The best of the entire weekend

The Dismemberment Plan, performing tonight at the Black Cat (sold out), and Saturday and Sunday (also sold out) at 9:30 Club.

I loathe to admit, but I’ve yet to earn my D-Plan stripes. It’s not looking like this will be the weekend to do so either. In all matters Dismemberment Plan, I defer to long-time listener Jon Fischer:

You don’t need a good reason to love a pop song, just a personal one. And while there are plenty of good reasons to love The Dismemberment Plan’s classic 1999 album Emergency & I—-it’s wit, its omnivorousness, it’s simplicity, its chutzpah—-fans tend to default on more individual explanations…So here’s my D-Plan story: I’ve seen the band at least half a dozen times, and while the 2007 reunion show wasn’t the best, it sticks out for a reason any lover of the band will appreciate: I finally made it on stage during “The Ice of Boston.”

Share your own piece Dismemberment Plan nostalgia in the comments!  And for more, check out Aaron Leitko’s look at the considerable legacy of the band.

Best of Friday:

Yo La Tengo. With William Tyler. $20. 8 p.m. doors. 9:30 Club. Nevin Martell writes:

There was a time when the midway at the county fair wasn’t just creepy carnies, deep-fried Twinkies, and impossible-to-win shooting galleries. Back in the day, you could get close and personal with carnie fixtures like the bearded lady, go head-to-head in an arm wrestling match with The Strongest Man in the World, or see the only six-headed shark in existence. Another intriguing fixture was the Wheel of Fate, which would reveal your future in a single spin. Yo La Tengo has revived this clairvoyant tradition for its latest tour. The trio’s shows will be divided into two halves, with the first set determined by a spin of the wheel. Who knows what the evening has in store? One thing’s for sure: It won’t involve any carnies

Francis and the Lights. Solo piano performance. Free. 6 p.m. Millenium Stage. Kennedy Center.

I’m not sure what to expect from the admittedly groan-worthy “Francis Farewell Starlite,” who usually helms immaculately produced ’80s synth and funk with his band The Lights. Though adult contemporary rock hasn’t yet had a proper quasi-ironic send-up and rebirth, it’s not likely to happen tonight at the Kennedy Center. Francis is booked for a solo piano performance,  and if you’re curious about the man’s tightly controlled image, tonight might whet your appetite enough to see more once he returns to DC9 in April.

Friday Night Eclectic with RAtheMC. X.O., and AB the Pro. $10/$12 doors. 8 p.m. Strathmore

Best of Saturday:

Little Dragon. Billy Goat. $15/$18. 9:00 p.m. doors. Black Cat.

In a quick game of word association, you might say “little dragon,” and I’d reply “Peter, Paul, and Mary.” My first image would be a lilting song from the mouths of babes, not genre-defying electro-dance stuff from the mouth of a Swedish-Japanese singer named Yukumi. A few years in the world of dance-pop might as well be a lifetime in most other genres. The band has significantly risen through the ranks, often with antlers all akimbo, to collaborate with the likes of TV on the Radio and Gorillaz. Whether those endorsements sway you or not, the lush landscape of “Twice” from their self-titled sophomore album just might.

Evan Dando. Juliana Hatfield. with Lady Lamp the Beekeeper. $20. 9:00 p.m. Iota Club.

Best of Sunday:

Eddie Palmieri – Brian Lynch Quartet.

Steve Kiviat is one of many who notes that were Puerto Rican pianist Eddie Palmieri Anglo,  he would be recognized as one of America’s greatest musicians, and not just a top-notch Latin-jazz keyboardist.” Collaborating with trumpeter Brian Lynch, Palmieri “is bringing his special brand of thundering ivory-bashing and animated between-song patter” to Blues Alley for the weekend. Piano and Trumpet. 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. SOLD OUT. Birchmere.

The Rest of Friday:
Javelin.9 p.m. Free! Kay Spiritual Center. American University.
Marsha Ambrosius (of Floetry) at The Park at 14th. 7 p.m. show. Call for more information.
The Sights. The Blackberry Belles. The Milkstains. $8. 9:30 p.m. show. The Red Palace. 18+.
Du Brut. The Jones. Borracho. 9 p.m. show. $10. Rock & Roll Hotel. Joe Rathbone. With Shane Cooley and Bess Rodgers. $7. 8 p.m. show. Ebenezer’s Coffeehouse.
Beatlemania Now. $55-$75. 8 p.m. Warner Theatre.
Kessler, Williams, Antonuick, Hawkins Quartet. 9 and 11 p.m. Twins Jazz.

Saturday:

U.S. Royalty. The Rassle. Honey House. $10/$12. 9:30 p.m. show. Rock & Roll Hotel.
Tank. Jay Hayden. $25. 8:00 p.m. Cramton Auditorium.
Chrisette Michele. 7:30 p.m. Birchmere. SOLD OUT.

Sunday:
John McCauley and Ian O’Neil of Deer Tick. The Shivers. $12. 8:30 p.m. show. Rock & Roll Hotel.

Photo illustration by Brooke Hatfield.