Sleeping in the Aviary
Monday 10.6
Tuesday 10.7
Todd Rundgren
Barrymore Theatre, 7:30 pm
One of rock's underappreciated geniuses, Rundgren blew a million young minds back in the day with A Wizard, A True Star. On this tour, the ageless singer/guitarist/producer is getting his ya-yas out by powering up material from his rambunctious, joyously rockist CD Arena.
David Sedaris
Overture Center's Overture Hall, 7:30 pm
The humorist and public radio phenom pays a call. His latest collection, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, includes musings on dead bodies, crossword puzzles and that staple of modern comedy, airline travel.
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
Singer/keyboardist Ivan Neville ramrods a furious, New Orleans-based funk machine that expands upon the achievements of his remarkable family. Miss the Meters? Neville and his mates will put you back on the good foot. The Gomers' Funk Machine opens.
Wednesday 10.8
The CunninLynguists
Inferno, 8 pm
Much like Atmosphere and Outkast, this Kentucky hip-hop trio looks to psychedelia, soul, brassy show band tunes and everything else under the sun for musical inspiration. Their tongues are pretty cunning, too. PackFM, Substantial, and DJ FlipFlop open.
Southern Culture on the Skids
High Noon Saloon, 8 pm
Did we mention that it's a strong week for party bands? Well, it is, and no one dishes up deep-fried cheap thrills quite like white-trash parodists Southern Culture on ohe Skids. Knuckel Drager opens.
Matt Wertz
Orpheum Theatre's Stage Door, 8 pm
An amiable, good-looking singer-songwriter with a knack for delivering the same brand of chill music that made Jack Johnson a star, Wertz is definitely ready for bigger rooms than this one.
Red Elvises
Annex, 9 pm
Russian rockabilly cats the Red Elvises have been working their goofy shtick forever. But as long as the beer's cold and the sound system doesn't poop out, they're guaranteed to raise a smile.
Thursday 10.9
Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby with Kentucky Thunder Overture Center's Overture Hall, 7:30 pm
Turns out Skaggs' high-speed bluegrass and country picking meshes well with Hornsby's earnest jazz-pop keyboard. Haven't found a sitter yet? Better get crackin' before they're all taken. Mike Farris opens.
The Kooks
Barrymore Theatre, 8 pm
The Kooks aren't quite this generation's answer to Oasis, but they've won over the U.K. with a plucky rock sound that sparks fond memories of Britpop's glory days. The Whigs open.
Frequency, 10 pm
The criminally clever, Madison-bred indie-rockers tumble through tunes from their new CD, Expensive Vomit in a Cheap Hotel. Blueheels, A Paper Cup Band, and National Beekeepers Society help 'em party the night away. (Look out for those green puddles.)
