MONDAY
Twelve-sided nerddom knows no racial boundariesunless you’re talking about the differences between elves, dwarves, and halflings. Although Detroit’s Mick Collins is the undisputed black godfather of garage rock, he is also an unrepentant Poindexter, the Comic Book Guy trapped in the body of Mr. Smooth. He recently admitted, “People would not think I was half as cool if they saw my comic collection. I like furry comics.” Here is a man who fronted the Gories, arguably the bitchenest band of the ’90s, [confessing to an anthropomorphic animal fetish CKCK] that makes even the Dan Savage demographic blush. After the demise of the Gories, Collins channeled most of his energy into the Dirtbombs, who, over the course of three long-players and a slew of singles, have kept the flame of raw Detroit R&B burning. 2001’s Ultraglide in Black, a tribute to soul that included covers of tunes by such legends as Barry White and Phil Lynott, betrayed Collins as the coolest kind of nerd, the crate-digging record collector. And though the band recently covered “Executioner of Love” by the perpetually naff Robin Hitchcock, Collins’ Blade-esque persona remains intact: A song on the group’s latest release, Dangerous Magical Noise, is titled “I’m Through With White Girls.” As for seeing the Dirtbombs live, I am, in the words of one their best singles, “All Geeked Up.” The Dirtbombs play with the Sights and the Quails at 8:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 10, on the Black Cat’s Mainstage, 1811 14th St. NW. $10. (202) 667-7960. (David Dunlap Jr.)