17
THURSDAY
Only John Daly with a drink in one hand and a 1-iron in the other could crank out a mightier hook than Robert Pollard. Look to “Jane of the Waking Universe” from the new, splendid Mag Earwhig! as Pollard, past 40 and backed by yet another incarnation of Guided by Voices, crafts yet another opening of otherworldly catchiness. (And don’t dare say he stole that riff from “Maggie May”!) Early shows on GbV Redux’s first tour favored cuts from Pollard’s first solo album (1996’s Not in My Air Force) and Mag Earwhig!, but the reshuffling has also provided a great excuse to dust off vintage GbV chestnuts (“My Impression Now”). Nobody in his demographic gets the kick Pollard gets from fronting a bandno matter who’s in that bandwhich is but one of the reasons he’s indie rock’s most endearing protagonist. Root for him tonight, as GbV headlines with openers Kenickie and Superconductor, at 7:30 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW. $12. (202) 393-0930. (DM)