Warning: Former Egyptians frontman Robyn Hitchcock is coming to town Friday, and he can steal your girlfriend if he wants. The guy does it all – singer, songwriter, guitarist, abstract artist, short-story writer and thespian. Hitchcock will be joined onstage at the Cat’s Cradle by the Venus 3: R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, the Young Fresh Fellows bassist Scott McCaughey and drummer Bill Rieflin of Ministry. The band – which, as Hitchcock points out, is also “3/4ths of the Minus 5 and half of R.E.M†– is on tour promoting its 2006 release, Ole Tarantula.
Other shows at the Cradle this week include the return of Atlanta flower punks The Black Lips on Thursday; the Hazelwood/Sinatra-like Dean & Britta on Saturday and a “Hip Hop Helps†show Tuesday to benefit the Amani Children’s Foundation in Kenya with Dirty5Thirty, D.LIV(E) with EROT, Eric Ellington and Alpha Music.
Busy schedule at the ArtsCenter this week starting on Wenesday, March 21 with the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet and ending next Wednesday, March 28 with guitar master Leo Kottke in for a solo show. His most release, Sixty Six Steps, is his second collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon. Filling in the center’s week nicely is folk singer Ellis Paul on Friday and Irish music supergroup Solas on Sunday. Solas is making good on their promise to play the ArtsCenter’s Celtic Concert Series after a snowstorm left the band stuck in Detroit and unable to make it to Carrboro for a late February show.
Two of the bigger acts coming to town are both playing Memorial Hall and both sold the place out fast. So, if you got seats, enjoy the return of Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on Sunday and on Wednesday, March 28, welcome back Ben Folds to the town where he paid a good bit of his dues by hauling a rather large piano in and out of places like Local 506.
Speaking of Local 506, topping their weekend is looking like Aqueduct, North Elementary and Youth Group on Friday and Battles with the ever-dynamic Cantwell, Gomez and Jordan on Saturday.
Down the street on the West End of Franklin The Cave is featuring 100 Yorktown on Friday and Exit Clov, headed back home to our nation’s capital after playing SXSW, on Saturday.