Saturday May 17 (9pm)
The Kills' Alison Mosshart is all about sizzle — though not necessarily sex. Reveling in her throaty, cigarette-stained croak, the heavy clang of distorted blues guitar, and, more recently, dark electro beats, Mosshart manages an affected, emotional indictment of humanity's seedier side. Onstage, a muted sexual tension builds as Mosshart and guitarist Jamie Hince gaze awkwardly at each other, bearing the (fictionalized?) brunt of their (unrealized?) attraction. The duo make goo-goo eyes tonight alongside hot up-and-comers the Childballads, a Wilco-esque ensemble featuring former Jonathan Fire*Eater singer Stewart Lupton — the only member of his former band who didn't eventually join the Walkmen.
– Andrew Phillips