Beat Happenings

Look at those cans! At the bottom of the Statue of Billiken, there's a poem that reads: "Give me your Wire, your poor, your Barenaked masses yearning to rock free; bring relief cans from your grocery store!" OK, I made that up, but a canned-food drive does besiege your generosity this week! On Thursday, November 10, Saint Louis University's all-dude a cappella all-stars, Barenaked Statues, perform at Canapalooza at the Billiken Club (Busch Student Center, 20 North Grand Boulevard; 314-977-9225), and on Saturday, November 12, St. Louis' own Miles of Wire (think The Replacements with a Midwestern groove) grace the same stage. Be you a fan of music or of euphemisms for butts, bring those cans to give charitably.

Trouble at th' mill: Nobody expects the Blues Inquisition! Their chief weapon is surprise! Surprise and jazz... jazz and surprise... their two weapons are jazz and surprise. And food for sale! Expect the Blues Inquisition on Saturday, November 12, at 6:30 p.m. at the Riverfront Cultural Society (1108 Olive Street, New Haven, Missouri; 573-237-5100; www.riverfrontsociety.com), which is a nonprofit dedicated to providing various community events. In their complimentary show comes such diverse elements as jazz, surprise and food for sale. Oh, and BYOB.

Guess he found the key: Locals might remember Simple Mary's Diary, a well-regarded St. Louis band from the late-'90s. Well, Diary devotees, the book wasn't burned; it was just buried under the mattress. But lost Diary member Josh Brett has leafed through the pages and rounded up old SMD-mate Robert Meyer, along with Chris Kelley (Fly From August) and RJ Boyer (Full System Purge). Out to conquer the world (or so we can infer from their new group's name), the Domani International use "lush" as their favorite self-descriptor, but the weightiness of their rocking pop recalls Grandaddy or Doves. Check 'em out Thursday, November 10, at The Phoenix (3924 Lemay Ferry; 314-416-4266; www.thephoenixsouthcounty.com), when the band performs with EKe and Team Tomato.