Esme Devra West, Independents, Sac au Lait, Attack! Attack!, and more

By Michael Byrne and Lee Gardner

Jan 11, 2012 3:00 AM

WEDNESDAY:

Baltimore-bred cellist Esme Devra West performs solo at 2640 Space.

THURSDAY:

Horror-punk band of yore the

Independents

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bring their 20th anniversary tour to the Ottobar with the

Have Nots!

Pain

, and

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Kill Lincoln

; upstairs, the Kowli Nights techno-plus party returns. Baltimore MC

Lenwood

celebrates a mixtape release party at Sonar with two rooms worth of MCs and DJs.

Medicine Lake

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combines “acoustic rock with a unique, progressive mentality” at Rams Head Live with

Monteclair

and

Soul Cannon

. Rhode Island jazzcore-qua-postrock outfit a

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Troop of Echoes

plays Charm City Art Space with

Sea Patterns

Itzhak Perlman

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both conducts and plays violin with the

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.

Don't miss:

New York acoustic bass/avant-everything star

Jason Ajemian

plays with

HighLife

at the Windup Space with

Microkingdom

and

Teenage Souls

FRIDAY:

Baltimore Dixieland band

Sac au Lait

guests at Sticky Buns Burlesque’s Gourmet Risque event at the Ottobar; upstairs, dance weekly Physical Education returns with resident DJs

Antonio Harper

and

James Nasty

. The two-day Ice Jam takes over Sonar with a whole lot of metalcore and crabcore and assorted stuff of that ilk, including

Attack! Attack!

Silverstein

August Burns Red

, and lots and lots more. TaxLo proprietor

Simon Phoenix

celebrates a birthday at the Golden West Cafe with

Stereofaith

Yip Deceiver

, an indie-pop duo drawn from Of Montreal membership, performs at the Metro Gallery with

Eureka Birds

and

Absent Center

G Love and the Special Sauce

have not ceased enjoying cold beverages at Rams Head Live. The

Paint Fumes

and the

Nervous Tics

guest at

Amanda Otto

’s monthly mod party Reaction at the Sidebar. Baltimore-bred reeds powerhouse

Benny Russell

performs at An die Musik with a not-too-shabby five-piece.

Techno Bro

and

Love/Hate

, of Baltimore techno label/techno torchbearers More or Less, guest at Sonic Butter at Sticky Rice. Baltimore garage-rock usual suspects

Lazlo Lee and the Motherless Children

play the Windup Space with the

Funky Bass and Beat Group Known as F

SATURDAY:

Girlfriend in a Coma

pays tribute to Morrissey at the Ottobar with the

Perfects

. Richmond’s

Lost Tribe

brings its darkside cabaret-punk to the Golden West with

Cult of Youth

and

Azasazi

. The Save Your Soul DJs put on a benefit for seriously injured New York DJ Jonathan Toubin (New York Night Train, Soul Clap Dance Off), at the Metro Gallery with DJs

Kid Congo Powers

Baby Alcatraz

Amanda Otto

Robert Fearless

King Gilbert

, and

Rob Javanillo

. Swedish alt-metal/death-metal band

In Flames

warms up Rams Head Live with

Trivium

. Washington, D.C. punks the

Screws

(not the Mick Collins band) take a turn at the Sidebar with

Blackout Brigade

Combat Crisis

, and the

Incited

. Bassist and composer

Josh Ginsburg

, another Baltimore jazz guy gone New York, plays with his quartet at An die Musik.

Charm City Devils

meet Wikipedia’s notability guidelines at Baltimore Soundstage.

Oella

, a newish country/honky-tonk band in a city with a scarcity of said bands (and featuring occasional

City Paper

contributor Shelly Blake-Plock), plays Joe Squared Station North. New York straight-edge hardcore band

GhostxShip

tears into Charm City Art Space with

Concrete

Shedding Skin

, and

Lurker

Anthony Green

, of the band Circa Survive, plays Towson’s Recher Theatre with—

sigh

—the

Dear Hunter

Don't miss:

Droney, darkside post-everything band

USSA Pleasuredome

—sporting some Compression roots—performs at the Windup Space with

Screen Vinyl Image

Of the West

, and the

Expanding Man

SUNDAY:

Ottobar main guy Michael Bowen’s band

Plurals

plays upstairs at the Ottobar with

Jabas

. Swedish metal throwback

Graveyard

plays the Golden West with

Radio Moscow

and

Daniel Davies

. Folk songwriter

Jaymay

performs at the Windup Space with

Flanagan Smith

and the

Chris Pumphrey Sextet

MONDAY:

James Nasty

spins ‘80s and ‘90s at Joe Squared Power Plant.

TUESDAY:

Jamgrass outfit

Greensky Bluegrass

returns to the 8X10. The Out of Your Head collective returns to the Windup Space for yet more improv good times.

Scottie B

DJs at Joe Squared Power Plant.

Landis Expandis

and

DJ Napspace

’s Dig party doesn’t miss a beat at Joe Squared Station North.

WEDNESDAY:

Kinda confounding metal/punk/other band

Jucifer

plays Sonar with

Fortress

Harlequin Ichthyosis

, and

Radical Discharge

Dar Stellabotta

brings her blend of hip-hop, folk, and punk (“Darstyle”) to the Sidebar with the Brown FISH’s

Jahiti

IN THE WINGS:

Backstreet Boy

Nick Carter

comes to Rams Head Live Feb. 3 with Guinevere and the Midi Mafia. (For more information visit ramsheadlive.com or call [410] 244-1131.) Postrock duo the

Water

celebrates a record release at the Golden West with

Yeveto

. (For more information visit goldenwestcafe.com or call [410] 889-8891.) Quickly rising rap star

ASAP Rocky