Show of the Week

Dirty Projectors, April 3, 9 p.m. at Subterranean

Hot buzz band Vampire Weekend catch a lot of flack for being preppy Ivy-League graduates, but they graduated from Columbia! Now, I’m not saying anything bad about Columbia (I mean, especially since they tower over NU), but how come Dirty Projectors don’t inspire the same level of intellectual-hate? Dave Longstreth, the main Projector, went to Yale (even more pretentious than Columbia) and, unlike Vampire Weekend, actually sounds a bit Ivy League-looney in his music. His albums tend to focus on rather bizarre subject material, ranging from stories about McDonald’s French fries to singer Don Henley trying to find the shape of love (not making this up). The group’s latest, Rise Above, finds Longstreth recreating the classic Black Flag album Damaged from memory. Even with far-out ideas, Dirty Projectors create a gorgeous, melodic sound that turns even the hardcore sounds of Black Flag into something appropriate for an opera house. Bonus: opener No Kids got our seal of approval. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $12 at the doors.

Best of the Rest

Jens Lekman, March 31, 8:30 p.m. at Logan Square Auditorium

Lets be honest, random NU student reading this, you aren’t going to do homework on the first night of classes. I don’t care what you tell yourself, you aren’t going to get cracking on reading this Monday. Go see Jens Lekman. Just read this, and go. Worry about doing your Chinese homework later. Tickets cost $14.

Plants and Animals, April 3, 9 p.m. at Schubas

I don’t know anything about this band except they are from Canada and Pitchfork likes them. I’m willing to wager you are groaning at that last link, but I can’t be on top of everything, I’m still a student who can’t sit around all day listening to every band in the world. I need to keep them grades up. What I’ve heard sounds dandy though! Tickets cost $8.

Avoid at all Costs

Standing in line for Counting Crow’s tickets, April 3, 10:30 a.m. at Norris University Center

Getting up early for B.J. Novak, I can understand that. Flight of the Conchords? Yep, yep, we all need to laugh, no problems setting the alarm a little earlier than usual for that one. But do you really want to sacrifice valuable sleep time for this? Listen to “Mr. Jones” 50 times and you’ve pretty much experienced all the tricks Counting Crows have up their sleeves. Just sleep in, your body will thank you. Tickets cost $15, and you only get two with your Wildcard this time. But again, stay tucked in.