THE SHOWDOWN: A music lover's spectacle

POSTED: Monday, February 7, 2011, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

Monday: It's odd to think about it, but other cities have local bands, too. I know, right? One of Nashvile's hometown favorites, Pujol, recently got into the studio with one Jack White. The resulting 7" single shows off leader Daniel Pujol's rather endearing brand of bluesy rock. Pujol's emphatic delivery and gritty, primal arrangements make for a giddy, retro sound. Playing to a sweaty crowd in an industrial warehouse should come quite easily to these guys. w/ Monotonix, Federation X & Da Comrade!, 8 p.m., $10, The Ox, 1652 N. 2nd St. Tuesday: When it comes to bleak, poetic music of North America, no two songwriters captured the disillusionment of the '60s and '70s better than Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed. Part of a week-long music festival at the Fire, this showcase of some of the city's finest roots groups and singer-songwriters will take on the celebrated songbooks of these two legends. Make sure you come properly prepared with black clothing and heavy, heavy feelings. Featuring Brad Hinton, Small Houses, Chris Kasper, Louis Elliot, Brian Flanagan, Hezekiah Jones, Ron Gallo, Phil D'Agostino, Johnny Miles, Matt Helm & Matt Landis, 9 p.m., $8, The Fire, 412 W. Girard Ave., 267-671-9298. Wednesday: Yee-freakin' haw! One of Crescent City's swampiest rockers, Fred LeBlanc, brings his two bands, the bayou-thumping Cowboy Mouth and the cow-punkin' Dash Rip Rock, together to one stage. When LeBlanc formed Cowboy Mouth in 1990, Dash Rip Rock carried on without him, and has ever since. Both bands have recently-released material, but it's each band's beloved back catalogue that's likely to steal the show. That, or the uncanny blend of Mardi Gras jubilation and rodeo ruckus. 8 p.m., $25, Sellersville Theater, 24 West Temple Ave., 215-257-5808. Thursday: A favorite among coffeehouse dwellers and public broadcasting-supporters (and all those who fall into both categories), Josh Ritter returns to present songs from last year's So Runs The World Away. Blossoming from the sparser sounds of his earlier albums, So Runs The World is a lush, baroque offering whose songs will be brought to life by Ritter's immensely versatile Royal City Band. Old favorites will get the flourishes, too, bringing Ritter's past along for the ride into his second decade of music making. w/ Scott Hutchison, 8 p.m., $21 - $24, Trocadero, 10th St. & Arch St., 215-922-6888. Friday: One of the latest folk-rock groups to catch the eye of the masses, The David Wax Museum brings the music of their new album, Everything Is Saved, to the cozy walls of the Tin Angel. Sometimes they weave delicate, pastoral odes, other times the feel is far more rollicking. Come see what all the folky fuss is about, you'll be very glad you did. Oh, and don't worry, this Wax Museum isn't creepy like the ones you've probably avoided visiting. 10:30 p.m., $10, Tin Angel, 20 S. 2nd St., 215-928-0770. Saturday: Here's one for the whole family. Keller Williams, hero of one-man acoustic music, recently released an album for kids, very aptly titled Kids. In addition to a matinee show, he'll do a 'regular' performance which, if you're familiar with "K-Dub's" live show, you know is anything but. Wrangling uncanny cover versions along with his super catchy originals, Williams puts on a music lover's spectacle. A special offer includes tickets to both shows and a meet and greet, where you can introduce your kids to a bona-fide human jukebox. w/ Potential Drum (matinee only), 3:30 p.m. & 9 p.m., $23 - $34.75 ($42 for both shows/meet and greet), TLA, 334 South St., 215-922-1011. Sunday: Baths is the unusual project of one very unusual guy. The solo sensation even has a mild-mannered alter-ego name: Will Wiesenfeld, but he's not the one you'll see onstage. When Baths takes over, it's all mind-twisting, genre-crossing, freaked-out pop from then on. A party like this calls for no ordinary spaceball outfit: it's a DJ, it's a band, no, it's Baths! w/ Braids & Star Slinger, 8 p.m., $10, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919.

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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