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SATURDAY

Enon guitarist and creative mastermind John Schmersal has a thousand-pound gorilla on his back, and its name is Brainiac. Despite garnering a moderate amount of praise, Enon’s first two full-lengths, Believo! and High Society, couldn’t escape the inevitable comparisons with Schmersal’s former band. Originally a post-Brainiac solo project, Enon produced music during its formative years characterized by the same skittish guitar work and noisy electronics that dominated Hissing Prigs in Static Couture. But following the departure of the band’s original rhythm section and the addition of two new members (including former Blonde Redhead bassist Toko Yasuda), the aggressive pursuit of an independent musical identity became a priority. Which probably explains why Enon’s latest record, Hocus Pocus, is a hodgepodge of sound that jumps from pop to art-punk to minimalist electronics—everything but anything even remotely resembling Brainiac. Enon plays with El Guapo at 9 p.m. at the Warehouse Next Door, 1017 7th St. NW. $8. (202) 783-3933. (Matthew Borlik)