17

Friday

Does everybody think that the band he played in during high school was legendary, or is it just me? All right, so maybe we were legends only in our own minds, but back in the day, my group, the Sockmonkeys, did bring a packed auditorium to its feet at my alma mater, Bethesda’s Walter Johnson High School. Of course, when VH1 finally gets around to doing its Behind the Music on me, it’ll discover that the Sockmonkeys were named “Most Likely to Be Found Playing on a Street Corner for Spare Change.” Of my former bandmates, only Phil Cooper has gone on to become a professional musician. Tonight, his ska-jazz group Eastern Standard Time plays the Velvet Lounge. If you happen to run into Phil (he’ll be the one with the trombone), tell him Nipples says hi. At 8 p.m. at the Velvet Lounge, 915 U St. NW. $5. (202) 462-7625. (Mike Kanin)