Wednesday | 2/3
PIMPS OF JOYTIME
Going to see the Pimps of Joytime is like being thrown back into the '70s, or to be more precise into the middle of a nonstop funky dance party that's been bumpin' for five years. Brian J brought the band together in 2005 in order to bring what the Pimps call "dirty, ass-shaking grooves" to audiences from Alaska to North Carolina. Since then the band has been playing the kind of funky dance jams where the audience flocks to the dance floor and boogies to the Brooklyn beat. Having recently finished its newest album, Funky Brooklyn, the band heads to Moe's Alley to celebrate. Moe's Alley; $10 advance/$12 door; 9pm. (Brian Harker)
Thursday | 2/4
BOSSA NOVA & BEYOND
Acts like Charlie Byrd and Stan Getz lit the bossa nova candle at both ends in the late '50s and early '60s. Its popularity burned bright but fizzled out quickly, and today the samba-soaked Brazilian style is mostly a fond memory for jazz heads who pine for its sexy, subdued rhythms and mesmerizing vocals. For New York's Sandy Cressman and Moscow's Masha Campagne, bossa nova is more than just a memory, and at Kuumbwa this Thursday, the two singers rendezvous, bands in tow, to celebrate the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Dori Caymmi and Daven Agundez, some of the form's most influential framers. Kuumbwa; $12 advance/$15 door; 7pm. (Curtis Cartier)
ZOE BOEKBINDER
A geeky heartthrob for awkward boys and girls alike, Oakland's Zoe Boekbinder is best known for her work with her sister in the beloved two-piece outfit Vermillion Lies, but her solo work holds up equally well. Offering equal servings of vaudeville, jazz, pop and coffeehouse folk, Boekbinder sounds like she could be Jolie Holland's quirky, Ditty Bops–obsessed little sister. But while Boekbinder's influences are apparent, a listen to her solo debut, Artichoke Perfume, confirms that the Monterey-reared chanteuse is undoubtedly her own talent, with a singular sensibility and songwriting skill. Crepe Place; $8; 9pm. (Paul M. Davis)
Friday | 2/5
DAVE RAWLINGS MACHINE
The musical other half of bluegrass star Gillian Welch, Dave Rawlings has had a major hand in ushering in the current bluegrass renaissance. After branching out on his own last year under the name Dave Rawlings Machine, the multi-instrumentalist and frequent contributor to indie outfit Bright Eyes saw his widespread musical favors returned by Welch, Conor Oberst and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers in the form of collaborations on an album. The result, A Friend of a Friend, is as simple as it is profound, with understated instrumentation and country-wise lyrics. It's a coming-out party for a man who's stayed too long behind the indie rock curtain. Catalyst; $22 advance/$25 door; 8pm. (CC)
Saturday | 2/6
Y&T
Hard rock pioneers Yesterday & Tomorrow shortened their name to Y&T, as it was easier for the tens of thousands of screaming fans to chant at their stadium concerts. This left the breathless audiences with enough wind to call out for such hits as "Summertime Girls," which not only burst from radio stations across the world but also added some sex appeal to Baywatch. And after 36 years of hard-hitting heavy metal punctuated by gold records, earth-shaking world tours and a heavy rotation on MTV, Y&T are bringing their melodic power ballads to jump-start the Santa Cruz fan base. Catalyst; $19 advance/$23 door; 9pm. (BH)
Sunday | 2/7
LESLIE and THE BADGERS
Specializing in threadbare country-folk ruminations and down-home barnburners, Leslie and the Badgers are striking in their simplicity and straightforwardness. What is most refreshing, however, is lead singer Leslie Stevens' utter lack of guile. There's a sincerity and clarity to her lyrics and delivery that raises competent country-rock arrangements to a much higher level. While the tales of these songs betray the band's urban roots, Leslie and the Badgers don't come off as a crew of city-slicker dilettantes; Stevens embodies the role of the put-upon country siren with a such a credibility that she does proud the artistic legacy of the ultimate good woman done wrong, Loretta Lynn. Crepe Place; $8; 9pm. (PMD)
Monday | 2/8
CHARISMA!
Lee Morgan was a seminal influence in hard-bop trumpet and a major player in building the mythos of Blue Note Records during the '60s. To the eternal loss of the jazz canon, Morgan tragically died in 1972 at the age of 33, but his influence looms over bop-inspired players to this very day. Charisma! is an all-star tribute to Morgan's work and legacy organized by trumpet player David Weiss that features both saxophonists from Morgan's final band, Billy Harper and Bennie Maupin. The septet is rounded out by Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Geri Allen on piano, Dwayne Bruno on bass and Billy Hart on drums, performing songs from Morgan's entire repertoire. Kuumbwa; $25 advance/$28 door; 7pm. (PMD)
Tuesday | 2/9
BADFISH
When Bradley Nowell died in 1996 at the age of 28, it was during the first rumblings from the music press that his band, Long Beach trio Sublime, was on the verge of becoming a mainstream success. What happened instead is that Sublime was not only a success but helped define a generation. Almost 15 years later it's still one of the greatest party bands to ever grace a kegger P.A. system. Rhode Island quartet Badfish pays homage to Nowell and Co. with true-to-art renditions of reggae, punk and hip-hop fusion classics like "40oz to Freedom," "Santeria" and "Garden Grove." Catalyst; $15 advance/$19 door; 8pm. (CC)
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