Doom metal supergroup Shrinebuilder played their second show ever on at club stage at Sonar in Baltimore last Friday night to a packed house. They didn’t disappoint: the songs from the album came off more powerful live, and some bits of new material sounded intriguing as well. As far as supergroups go, this one’s for real.

More photos (and a setlist) after the jump and at the full gallery.

Full gallery here.

Tonight at the Velvet Lounge. a rare opportunity to catch two artists active in the Beijing underground experimental music scene: P.K. 14 and Xiao He. Active since 1997, though with only one original member in the current lineup, P.K. 14 is one of the most influential bands in that scene and plays an energetic brand of post-punk. Xiao He is much more “out,” with recordings showcasing surrealist folk, free electronic improv, and dadaist vocal experiments. More information about these artists can be found at Maybe Mars, with free recordings available for download.

Tonight’s show is at 10pm, $10. Xiao He will also be performing a special show at Georgetown’s Govinda Gallery on Saturday at 8pm. Free admission.

On Sunday, a virtual all-star cast of free improv musicians hits Bossa in Adams Morgan for an event in which two silent films, Order From Chaos and Shades of Jazz in Noir, will be screened and accompanied by a live improvised score. The mighty lineup includes Herb Robertson, Oscar Noriega, Vattel Cherry, Hans Koch, Jack Wright, and locals Ed Ricart and Sam Lohman. Ricart—pictured above playing with Matta Gawa in Baltimore—helps curate the Bossa events and promises that this will be something special. Starts at 8pm, $8.

The 9:30 Club hosted a local-ish metal blowout on Thursday: Lamb of God (Richmond), Darkest Hour (D.C.), Periphery (Bethesda) and This or the Apocalypse (Lancaster, PA). The seriously high-energy performances were matched by one of the most active, enthusiastic crowds I’ve ever seen at a D.C. show.

More photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

Darkest Hour:

Periphery:

This or the Apocalypse:

Full gallery here.

The First Lady was at the Verizon Center last night, daughters and Secret Service in tow, to witness Miley Cyrus‘ first tour under her own name rather than the Hannah Montana brand. Many more photos after the jump (click on any photo for a larger version).

Note: these photos may not be republished elsewhere.

Metro Station, featuring Miley’s half-brother Trace Cyrus, opened:

The fact that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band last played in D.C. just this past May didn’t seem to put a damper on the reception that the Boss and friends received when they hit the stage at the Verizon Center. After the jump and at the full gallery, check out some images from the initial moments of last night’s show.

Full gallery here.

The experimental music fan has two very different but equally appealing avant-garde music options this weekend.

On Saturday, hop over to Twins Jazz for a free-jazz concert the likes of which the District doesn’t get enough these days, as pianist Joel Futterman and reedist Ike Levin duo it up. Futterman played Twins Jazz a couple years ago with legendary New Orleans saxophonist Kidd Jordan, and immediately won me over with a style that is most easily compared to a somewhat more accessible Cecil Taylor. He’s been playing with Levin at least since 2002, and this should be an excellent night for those who miss the shows like this that Transparent Productions used to put on regularly.

On Sunday, a trek up to Orion Sound Studios will be rewarded with a show by the always unpredictable Cheer-Accident, who last played there in April following their performance at Avant Fairfax, pictured above. This long-running Chicago band writes music by throwing genres and expectations into a blender and adding a dash of Zappa-like whimsy—and they come out with something completely different every time they do it. Baltimore bands Armed Elephant and Isthmus open; the latter’s Isis/Neurosis brand of metal is great, if an odd fit for the bill.

Al Cisneros got a haircut, Chris Hakius morphed into Emil Amos (pictured above), and Robert Lowe of Lichens sat in on guitar, keys, and percussion. Om is very different now than they were when they last played D.C. Some growing pains were evident as the sound was rough and some of the pieces seemed a little sloppy. Still, with Cisneros staring wide-eyed at nothing while slamming his palm against his bass and Amos bashing the skins as gleefully as Hakius used to, it’s hard not to be transfixed by this band.

More photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

Om:

Six Organs of Admittance, who played a very nice all-acoustic set:

Lichens, an amazing opening set of nothing but looped vocals:

Full gallery here.

New York’s Hanzel und Gretyl are a thoroughly ridiculous band in music, lyric (their latest big hit? “Fukken Uber Death Party”), and imagery. Luckily, they know it, and they don’t take themselves seriously at all. As a result, a show that would just be utterly laughable is, well, still laughable, but also big fun.

More photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

Hanzel und Gretyl:

Dreams in Fear:

Dark Dissolve:

Burning Mercury:

Full gallery here.

Experimental hip-hoppers Anti-Pop Consortium were at their incomprehensible best at Rock & Roll Hotel this Saturday, performing a set heavy on tunes from their recent reunion album, Fluorescent Black. It was a welcome return to form for a group that has seen its individual members involved in a huge number of side projects after APC’s breakup in 2002, none of which were as satisfying as APC itself.

More photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

Openers Pants Velour, who put on a fun set but whose party-ready hip-hop was an odd fit for this bill:

Full gallery here.

What a difference a year makes: last December, Swedish death metal icons In Flames were blown off the stage by their opening band (Gojira) in Baltimore; last May, North Carolinian prog-metallers Between the Buried and Me played to a disinterested audience of Dream Theater fans at DAR Constitution Hall. On Monday at a packed 9:30 Club, BTBAM satisfied a crowd full of fans screaming, “You guys should headline this tour!” while In Flames more than matched BTBAM, with exponentially more energy than they had at that Baltimore show last winter.

More photos after the jump and at the full gallery.

In Flames:

Between the Buried and Me:

3 Inches of Blood:

The Faceless:

Full gallery here.