DARE DUKES & THE BLACKSTOCK COLLECTION
At 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11
The Sentient Bean, 13 E. Park Ave. $6.
Our city's pre-eminent singer/songwriter returns for one of his periodic local shows - Dukes plays up the Eastern Seaboard a lot, and is a regular performer in New York City, where he keeps a second home and office. Dukes is a happy camper these days because he and the band have recorded the backing tracks for 11 new songs in an Athens studio. "Next week I'm going to do lead vocals, and after that keyboards and stuff, and hopefully - if the planets align - I'll be ready to mix in December." This will be Dukes' second CD, following the critically praised Prettiest Transmitter of All. "I've been playing a lot of these songs over the last year or two or three, with different permutations of the band," he says. "It's super, super cool to see the arrangements come together, and the personnel come together." Several of the Blackstock musicians are from Atlanta, while others live here in Savannah. This show - which will find the Bean staying open until 11 p.m., an hour later than usual - also features our own General Oglethorpe and the Panhandlers, and the Atlanta-based Blair Crimmins and the Hookers. See daredukes.com, myspace.com/generaloandthepanhandlers, blaircrimminsandthehookers.com
THE TRAIN WRECKS/AMERICAN GUN
At 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 10
The Jinx, 127 W. Congress St.
The Train Wrecks, arguably the most exciting band on the current Savannah scene, need no introduction (that's them in the photo). This, however, looks like the matchup to beat this weekend, because American Gun - back just a month and change since they were last in town - is also a hard-charging, electrifying Americana band (what the mainstream media still insists on calling "alt country"). From Columbia, S.C., the gunners are touring extensively behind the CD The Devil Showed Me His Hand, with singer, songwriter and guitarist Todd Mathis out front (his fellow founder Donald Merckle - together they're a bit like Jeff Tweedy and Jay Farrar in the glory days of Uncle Tupelo - is on the CD but is taking a break from live shows). The Train Wrecks, as we've reported here, are about to drop a cool new album any week now. See thetrainwrecksband.com, americangun.net
CHECK IT OUT
For the uninitiated, First Friday Fetish (at the Wormhole Bar this week) is a celebration of debauchery, with barely-costumed ladies ("The Naughty Schoolgirls of St. Sinner's Detention Hall") on hand to spank or flog you on the wheel, depending on what you're into. It's all in good fun, to be sure, but it can get pretty freaky. DJ Gene spins electronica and ‘80s and ‘90s rock (can you say "new wave"?). Be there or be square. See wormholebar.com
