Thursday June 11th offers a ton of choices for live music fans at night, and a  fascinating lunchtime event as well.  I will start with the latter. John Cohen, a founder of the old-timey string band The New Lost City Ramblers, an early photographer of Bob Dylan and others, and a producer of unique rural American folk and blues singers, will be speaking from noon to 1 at the Mary Pickford Theater on the 3rd Floor of the Library of Congress’ James Madison Building on Independence Avenue SE between 1st and 2nd Streets.  His presentation is billed “The High Lonesome Sound Revisited: Documenting Traditional Culture in America.”   “The High Lonesome Sound” is Cohen’s 1963 documentary film that offers the songs of Appalachian miners, farmers, and churchgoers. The flick also spotlighted banjo picker Roscoe Holcomb. 

Thursday night’s show choices include:

Mika Miko and the Strange Boys (punk rock and garage rock) at Comet Ping Pong, Connecticut Avenue NW

BLK JKS (Johannesburg, South African black rock w/ dub, mbqanqa, prog, and Hendrix influences) at the Black Cat.

Gil-Scott Heron at Blues Alley (through the 14th)

Dave Brubeck at the Warner

The Avett Brothers at Lisner

Sir Richard Bishop and His Freak of Araby Ensemble (Sun City Girls guitarist goes acoustic) at The Talking Head in Baltimore, 407 E. Saratoga St., Baltimore
410-207-8011 all ages $10

Elvis Costello & country-bluegrass band at Wolf Trap

Closing night of Jewish Music Fest with Israeli-born Miri Ben Ari, the hiphop violinist at 8 pm followed by the closing party, all at the Aaron & Cecile Goldman Theater,
16th Street JCC

DJ Lee Burridge at the Electric Cabaret at the Muse Lounge

Dillinger Escape Plan at the Rock n Roll Hotel

AA Bondy and Holly Miranda at Iota

Plus sold-out shows with Jenny Lewis at the 930 and Taylor Swift at Merriweather Post.