The Short List: May 14-21

By Al Shipley

May 14, 2014 3:00 AM

WEDNESDAY:

Kirsten Carey's the

Ulysses Project

, dedicated to musically exploring the work of James Joyce, plays the Windup Space with Michael Formanek's

Four Cool Blue Maniacs

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THURSDAY:

The Baltimore Scene's weekly open-mic event, the Movement, invites singers, MCs, and bands to the 5 Seasons. Massachusetts metalcore band

Killswitch Engage

headlines Rams Head Live, with Florida's

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Trivium

opening. Local Americana singer-songwriter

Craig Cummings

performs at Joe Squared. Maryland-born country star

Maggie Rose

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headlines Baltimore Soundstage. Ex-Fools and Horses frontman

Matt Hutchison

plays solo at the Windup Space with

Super City

and

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Justin Trawick

. Local neo-psych rockers

Drone Theory

plays the Sidebar with

Calavera Skull

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Don't miss:

Punk supergroup

Off!

(featuring members of the Circle Jerks, Burning Brides, and Redd Kross) headlines the Ottobar with

NASA Space Universe

and

Cerebral Ballzy

FRIDAY: Counting Crows

, the

Fray

, and

Annie Bosko

perform on Pimlico Race Course for Black-Eyed Susan Day as part of the Preakness weekend festivities. In case all these metalcore bands we mention every week aren't ridiculous enough, Michigan "electronicore" band

I See Stars

headlines Baltimore Soundstage with

Like Moths to Flames

and

Ghost Town

Mary Reilly

sings the Great American Songbook at the Cabaret at Germano's. Nashville garage-rock quartet

Those Darlins

play Metro Gallery. The

kisskiss players

put a contemporary spin on chamber music at Joe Squared. The

John Ginty Band

, led by sideman to the stars John "the Duke" Ginty, plays the 8x10 with

Cara Kelly and the Tell Tale

. Philly post-punk band the

Retinas

play the Sidebar.

Panda Bear

headlines the 9:30 Club in Washington, with an opening DJ set by Animal Collective bandmate

Geologist

Don't miss:

The 5th Dimension holds a fundraiser for this fall's High Zero Festival, with performances by

Matmos

Horse Lords

Dan Deacon

, and more.

SATURDAY:

Rap legend

Nas

has just been added to the bill of Preakness InfieldFest performers, along with

Lorde

Switchfoot

, and the

Eli Young Band

. "Shmeakness," one of the many unofficial Preakness after-parties, will bring D.C. band the

New Retro

to the 8x10 with

Hippie Life Krew

and

BTNP

. Jazz-trumpet veteran

Eddie Henderson

plays with Baltimore's own

Warren Wolf

at An die Musik. Schticky '90s alt-rockers the

Afghan Whigs

reunite to play some more tuneless, hookless songs at the Ottobar. The Cabaret at Germano's hosts an evening with jazz pianist

Larry Brown

. Local thrash-punks

Enemy Insects

play the Sidebar with

Corrupt Leaders

Blue October

, the band behind such brazenly awful singles as "Hate Me" and "Jump Rope," headlines Baltimore Soundstage. Local noise-pop band

Small Apartments

play the Windup Space with

Divining Rod

and

Plurals

SUNDAY:

Creative Differences presents jazz drummers

Gerald Cleaver

and

Devin Gray

, who in 2012 recorded the composition "Thickets (for Gerald Cleaver)," at the Windup Space.

Built to Spill

brings some of indie rock's finest beards and guitar solos to the Ottobar.

Dark Star Orchestra

, the long-running Grateful Dead tribute band that recently surpassed the Dead in total number of shows, headlines Rams Head Live.

Don't miss:

Club K presents Serial Experiments volume 1, featuring some of the Baltimore area's best experimental artists, including

Patrick McMinn

and

Comfort Link

MONDAY:

California alt-rockers

Augustana

headlines the 9:30 Club in Washington.

TUESDAY:

Chicago post-rock ensemble

Counterfeit i

performs at the Sidebar. The

Out of Your Head

collective throws a few musicians onstage at the Windup Space to improvise.

WEDNESDAY:

The very popular

Titus Andronicus

(see page 30) crams into the very small Charm City Art Space for what will surely be a wild night, with

Pure Junk

and

Baked

opening. HFS holds a "cheap date" night at Rams Head Live with

Sleeper Agent

, the Kentucky band of the excellent minor radio hits "Get It Daddy" and "Waves." Funky Ohio jam band

SassafraZ

plays the 8x10 with

Swift Technique

. Baltimore punk bands

Queen Wolf

and

Snakefeast

play songs from their 2013 split EP at the Windup Space.

Don't miss:

The Ottobar holds a Maryland DeathFest pre-fest party with

Immolation

Misery Index

Black Breath

Noisem

, and a special screening of the MDF documentary

Welcome to Deathfest

IN THE WINGS: Jay-Z

and

Beyonce

's On the Run tour will bring the power couple to M&T Bank Stadium on July 7. (For more information, visit ticketmaster.com or call [800] 745-3000.)

Neutral Milk Hotel

, who recently played its first concert in 15 years in a church in Baltimore, will play a much larger venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion, on July 25. (For more information, visit merriweathermusic.com or call [410] 715-5550.) The

Hold Steady