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SATURDAY

Howe Gelb is not the Devil. They’re not even friends. Sure, the arched eyebrows and vaguely menacing goatee conjure a bit of Old Scratch, but a look at the Tucson, Ariz., mainstay’s bewilderingly below-the-radar career disproves any theory of satanic intervention: Those around the Giant Sand frontman just seem to have better luck than he does. Take Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, who before The Sophtware Slump made him de facto spokesman for sad, dilapidated robots everywhere, was drunkenly trying to foist his demo on Gelb. The list of contributors to Still Lookin’ Good to Me, Gelb’s latest release with his resurrected Band of Blacky Ranchette, is a

veritable who’s who of indie-folk-rock-alt-country-whatever: Chan Marshall, Neko Case, Kurt Wagner, Calexico. But tonight he’s alone again with Kristin Hersh and Andrew Bird at 10 p.m. at Jammin’ Java, 227 Maple Ave. East, Vienna. $15. (703) 255-1566. (Chris Hagan)