Tonight’s Pick: Circle at DC9

Finnish psych-rock band Circle has a penchant for the unexpected. The band might spend one album improvising delicate jazz-fusion-inspired ambience only to make its next outing an exercise in ’80s hardcore. Live, the members of the band sometimes lay John Popper–style harmonica over heavy metal riffs for 20 minutes just to be a pain in the ass. Yet despite all of these apparent tangents, Circle’s music always has at least one common thread: repetition. These Baltic stoners have a trance fetish that Richard Gere would need 10 more years with the Dalai Lama to compete with. Whether it’s the endless exploration of a single grinding riff or lilting electronics, Circle usually fixes on one idea and then plays the shit out of it---whether you like it or not. Circle performs with Endless Boogie at 8:30 p.m. at DC9, 1940 9th St. NW. $12. (202) 483-5000. ---Aaron Leitko