Chapel Hill
Birds and Arrows; Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan; Whatever Brains
NightlightThere’s a sepia-toned but strong-willed romanticism to the texture- and harmony-rich tunes of Birds and Arrows, the duo of Andrea and Pete Connolly. Inside these pop-righteous, country-graceful numbers, they keep each other awake on long road trips and rejoice even in the sight of peril, one’s voice bolstering the other like lifelong support. But Cantwell, Gomez & Jordan don’t have time for that romantic mess. Though the athletic lines of tree-trunk drummer Dave Cantwell, fuzz-and-fury bassist Anne Gomez and the shards-and-splinters electric guitar of David Jordan are about as closely bound as any marriage could ever make you, the energy of their multivariable rock allows only time for execution, not emotion. Raleigh quartet Whatever Brains strangely fit the bill’s middle, with three-minute blasts as sticky as taffy at the core but smothered in attitude and angularity from above. Another odd but intriguing Nightlight triple-shot. Drop $5 at 10 p.m., and see www.nightlightclub.com. Grayson Currin
Durham
Craver, Watson, Hicks & Newberry
Forty Acres House Concert at Five Oaks ClubhouseTo catch these guys in a house concert is to experience them in their natural habitat. Jim Watson and Bill Hicks got their start in the early ’70s playing vintage music with the late Tommy Thompson at house parties at Thompson’s place off Randolph Road, leading to the formation of the Red Clay Ramblers. Pianist Mike Craver was an early convert. The guys eventually left to ramble down other musical paths, but when Craver, Hicks and Watson reunite these days (with clawhammer banjoist Joe Newberry at the Thompson seat), it’s a celebration of old-time and old times. Showtime is 8 p.m., and tickets are $15. Go to www.fortyacres.org to RSVP. Rick Cornell
