Monade

French band Monade will make their first area appearance this weekend, on the heels of the release of their second album, A Few Steps More. The group—Laetitia Sadier, Marie Merlet, Nicolas Etienne and Xavier Chabellard—practice a smoky, understated brand of pop music, colored by analog synthesizers and trombone, and topped with Sadier’s enchanting coo. And if you think that coo sounds at all familiar, you’re right: She’s also the voice of long-running avant-pop group Stereolab. But she’s apparently a bit too prolific to contain all her ideas in just one band, which says a lot, considering that Stereolab just released a 3-CD and DVD box set and have another new album scheduled for later this year. In the meantime, it’s all about Monade.

Monade will perform at the Hudson River Theater (521 Warren St., Hudson) tomorrow (Friday, May 20). Thrill Jockey recording artists the Zincs will open. Tickets for the 8 PM show are $20. For more information, call 828-9550.

George Lopez

The Spencertown Academy continues its classical songbook series this weekend with a performance by pianist George Lopez.

Brooklyn-born Lopez—who apparently is unrelated to the same-named comedian—has been praised by the Los Angeles Times for his “musical perspective, continuity and kaleidoscopic colors.” Saturday’s program will include Bach’s Partita No. 4 in D major, Villa Lobos’ Bachianas Brasilerias No. 4, Ginastera’s Creole Dance, Rachmaninoff’s Cinc Etude-Tableaux and three Gershwin tunes.

George Lopez will perform Saturday (May 21) at 8 PM at the Spencertown Academy (Route 203, Spencertown). Tickets are $25, $18 members. For more information, call 392-3693.

The Capitol Steps

What’s funnier than aliens murdering U.S. Congressmen? (We’re thinking of Tim Burton’s underrated Mars Attacks, in which green bubble-brained Martians roast our legislators with a heat ray, much to the amusement of daffy grandma Sylvia Sidney—not noncitizens literally offing legislators.) Well, a satirical group making fun of ’em: the Capitol Steps.

The Capitol Steps know intimately what they make fun of, as each member is a current or former congressional staffer. They’re equal-opportunity funsters, roasting Republicrats and Demolicans alike. So, you can bet Tom DeLay and Nancy Pelosi will both take it in the neck in this show.

The performance is sponsored by WAMC. For $100, you can get VIP seating, admission to a post-performance reception and a CD of the show. Since it’s a WAMC event, Alan Chartock probably will be there too—if that’s any additional incentive.

The Capitol Steps will perform on Saturday (May 21) at 8 PM at the Egg (Empire State Plaza, Albany). Tickets are $35-$100. For reservations, call 473-1845.