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Junior League Band has forged something rare among city-living ruralists: an authenticity that sidesteps revivalism. While founder/frontwoman Lissy Rosemont has a little Allison Krauss thing going on, Union Station this ain’t—the bass lines are fleshier, the humor richer, and the lyrics unapologetically intimate. The band is touring behind its 2008 self-release, Mitchell Williams Fo’ Govena, which ditches some of the pop on 2007’s Oh Dear! in favor of a more straightforward string-band approach. Don’t go looking for hoedowns just yet, though: Dulcet tracks like “Kiss You in the Morning” and the night-permeated “Smokies” do little to elevate the heart rate. Rosemont’s central confession is what captivates: That as much as she might like to quit the big city for the Appalachian circuit, she knows urban escape is no longer possible.
JUNIOR LEAGUE BAND PERFORMS WITH SHANE GAMBLE AND TED GARBER AT 6 P.M. AT THE 9:30 CLUB, 815 V ST. NW. $12. (202) 265-0930.