The Rock Shop
249 Fourth Ave., Brooklyn
Friday, September 9, $10, 7:00
www.therockshopny.com
http://wwwwhatever-amy.blogspot.com
One of our favorite music bloggers, Amy Grimm, who runs the Whatever…. site, hosts monthly concerts at Brooklyn venues featuring up-and-coming local bands as well as hot indie groups from around the country. Her September show at the Rock Shop should be extra special, since it’s also her official birthday bash. To help her celebrate, she’s got five Brooklyn bands, followed by a very hot Chicago duo. First up is Backwords (7:30), who just a few weeks ago wrote and recorded a special Hurricane Irene EP as the storm made its way to New York. After that comes the progressive Afro-Cuban stylings of Afuche (8:15), touring behind their most recent release, Highly Publicized Digital Boxing Match. There’s no telling what might happen when Rachel Mason leads her intergalactic experimental Little Band of Sailors to the stage (9:00). The difficult job of following them goes to Sleepwalk (9:45) and twi-ny fave Shark? (10:15), who can wish Amy a musical happy birthday by stringing together such songs as “Hey Girl” “Hip Hip Hooray” “Let’s Roll” from their True Waste album, which they made with legendary bassist Tony Maimone. Closing out the night is redheaded Chicago brother-sister garage rockers White Mystery (11:00), consisting of Miss Alex White and Francis Scott Key White and some very fine coiffure. Happy birthday, Amy!