Surprise-- it's another busy week of live music in store for us, with plenty of highlights to point out. First, the brothers Ween, that's Gene and Dean (although those aren't their real names, nor are they actual brothers), play the Roseland Theater tomorrow night. The rather legendarily zany duo released their first full-length in four years, entitled La Cucaracha, recently on Rounder. Self-described by the band as a "party album," it finds them as all over as ever, chasing whatever musical whim falls over them, yes, but doing it so well in each instance. They even go so far as to break their long-honored ban on horns on their recordings with the appearance of none other than David Sanborn on the ultra-smooooth "Your Party." Twenty-three years after birthing the band during 8th grade typing class, Ween stay enjoyable by remaining as random and as odd as those roots might indicate.
Wednesday night, also at the Roseland, it's a visit from Vermont's Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. The up-and-coming band has garnered a lot of attention in a short time based largely on Potter's vocals, which have been compared (again and again) to the likes of Janis Joplin, Bonnie Raitt, and Susan Tedeschi, among others. Her hammond b-3 playing and powerhouse band hasn't hurt either, and they've shown a rare versatility in attracting fans of roots-rock, jamband, jazz, and blues alike. Their third album, This Is Somewhere, was released earlier this year on Hollywood records. Watch here for an upcoming in-studio session with the band.
Also this week: Celebration (Monday, Rotture); Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals (Monday, Keller Auditorium); A Cautionary Tale (Wednesday, Someday Lounge); John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers (Wednesday, Aladdin Theater); Stars with Miracle Fortress (Thursday, Crystal Ballroom); M.I.A. (Thursday, Roseland Theater); The Walkmen (Thursday, Doug Fir); Cold War Kids with Richard Swift (Friday, Crystal Ballroom); and Heavy Trash (Friday, Doug Fir), among others, of course.
