Block Parties, Sprees, and a Version of Hawkwind
Our picks for the week include the Mad Decent Block Party, Amanda Shires, the Polyphonic Spree, Carin's Proton Blast, and Nik Turner's Hawkwind.
Our picks for the week include the Mad Decent Block Party, Amanda Shires, the Polyphonic Spree, Carin's Proton Blast, and Nik Turner's Hawkwind.
Friday: Amanda Shires, 9 p.m., Freret Street Publiq House: Americana singer and fiddle player Amanda Shires has a lovely sense of whimsy in her lyrics, but they’re grounded in real emotions and attractive melodies. (tickets) Also on Friday: Landlady, TBA, 10 p.m., Hi-Ho Lounge (tickets); Gravity A with Cliff Hines plays a tribute to Talking Heads, TBA, 10 p.m., Tipitina’s (free); Underdogcentral HeadPhones release party feat. Lyriqs Da Lyraciss, Dappa, Kaye the Beast, No Suh & Kash Akbar, 9 p.m., Gasa Gasa (tickets); Bearracuda, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks (tickets); Tank and The Bangas, 10 p.m., Chickie Wah Wah; Last Dance: A Tribute to Donna Summer by Anais St. John,8 p.m.,The AllWays Lounge; When the Word Was Sound, Raspy Meow, Blood Urchin, 10 p.m., Circle Bar
Saturday: Yelephants, Donovan Wolfington, Pope, 10 p.m., One Eyed Jacks: Last year’s Tart EP presents the New Orleans lo-fi surf and garage rock band enjoying the shaggy racket it could make. (tickets) Also on Saturday: Electric Sons, the Digital Wild, BLXPLTN, NGHT HCKLRS, 10 p.m., Gasa Gasa (tickets); Rebirth Brass Band, 10 p.m., Tipitina’s (tickets); Vox and the Hound, Caddywhompus, 9 p.m., Carrollton Station; Alvin Youngblood Hart’s Muscle Theory, 11 p.m., d.b.a.
Sunday: The Polyphonic Spree, 8 p.m., Southport Hall: Last year’s Yes, It’s True scales down The Polyphonic Spree’s bigness, but not at the expense of the group’s uplifting, melodic sound. (tickets)
Tuesday: Nik Turner’s Hawkwind, Witch Mountain, Hedersleben, MountAIn of Wizard, 9 p.m., Siberia: Hawkwind's space rock occupies the place where ‘70s metal, punk, psychedelic sci-fi and noise came together, and original sax player Nik Turner leads this rocking’ incarnation of the group with the UK Subs' Nicky Garratt on guitar. (tickets)
Thursday: Bill Davis, Kevin Gordon, and Monty Russell, 8 p.m., The Beatnik: As Dash Rip Rock’s Bill Davis said in The New Orleans Advocate last week, there are songwriterly tracks dotted through the band’s cowpunk albums, and he’ll visit that side of his songbook on this show with the excellent Kevin Gordon and Monty Russell. (tickets)
Other Stuff
Diplo’s record label Mad Decent Records has organized the Mad Decent Block Party tour, which stops at Mardi Gras World Friday. A$AP Ferg, Big Gigantic, Dillon Francis, Flosstradamus, Kid Kamillion, RL Grime and more will perform. (tickets)
Trumpet and sax player Brian Graber’s wife Carin needs a treatment for her brain cancer and her health insurance won’t pay for it. Carin’s Proton Blast Saturday at The Howlin’ Wolf is a benefit to raise money for her health care with performances by George Porter Jr. and the Runnin' Pardners, Tab Benoit, Bonerama, The Boogiemen, Dave Ferrato and Tchoupazin, Tom Fitzpatrick Band, Pink Magnolias, Dave Jordan Band, and more. Starts at 4 p.m. (tickets)
