Who’s Playing Where: May 16-17

When I heard Johnette Napolitano was playing, my pulse quickened and I immediately lit up a Benson and Hedges 100. You see, those were the cigarettes I used to smoke back when I would drive around west Texas listening to Concrete Blonde's Bloodletting at full volume. "Joey" was the first song I learned to play on the guitar. (It’s pretty easy, if you’re interested.) But despite the joy of nostalgia, her new album, Scarred (on sale May 29th), is an event in and of itself.

Her voice, if anything, has gotten better with age. The album has ten original songs and two interesting and well-chosen covers: Coldplay’s “The Scientist and The Velvet Underground’s “All Tomorrow’s Parties”. The first of which is an admitable guilty pleasure and the latter a definitive classic. But the cherry on top is that she’s touring, and between tomorrow at the Canal Room in NYC and June 21st at the Hotel Café in Hollywood you might just be able to catch an awesome show.

Other shows to catch this week:

Wednesday May 16

Johnette Napolitano(see above) at Canal Room.-New York

Mates of State cancelled, but the Bicycle Film Festival should be sweet anyways.-New York

Kristin Hersh at Tractor Tavern.-Seattle

Gregorry Douglass at the Buffalo Gap Saloon.-Portland, Oregan

Jill Sobule at Café Du Nord.-San Francisco

Darling New Neighbors at The Parish.-Austin, Texas

Thursday May 17th, 2007

Deerhoof and The Dirty Projectors at Irving Plaza.-New York

Kiki and Herb at the Knitting Factory.-New York

Andrew Bird and Joan as Policewoman at Webster Hall.-New York

Glass Candy at Donuts.-San Francisco