Polvo: "Beggars Bowl"
In 1997 Polvo were slackers. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina band's records were charmingly sloppy and haphazard. But "Beggars Bowl, the groups first new material since reuniting last year, suggest that Polvo has gotten a little more professional in its approach to music making. There are thundering power chords, technical grooves, and if you were to only listen to the song's first 30 second, you might swear you were listening to metal-FM. That said, Polvo doesn't sound too bad shredding in earnest.

B.o.B: "My Sweet Baby"
B.o.B swipes some samples from the Dirty Dancing soundtrack–from "Love is Strange," to be specific–but don't be fooled, this is not a sensual romp with Patrick Swayze. Rather, it's more like being belted with a radio station call sign for three minutes.

Real Estate: "Green River"
As far as music goes, New Jersey's central export is blue-collar mythology. Which might put Real Estate, who hail from the Garden State, in some danger. From the sound of "Green River," with it's gentle melodies and sweetly chiming guitars, the band might not even be able to take The Four Seasons in a fight. Maybe Real Estate needs to relocate to a state that won't squash its sweet but naive vibes.

• U.S. Air Guitar Championships: Washington D.C. Regional Competition. 9:30 club. $15. All ages.
• Concrete Blues. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• Candy Dulfer. Birchmere. $39.50.
• Toadies, The Willowz, Backyard Tire Fire. Black Cat. $15. All ages.
• The Marquees (featuring former members of Marvin Gaye’s first band). Champions Billiards. Free.
• Future, Among Criminals. IOTA Club & Cafe. $10. +21.
• Britny Fox, Baby Jayne. Jaxx. $12.
• The Public Good (CD release), Club Scout, Impossible Hair. Rock and Roll Hotel. $14. All ages.
• Carl Filipiak and the Jimi Jazz Band, Tom Principato. The State Theatre. $15.
• The Courtesans (CD release), Secret Pop Band, Gist. Velvet Lounge. $8. +18.
• DJ Will Eastman. Cafe Saint Ex.

Saturday

• Cake (Sat.-Sun.). 9:30 club. SOLD OUT. All ages.
• Woven Green, Choptank Murphy. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• An Acoustic Evening With Poco, Firefall. Birchmere. $35.
• Isis, Pelican, Tombs. Black Cat. $15. All ages.
• Jagjit Singh. DAR Constitution Hall. $35-$105.
• Frog Holler, Frontier Ruckus. IOTA Club & Cafe. $10. +21.
• Arise, Ruin with Heal These Wounds. Jaxx. $12.
• Nava Ensemble. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. Free.
• Congressional Chorus: Fresh Currents: Songs of the New Millennium. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. $35.
• M3 Rock Festival: Twisted Sister, Ratt, Extreme Kix, Dokken, Slaughter, Y&T, Gilby Clarke, Keel, Jetboy, L.A. Guns, Jani Lane (formerly of Warrant), XYZ, BulletBoys, Carmine Appices Slamm, Steel Panther. Merriweather Post Pavilion. $35–$75.
• National Philharmonic Orchestra: Mahler’s “Titan” (Sat.-Sun.). Music Center at Strathmore. $29–$79.
• Au Revoir Simone, Jeff Lewis, The Antlers. Rock and Roll Hotel. $14.
• Bob. The State Theatre. $12.
• Elikeh, DJ Kimozaki. Velvet Lounge. $8. +21.
• DJ Dk. Cafe Saint Ex.

Sunday

• Blues Jam with the Idle Americans. Bangkok Blues. Call for price.
• Forensics, Cinemasophia, Ringfinger. Black Cat Backstage. $8. All ages.
• Katie Melua. Birchmere. $29.50.
• All Things Rock Summer Recital. Jammin’ Java. $8.
• Saverio Mercadante’s “Il Giuramento.” Lisner Auditorium. $30–$90.
• D.C. Youth Orchestra. Kennedy Center Terrace Theater. Free.

Toadies photo by Jason Janik, via MySpace.