Music Listings
Wednesday, June 28
The Ark
They join Adam Ant in claiming they're immune to ridicule, but The Ark's messianic glam has the scope to make that pretty much understood; let the hype begin, even if it makes our import albums worth less money once they all get reissued.
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie Sts.), 212-533-2111; 8, $15.
Bonnie Raitt/Keb' Mo'
It's a fundraiser, and a surefire profit for a concert series for people who consider Raitt to be world music. We also like Keb' Mo' on the bill, since he's the kind of bluesman who'll record an album all over the world with different producers, and then call it Keep It Simple.
Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield 5th Ave. & 69th St. entrance, 212-307-7171; 7-10, $55.
We didn't know the downtown scene needed a Harry Connick, Jr., but now we know what Bobby Darin was going for when he took off his toupee.
Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St. (betw. B'way & Church St.), 212-219-3132; 7:30, $12/$15.
Dirty On Purpose
Enough vocalists for a round of American Idol and enough shoegazing for a round of Russian Roulette-but always impressive in how they constantly drag good tunes out of a fatal dive.
Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. (at Ave. A), 212-260-4700; 7:30, $10/$12.
Michele Greene
Forget the lesbian kiss on L.A. Law. Now we love her for replacing Raquel Welch as the least-likely actress to suddenly discover her Hispanic heritage-in song, yet.
Makor, 35 W. 67th St. (betw. CPW & Columbus Ave.), 212-415.5500; 7:30, $15.
Hard to find a better pairing of sorta-Americana: Fulks offers good humor worthy of Roger Miller, and gorgeous gothy folksiness worthy of all those deceased minstrels who got ripped off by Nick Cave; Rigby wisely ditched the genre's limitations with last year's Little Fugitive, and returned to rustic Anglo pop.
Seaport Music Festival, Pier 17, South Street; 7, Free.
The Talk/Birdmonster
Officially pop-punk, but The Talk is catchy and quirky enough to transcend their teen-soap settings and settle into '70s mid-Western glam. Birdmonster is a sharp rock act who can't figure out why nobody's made a teen-soap spaghetti western.
Sin-é 150 Attorney St. (at Stanton St.), 212-388-0077; 8, $10. (also 7/1 at Knitting Factory)
TV On The Radio/Matt Pond PA
They've been touring with their spiritual forefathers in Bauhaus, but TV on the Radio is where the marriage of melody and jarring noise can no longer stay together for the sake of the children. Matt Pond PA's Several Arrows Later, however, is a surprisingly strong and simple album from an act that used to rely on a cellist for all their personality. Austin group Voxtrot is third on the bill.
Prospect Park Bandshell (Prospect Park West & 9th St.), Park Slope, Brooklyn; 6:30, free.
Not getting the credit he deserves, The Hacker remains the grandest drama queen of the electro scene-with A.N.D. N.O.W. doing a fine job of avoiding the dated and predictable while keeping things all synthy and strange.
Avalon, 47 W. 20th St. (betw. 6th Ave. & B'way), 212-807-7780; $15.
Matt Costa/Elvis Perkins
He remains a big deal just for capturing the spirit of Curious George better than Jack Johnson. Still, the sunny side of Matt Costa is nicely augmented tonight by the plodding-yet-insightful strumming of Elvis Perkins, bringing a nice Anglophile touch to the guy-and-guitar scene.
Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey St. (betw. Bowery & Chrystie Sts.), 212-533-2111; 7:30, $14/$16.
Nothing wrong if you're a fan for his Bowie covers, but The Life Aquatic only hinted at the sparseness of Seu Jorge's original folk tales about the seamy side of Rio.
Central Park SummerStage, Rumsey Playfield 5th Ave. & 69th St. entrance; 3, Free.
Baaba Maal
All the American bands must be off playing Branson this weekend, so here's Baaba Maal continuing his work as an exceptionally catchy African pop star-with hits mainly cultivated by swiping influences from the width of his home continent. He's kind of like the Paul Simon of Africa, then, but with charisma.
Irving Plaza, 17 Irving Pl. (at 15th St.), 212-777-1224; 8, $34/$38.
Jehro
He doesn't cover Bowie tunes, but Jehro's managed to become a hipster Caribbean king with his self-titled album. His feel-good tunes are perfectly fine for resort folk, but Jehro also documents tales of the doomed in classic folk style.
Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. (at Ave. A), 212-260-4700; 10, $10/$12.
Boredoms
Few acts have seen their artsy punk-noise stand up to scrutiny like the Boredoms. They found space amongst their clutter to become masters of funk and world music, and their lesser-heard recent work adds the influence of the hula girls of Monster Island.
Webster Hall, 125 E. 11th St. (betw. 3rd & 4th Aves.), 212- 353-1600; 7, $25.
This would've once been another sad old punk act playing a sad old punk club. The Business, however, has managed to sound fairly revitalized with their past few albums-probably assisted by the lame Oi! sound of their younger contemporaries. Also the long weekend's last stand against patriotism.
CBGB's, 315 Bowery (betw. 1st & 2nd Sts.), 212-982-4052; 7, $15.
Sonic Youth is playing the Hilton in Reno, so it's left to The Patrons to provide a 4th of July show for the locals. Fortunately, All That Is Tied is soulful country that celebrates all that's great about America-and their bids at folksiness works better than Thurston's attempt on Rather Ripped.
Rodeo Bar, 375 3rd Ave. (at 27th St.), 212-683-6500; 10, Free.