There are international and roots music offerings aplenty this holiday weekend. Some highlights below:
Friday May 28
Xtreme and Julio Voltio at 9 p.m. at Star Lounge, 7203 Little River Turnpike Annandale VA. (571) 263-3882. $25. Dominican duo Xtreme will bring the slow-dance bachata ballads while Puerto Rican Voltio will spit reggaeton verses.
Bruce Daigrepont and band at 9 p.m. (dance lessons at 8) at the American Legion Post 136, 6900 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD. (301) 762 6730. $18. The 50-something French Cajun accordionist from New Orleans will lead his band through danceable waltzes, blues, swamp pop, zydeco, and R&B.
Sweet Micky & his Band at 10 p.m. at Zanzibar on the Waterfront, 700 Water Street SW, Washington D.C., (202) 554-9100. $30. The 49 year-old synth playing “President Kompa” of Haiti will lead his band while chanting his sometimes raunchy French Creole lyrics. He’s also been known to clown around in wigs.
Carolina Chocolate Drops at 8 p.m. at Montpelier Mansion, 9650 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD. (301) 377-7817. $20 but show is sold out. This young charismatic African-American string band keeps folks moving to its old-timey traditionals, blues, and bluegrass (plus their cover of “Hit ‘Em Up Style”).
Saturday May 29
Tito Rojas at 9 p.m. at The Salsa Room, 2619 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA 703-685-0790. $35. The Puerto Rican salsa singer known as the Rooster hit his peak in the ‘90s but still draws a crowd.
23rd Argentine Festival 2010: Tango, Rock & Folk Bicentennial Celebration at 5:45 p.m. at the Thomas Jefferson Theater, 125 South Old Glebe Rd. Arlington, VA. (703) 212-5850. $ 25 .
Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band with Tab Benoit and Papa Grows Funk for free at the Hometown Holidays Festival at 6:30 p.m. at the main stage at Rockville Town Square, 100 Gibbs Street, Rockville, MD. (301) 637-0030. Daigrepont will also perform at 1:30 pm at the Plaza stage. New Orleans resident Benoit plays blues-rock and swamp-pop, while New Orleans combo Papa offers jam-band friendly funk.
Barrington Levy at 10 p.m. at the Crossroads Entertainment Complex, 4103 Baltimore Avenue, Bladensburg, MD. (301)-927-1056. $30. 40-something Levy’s got a warm, deep voice that he uses over bouncy reggae beats.
“Fusion and Bugaloo,” the latest in DJ Jim Byers’ Metro Mambo series of panel discussions with dance parties, showcases D.C. native jazz/r&b/Latin bassist Pepe Gonzalez from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Place, SE, Washington DC, 20020. The event is free but space is limited, so RSVP at (202)-633-4866. During the second hour, Gonzalez & his band, Los Amigos perform boogaloo and Latin soul classics for dancing. A native, third-generation Washingtonian, Gonzalez formed Zapata—one of DC’s first integrated black/latino fusion bands— in his teens. He’s also the husband of well-known D.C. jazz vocalist Imani.
Pinetop Perkins (photo above) with Bob Margolin Band, Daryl Davis, & Liz Lohr at 9 p.m. (swing dance lessons at 8) at the Spanish Ballroom of Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, Maryland. (301) 634-2222. $15. Perkins, the legendary Mississippi-born 96-year-old blues pianist best known for his work with Muddy Waters, still sounded impressive when I heard him a few years ago (and yes, he was sneaking a cigarette between sets).
Meklit Hadero with Bsheba and Munit at 8 p.m. at The Warehouse Loft, 411 New York Ave NE (301)-221-2058 $10-15. Meklit is an Ethiopian-born, Yale-educated San Francisco folk singer who melds her Ethiopian roots with Nina Simone, Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell influences. Bsheba is an Ethiopian-American rapper.
Sunday May 30
Rescheduled 13th Annual DC Reggae Awards: Awards Ceremony begins 9:30 p.m., at the Nativity Room, 1237 Peabody Street NW, Washington D.C. Featuring Oasis Band and Etalian & Spaniards. (202)-640-0565. Free admission before 11 p.m., $20 after; “proper” attire required.
Monday May 31
“Blue Monday” with Jacques ‘Saxman’ Johnson, Little Margie Clark (from the Jewels), Bobby Felder, Jacques Johnson Jr., Les Campbell, Andy Hamburger from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I Street Southwest, Washington, DC. (202) 484-7700. $5. Margie was soulful when the Jewels opened a tour for James Brown—and she still has it today. Jacques ‘Saxman’ Johnson is Michelle Ndegeocello’s father. The band members are all talented veteran DC soul or jazz players.