14

WEDNESDAY

Nearly 17 years after emotional D.C. punkers scoffed at the term’s first appearance, “emo” now graces the pages of Seventeen and the lips of Pat O’Brien. This time, the new generation of sensitive rockers isn’t as sensitive to mainstream exposure, and this time, it’s not even major labels responsible for digging up the underground (The scene defenders at Punk Planet recently wrote: “How to Ruin Everything: The Rocky Rise of Vagrant Records.”) Thanks to the unholy confluence of MTV2, MP3s, hipster marketing whizzes, and recent trend pieces in Newsweek, Time, and so on, any teenager with a navel ring or tattoo can sing along to hits from Dashboard Confessional or Saves the Day. Hey Mercedes is only the next model in Vagrant’s product line to step into the limelight. Emote your heart out with the ex-Braid band, Piebald, and Koufax at 7:30 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $12. (202) 393-0930. (Colin Bane)