An eclectic semifolkie troubadour who plays guitar as if he prefers Tom Verlaine to Phil Ochs, Jeff Buckley is not yet a great songwriter; he’s still better off covering Leonard Cohen (“Hallelujah,” on his new Grace) than trying to be Leonard Cohen. But then some of Cohen’s early songs sounded pretty callow too, and he had a decade or two on Buckley when he signed with Columbia. With female new-Springsteen Brenda Kahn at 8:45 p.m. at the 9:30 Club, 930 F St. NW. $5. (202) 393-0930. (MJ)