Nov. 16Grand Buffet6 p.m.$15.50In The Venue (579 W. 200 South)
A satirical hip-hop duo from Pittsburgh Grand Buffet has been serving sucker emcees with Lara Croft-themed freestyles since its self-released, ’96 demo tape, High Grabber. Members Jackson O’Connell-Barlow (aka Iguanadon, Grape-a-Don, Nate Kukla, Mr. Pennsylvania) and Jarrod Weeks (aka M-Dog, Lord Grunge, Matt Kukla, Fred Durst) share a spot on Orlando-based Fighting Records with Astronautalis and have toured with such notable artists as Sage Francis, Sole, Cex and the late Wesley Willis. After completing the Canadian leg of the recent SuicideGirls tour, the duo is now providing comic relief for MGMT and Of Montreal.
Nov. 16MGMT6 p.m.$15.50In The Venue (579 W. 200 South)
Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden met as undergraduates at the private liberal arts school Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. The duo’s collective interest in electronic innovation coalesced into the Time to Pretend EP, which inspired a group of NYU students to create their own label, Cantora Records, to release it. MGMT then went on to support the release as opening act for kindred spirits Of Montreal. The band’s nostalgic, yet innovative alt-rock was good enough to command the attention of Sony/Columbia’s A & R/Producer extraordinaire, Steve Lillywhite (Talking Heads, Big Country, Morrissey). With the support of a six-figure record deal, MGMT will be able to ply the white-striped indie rock of its debut full length, Oracular Spectacular, deep into the future of indie rock beside its Polyvinyl pals.
Nov. 17The B-52’s8:30 p.m. $35The Depot (400 W. South Temple)
The B-52’s formed in Athens, Ga., in 1976 on the whim of a drunken experiment. Taking its name from the hairdos of singers Cindy Wilson and Kate Pierson, which resembled the nose of the B-52 Stealth Bomber, the group’s distinctive alpha-numeric moniker served to make widespread its quirky take on the late ’70s/early ’80s new wave sound. To compliment its recent bout of touring, the group has already written and recorded a new album. With a slated February ’08 release, the new record will be its latest in 16 years. Guitarist Kieth Strickland describes the new album’s 11 party songs — which were heavily inspired by the Steve Osborne-produced New Order album Get Ready — as “loud, sexy rock ‘n’ roll pumped up to hot pink!”
Nov. 21Bradley Hathaway6:30 p.m.$8Kilby Court (741 S. 330 West)
Bradley Hathaway is a boyish American poet/singer/songwriter from Alma, Ark. First pursuing the academic lifestyle, Hathaway was enrolled in the University of Arkansas’ philosophy program until a life-changing performance by poet Clayton Scott convinced him his role was in the music industry. His poems, which were in the beginning performed spoken-word a cappella, range in subject matter from scene satire to deconstructions of masculinity — well-written work that translates effortlessly with his choice of instrumental folk accompaniment. The result begs unavoidable comparison to musical elder Conor Oberst in his younger years. Similar to the DIY ethic and personal touch pathos of the Bright Eyes front man’s Saddle Creek label, Bradley’s latest independent release, The Thing That Poets Write About, includes within its august brown packaging 12 folk songs, an accompanying DVD, an 80-page booklet replete with song lyrics, a recorded conversation and two of his other poems.