MONDAY
The members of Television have kept themselves somewhat musically active over the years. Most notably, in February, Richard Lloyd was involved with a reunion show for Rocket From the Tombs. Tom Verlaine has been, predictably, releasing solo records of varying quality and providing live scores for screenings of silent films. And bassist Fred Smith and drummer Billy Ficca have…basically been waiting for sporadic calls from Verlaine. (Maybe they occasionally run out for a sandwich or somethingI’m not sure.) OK, so some members of Television have kept themselves artistically busy. But the group’s focal point has always been the dynamic tension between its twin egos (Lloyd and Verlaine), even as its fine rhythm section is ignored. And the band, despite electric live shows, can get boring. Television is a jam band for smart peoplemusic made by gentlemen who, despite having considerably more talent and shorter attention spans than the String Cheese Incident, like to wank. So there is reason for concern if you’ve bought tickets for tonight’s performance. As if to drive the point home, a recent live review reports that the band opened its set with a 16-minute pseudo-version of “1880 or So.” And then there’s Verlaine’s already strained and throttled voice. Has age rendered it a rawboned, crackling banshee wail? Find out at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 24, at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $25. (202) 393-0930. (David Dunlap Jr.)