Over It., The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die, A Great Big Pile of Leaves, and Sundials. The all ages show starts at 7, it's $10 in advance, $12 day of show. The shows on this tour have been selling out in advance so if you really want to go, get your tickets early. Here's Into It. Over It. performing "Heartificial":



The show of the week takes place Monday night at Strange Matter with funky, soul, punky blues rocker Black Joe Lewis. Doors open at 8, the show starts at 9. Tix are $14 in advance and $16 at the door. Pickwick will open and People's Blues of Richmond (who put on a great show at The Camel last Saturday) will kick things off at 9. Here's a 19 minute peformance Black Joe did recently on KEXP. Turn this way up!



Emo-Punk-Pop band Transit is at The Camel on Tuesday night as the headliner on the Warped Tour - Acoustic Basement Tour. Doors will open at 6:30, music starts at 7, tix are $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Other bands on the bill include Hit the Lights, Brian Marquis, and Front Porch Step. Here's Transit's contribution to the musical genre of Boston drinkning songs:



We'll end this blog back where we started, with the Southern Belles at Cary St. Cafe on Wednesday night. Show starts at 10 and it's FREE to get in. Here's the Belles doing "Big City" at The Camel.

Have a great weekend!

Tony Jordan