MUSIC LISTINGS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11

BASEMENT JAXX

When not working on its own records, British house duo Basement Jaxx is producing music for the likes of Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliott. Please don’t hold that against them though; they seem like nice blokes.

Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St. (betw. 3rd & 4th Aves.), 212-353-1600; 8, $30/$35. 

ETTA JAMES

The beauty of giving your most popular song a name like “At Last” is that no one will really hold it against you if you save it for the encore. But come on, Etta: Bust it out just this once while people are still finding their seats. That’ll fuck’em up.

BB King’s Blues Club, 237 W. 42nd St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-997-4144; 8, $87.50.  

BADLY DRAWN BOY

Proudly combining the pop singer/songwriter tradition with funny hats.

Hiro Ballroom at the Maritime Hotel, 363 W. 16th St. (at 9th Ave.), 212-242-4300; 8, $20/$25. 

NICK LACHEY

Poor Nick Lachey. After the breakup of his marriage to Ashlee’s older sister, the man can only be consoled if you spend $40 on a ticket for your tween.

Nokia Theatre Times Square, 1515 B’way (at W. 44th St.), 212-930-1950; 7:30, $40.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12

MINUS THE BEAR, P.O.S., THE VELVET TEEN, RUSSIAN CIRCLES

Want to get the same question in every interview for the rest of your life? Name your band after an inside joke. Seriously, though, you had to be there.

Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl. (at 15th St.), 212-777-6800; 8, $16.

JENNY LEWIS AND
THE WATSON TWINS

For all of the praise that has been heaped upon Jenny Lewis’ solo career and work with Rilo Kiley, the singer’s true accomplishment is the fact that she won’t go through the rest of her life being known as “that girl from The Wizard.”

Town Hall, 123 W. 43rd St. (betw. 6th Ave. & B’way), 212-997-1003; 8, $25.

BIG SANDY AND
HIS FLY-RITE BOYS

You can bring Western swing home to the folks—just as long as they don’t listen to the lyrics of “Back Door Dan” too closely.

Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St. (at 11th St.), Hoboken, 201-653-1703; 9, $10.  

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13

DICTATORS

A band once made up of a future Twisted Sister member, a fanzine publisher and an ex-wrestler/roadie reunite with its membership mostly intact to play a legendary club, half a month before it loses its lease after a bitter battle with a homeless shelter. Who says punk is dead?

CBGB, 315 Bowery (betw. 1st & 2nd Sts.), 212-982-4052; TBA, $25.

PORTASTATIC,
JENNIFER O'CONNOR

Portastatic frontman, Mac McCaughan, is also the singer/guitarist of ’90s alt-pop darlings Superchunk and the head of Merge Records, which makes the guy more indie than a warehouse full of messenger bags wearing horn-rimmed glasses.

Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St.
(at Ave. A), 212-260-4700; 9, $12.

VIOLENT FEMMES,
LITTLE KITTEN SPACE GIRL

You know something? After all these years, I’m still not sure how I feel about American music …

Warsaw, 261 Driggs Ave. (at Eckford St.), Brooklyn, 718-387-0505; 8, $27.50.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

MUSTARD PLUG

Actively proving that ska won’t be dead until the world stops bearing 15-year-old girls.

Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St. (betw. B’way & Church St.), 212-219-3132; 5:30, $10/$12.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15

PATTI SMITH

The last scheduled show at CBGB (at press time). In case you missed the punk rock poetess the first time. At least one day you can finally say, “I was there,” to a new generation of ungrateful punks. And oh yeah, don’t forget to buy the T-shirt.

CBGB, 315 Bowery (betw. 1st & 2nd Sts.), 212-982-4052; 8, $33. 

THE COMMITMENTS

It started as a movie, turned into a band, and now the group plays a venue that started off as a blues singer.

B.B. King’s Blues Club, 237 W. 42nd St. (betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-997-4144; 8, $25/$28.

ALLEN TOUSSAINT

The legendary New Orleans R&B composer is probably best known by these damn whippersnappers as the guy who just put out a record with Elvis Costello.

Joe’s Pub, 425 Lafayette St. (betw. Astor Pl. & E. 4th St.), 212-254-1263; Midnight, $30. 

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16

THE MELVINS

Ever wondered what Vesuvius sounded like as its contents crawled toward Pompeii? 

Maxwell’s, 1039 Washington St. (at 11th St.), Hoboken, 201-653-1703; 8:30, SOLD OUT.

RED ELVISES

It turns out a bunch of pompadour-ed surf musicians were waiting behind the iron curtain the whole time.

Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St. (betw. B’way & Church St.), 212-219-3132; 8, $10/$12.

VIENNA TENG

Teng swapped computer science for a career as a singer/pianist. Good choice.

Living Room, 154 Ludlow St. (betw. Stanton & Rivington Sts.), 212-533-7235; 8, $15.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17

TILLY & THE WALL

For all of the celebrated excesses of rock drummers like Keith Moon and John Bonham, neither musician had the balls to strap on a pair of tap shoes for the sake of his art.

Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie St.), 212-533-2111; 8, $15.

MOBY

When not waiting tables at a tea restaurant on the L.E.S., Moby makes some music on the side. Everyone’s got to have a dream.

Tonic, 107 Norfolk St. (betw. Essex & Suffolk Sts.), 212-358-7501; 7:30, SOLD OUT.

DEL THA FUNKY HOMOSAPIEN

When not releasing his own groundbreaking work, Ice Cube’s cousin can be found concocting concept albums based on dystopian forecasts, collaborating on projects like The Gorillaz and Handsome Boy Modeling School and preaching the importance of phonetic spellings by example.

B.B. King’s Blues Club, 237 W. 42nd St.
(betw. 7th & 8th Aves.), 212-997-4144; 8, $19.50/$22.50.