Brightest Young Things and Chris Naoum of Listen Local first team up every week to bring you the list of shows you should definitely attend.
Monday, November 25
twenty|one|pilots, Smallpools, Sirah @ 9:30 Club
RiYL: Fueled By Ramen bands
Caspian, 65DaysOfStatic, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die @ Rock & Roll Hotel
RiYL: openers with incredibly long names, bands who let go of feers

The Kin @ Jammin’ Java
RiYL: bands who shout things like “This is a musical robbery!”

Richard Campbell’s Frankenstein (a prog-metal rock opera) @ Black Cat
RiYL: weird rock operas

Allen Toussaint @ The Hamilton
RiYL: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame jazz pianists
Tuesday, November 26
MGMT @ DAR Constitution Hall
RiYL: FreeFest 2013 bands whose website I dislike, bands whose bio includes “musical terrorists”
Simone & the Spectrum – Holiday Show and Food Drive – with Starryville and Edy Blu @ Jammin’ Java
RiYL: weirdly colored photos, food drives

Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage @ Fillmore Silver Spring
RiYL: architects of metal, black t’s
Thundercat @ U St Music Hall
RiYL: bands who don’t want you to take their photo, Indian feathers
Agrimonia, T.O.A.D. (Take Over And Destroy from Phoenix) @ Black Cat
RiYL: dark and heavy Sweden

Amos Lee (Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song tour), Mutlu @ Warner Theatre
RiYL: $58 tickets

Wednesday, November 27
Rob Zombie, Scar the Martyr @ 9:30 Club
RiYL: musicians who are also filmmakers and like to terrify crowds, Dragulas
K. Michelle, Sevyn Streeter? @ Fillmore Silver Spring
RiYL: Love & Hip Hop
Temples, Myrrh Myrrh @ DC9
RiYL: bands who have never played in the US, vocals that reference The Twilight Zone
Watermelon, Paperhaus, The North Country, Rich Mahogany @ Black Cat
RiYL: bands named after fruit

Owen Danoff @ Kennedy Center
RiYL: twenty-something year olds playing at the Kennedy Center, smiles
Nappy Riddem and ROZ LIDJ @ Tropicalia
RiYL: Dancehall, reggae, gogo
Thursday, November 28
Nhu Loan, Dan Truong, Ngoc Huyen, and more @ Rams Head Center Stage
RiYL: Vietnamese comedy at a casino, it’s Thanksgiving, not a lot is going on
Rex Riot, The Clown Prince, Shanti Shree @ DC9
RiYL: not stuffing your face with turkey all day/night
Friday, November 29
Alice Smith @ Howard Theatre
RiYL: amazing singers who opened for Gary Clark Jr.
Brent & Co @ The Hamilton
RiYL: free shows at The Hamilton
Little War Twins, Satro, Ms. Fridrich, The Petticoat Tea Room @ Black Cat
RiYL: bands who provide recipes to make their band

Brian Setzer Orchestra: Christmas Rocks 10th Anniversary Tour @ Warner Theatre
RiYL: $125 tickets, retro swing
Cane, Dunson, Lyriciss @ Rock & Roll Hotel
RiYL: local hip hop at a place that’s called Rock & Roll Hotel

Lady Gaga vs Beyonce vs Rihanna – a Diva dance party with DJ lil’e @ 9:30 Club
RiYL: diva dance parties without Lady Gaga, Beyonce or Rihanna
Animal Collective DJ Set @ U Street Music Hall
RiYL: a better DJ set than the thing going on at the 9:30 Club
The Walkmen, DJ Will Eastman and Sunwolf @ Union Market
RiYL: Indie rock, shopping
Afrofunk Dace Party @ Tropicalia
RiYL: Afrofunk, dancing, parties
Saturday, November 30
Brett Eldredge (Bring You Back Tour), The Railers @ 9:30 Club
RiYL: country singers from absolutely non-musical families
Carnage @ 9:30 Club
RiYL: people who admit to being “a big black guy who loves to rage”
Drop Electric, Me & Karen, Black Hills @ Rock & Roll Hotel
RiYL: songs that were accidents, fantastic projected visuals behind a band

Ra Ra Rasputin, PLOY, Bearshark @ DC9
RiYL: DC bands with gyrating fans
Foxes @ U St Music Hall
RiYL: twenty-somethings who like to write happy-sad songs
Thread presents The Walkmen @ Union Market DC
RiYL: bands, designers and art galleries inside a warehouse
Mojo Blues Trio @ DC Brau Brewery
RiYL: Blues, beer
Junior League @ Black Cat
RiYL: Female driven indie pop, Jenny Lewis
HariKaraoke Band @ The Howard Theater
RiYL: Karaoke
Litz @ Area 121
RiYL: Funk, ska
NRIs, Fire and The Wheel @ Iota Club
RiYL: Local music, country rock and roll
Rockers Galore, The Infamous They and Candice Mills
RiYL: Psychadelic blues
Sunday, December 1
Animal Collective, bEEdEEgEE @ 9:30 Club
RiYL: bands who list four different hometowns on Facebook, bands who had exhibits at the Guggenheim Museum
Kelly Rowland, Black Alley @ Howard Theatre
RiYL: Destiny’s Child
Spoonboy, Jason Anderson @ Black Cat
RiYL: nice punk rock

Anthony Pirog Trio @ Twins Jazz
RiYL: Janel & Anthony, people who went to Berklee College of Music & NYU
Sansyou @ Marx Cafe
RiYL: “Gravity guitar instrumentals”