This week, check out Galactic at the Pageant, Noah Gunderson at the Demo, Water Liars at Off Broadway and more to help defrost that tid bit nipply feeling. Check out details on these recommendations and more, and as usual, stayed tuned for Friday for more suggestions on what to see in our weekend best bets post.
Soulard Blues Band Monday, March 3, 9 p.m. @ Broadway Oyster Bar - $5 By RFT Staff The Soulard Blues Band has gigged around town for more than 25 years. Most notably, its weekly residency at Broadway Oyster Bar perfectly accompanies the Southern-themed vibe complete with booze and Cajun food. Bassist and sole remaining founder Art Dwyer, a blues aficionado on local community radio station KDHX (88.1 FM), holds down the band with his casual plucked lines. The rest of the rhythm section follows suit, allowing room for solos to float between rounds of drinks and a comfortable swing.
Noah Gunderson Tuesday, March 4, 8 p.m. w/ Armon Jay @ The Demo - $10 Seattle-area singer-songwriter Noah Gundersen is a spry 24 years old, but he's been performing in bands and as a solo artist since he was a teenager. Three-part harmonies, intuitive percussion and swooping violin lend an amber glow to many of Gundersen's songs; he knows the contours of folk but wants to make sure they are honed with pitch-perfect precision. He's a student of the form, no doubt -- note the heartlfelt nod to the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack in "Poor Man's Son" as a hat-tip to an obvious influence -- but his lyrics and, moreover, performance make the connection from singer to song to audience as strong as new guitar strings.
Lydia Loveless w/ The Defeated County Wednesday, March 5, 8 p.m. @ Off Broadway - $10 By Roy Kasten From this 2011 show preview: All moral claims about cloning aside, grafting the DNA of Exene Cervenka onto Neko Case's helix in a Thee Headcoatees Petri dish is worth a shot. And who could blame Bloodshot Records for trying with young, Ohio-born punkabilly Lydia Loveless? Indestructible Machine, her 2011 debut for the Chicago label, presents a singer with god-given pipes and a songwriter of godless honesty, swinging between rural-route feminism, pure country calamity and anti-bullshit ass kicking. She's good enough and fierce enough to make Miranda Lambert or any other honky-tonk girlfriend from Hell hang up their revenge fantasies. Loveless is the real, country-punk, heartbreaking thing.
Galactic Thursday, March 6, 8 p.m. w/ The Mike Dillon Band @ The Pageant - $22.50-$27 By Tara Mahadevan Hailing from New Orleans, the group originally dubbed "Galactic Prophylactic" started out as a pretty traditional funk band, but over the years has developed its sound to include hip-hop, electronica, jazz, rock and blues. The band -- which pairs guitar and drums with a Hammond organ and saxophone -- has performed with many notable emcees and New Orleans bands, ranging from Chali 2na and Boots Riley to the Neville Brothers and the Dirty Dozen Brass Band. There are very few musical styles this funk-fusion act can't meld together. Galactic is known for their live performances and frequent touring. If you're in the mood for some wildly in-your-face live music that covers a huge range, Galactic is your band. You might want to wear some earplugs.