THE SHOWDOWN: A party-ready package

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THE SHOWDOWN: A party-ready package

POSTED: Monday, February 21, 2011, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Music The Showdown

Monday: For a band with six members, Broken Records make music that's comfortable and personal. Their latest release, Let Me Come Down, is a sweeping piece of folk- and pop-influences. When performing live, the Records trade instruments with nearly every song and, accordingly, create sounds that balance the delicate with the bombastic. w/ U.S. Royalty & GunFight!, 8 p.m., $12, North Star Bar, 2639 Poplar St. 215-787-0488. Tuesday: No matter who bestowed the epithet "The Queen Of Rockabilly" upon Wanda Jackson, they knew what they were talking about. The gravel-voiced firecracker is one of the last remaining of the original gang of coiffed rabble-rousers, and she still kicks plenty tough. Her latest, the Jack White-helmed The Party Ain't Over, is a sensational showcase of Jackson's eclectic versatility; from amped-up calypso to a damned Amy Winehouse cover, Jackson's reign carries on. w/ The Lustre Kings & Delco Nightingale, 8 p.m., $27 - $55, World Cafe Live, 30th St. & Walnut St., 215-222-1400. Wednesday: If you saw Robyn just a few weeks ago (and arrived to the Factory early), you're likely already familiar with the one-man pop machine that is Diamond Rings. John O'Regan's project combines dancefloor beats with rocking hooks and wraps them neatly in a party-ready package. At times playful and emotional, Diamond Rings might be a solo project, but there's a few bands' worth of creativity packed in there. w/ PS I Love You & Virtual Virgin, 9 p.m., $10, Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave., 215-739-9684. Thursday: With several careers' worth of albums to his credit, John Zorn's live appearances are unsurprisingly rare. When the avant-jazz hero does manage to pry himself away from the studio, he offers characteristically offbeat performance pieces. On this night, he'll set his trademark saxophone aside and take a seat behind Christ Church's historic organ. It might not be what you expect, but Zorn is all about defying expectations.9 p.m., $15 - $18, Christ Church, 20 N. American St., 267-861-4773. Friday: Though their breakthrough, Oh My God Charlie Darwin, came out just a few years ago, The Low Anthem self-released the disc even earlier than that. In the time since that record's multiple releases, the group earned some sizable acclaim and anticipation for new material. Smart Flash arrives this week, so this show could be considered a record release of sorts. Discover a new batch of tunes and newly-devised homespun concert theatrics. w/ Bobby & Daniel Lefkowitz, 8 p.m., $15, First Unitarian Church, 2125 Chestnut St., 215-563-3980. Saturday: Franz Nicolay is a musician's musician. Not that his music is only appreciated by his peers, but he's been employed by countless groups for his impeccable enthusiasm and multi-instrumental prowess. His solo shows, like his own albums, are affairs of global styles and Nicolay's exuberant delivery of his dramatic lyrics. He might have established himself as a busy sideman, but Nicolay deserves to be in the spotlight he so often stole anyway. w/ David Dondero, 7:30 p.m., $8, Kung Fu Necktie, 1250 N. Front St., 215-291-4919. Sunday: You and two other people. That's all you'd need to qualify for this mini-fest's lineup. The bill's been set, with Algernon Cadwallader serving as the headliners after a helping of pop and noise from the likes of Party Photographers and Band Name. A few out-of-towners will be on hand for this counterpart to the previous day's two-piece fest at The Ox. No prizes for guessing the requirements for that show. w/ Black Kites, Dry Feet & Glocca Morra, 8 p.m., $5 - $10, Danger Danger Gallery, 5013 Baltimore Ave.

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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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