Nightspots
Wednesday Nov 4, 2009
The Ark: Erin McKeown and Jill Sobule
Double bill. A Virginia native currently living in Rhode Island, McKeown is an up-and-coming singer-songwriter known for her distinctive guitar style, her droll understated lyrics, and her eclectic mix of musical styles, from 40s swing, cowboy jazz, and contemporary funk to Tin Pan Alley and folk-rock. A singer- songwriter known for sharp-witted, emotionally direct songs, Sobule also writes a lot of satirical songs from the viewpoint of women in the news or of her own fictional women that have provoked comparisons to Warren Zevon, with whom she often performed. $15.
The Black Pearl: Beth Stalker & Jim Rawlings
An eclectic mix of styles, from blues, R&B, and jazz to rock and country, by the Detroit Music Award-winning duo of singer- songwriter Stalker and songwriter-guitarist Rawlings.
The Blind Pig: Inkface
Local electronica musician. Opening acts are Snarky Puppy, a Denton (TX) experimental jazz-funk band, and I Love Dinosaurs, a local electronica ensemble.
The Circus: Who Hit John?
Kalamazoo acoustic folk & roots music band.
Elbow Room: Theodore
Country-folk Americana with a distinct Mexican flavor by this quartet from St. Louis led by singer-songwriter Justin Kinkel- Schuster. “Like the songs of Will Oldham and Jason Molina, there is a melding of antiquated and modern styles, and the songs that result tell stories and set moods with minimal accoutrements,” says Riverfront Times critic Christian Schaeffer in his review of the band’s debut CD Songs of the Weary. Opening acts are Misty Lyn, a local country-inflected folk-rock band led by singer-songwriter, and Annie Palmer, an Ypsilanti folk-style indie singer-songwriter.
Goodnite Gracie: Brett Levy & Momenta
Acoustic funk ensemble.
The Habitat Ultralounge: Justine Blazer
Acoustic duo led by this Detroit country-rock singer-songwriter.
Live at PJ's: Los Gatos
Mambos and cha-chas by this local Latin jazz band led by drummer Pete Siers that specializes in the music of Cal Tjader, the late San Francisco vibes player who ignited the 1950s mambo craze. With beginning (8:45 p.m.) & intermediate (10 p.m.) dance lessons and a dance contest (11 p.m.) with prizes.
