Pierre Joris and Nicole Peyrafitte

WAMC Performing Arts Studio, Friday

Dynamic duo Nicole Peyrafitte and Pierre Joris join forces for a double CD-release party/performance at WAMC’s Linda Norris Auditorium tomorrow (Friday) night. “Double,” in that both Joris and Peyrafitte have new albums available: The Bi-Continental Chowder (Peyrafitte) and Routes, not Roots (Joris). Both poet/performance artists have collaborated with some of the more adventurous local musicians on these discs, including Mitch Elrod, George Muscatello, Danny Whelchel, Michael Bisio, Munir Beken, Ben Chadabe, Tony Perrino, and Tom Burre; many of these—specifically Beken, Bisio, Chadabe and Elrod—will take part in the performance. All in all, we expect an intriguing evening of music and poetry. And, of course, Peyrafitte will be making her chowder. Yum. (Feb. 16, 8 PM, $15, 339 Central Ave., Albany, 465-5233 ext. 4)

Hero Pattern

Skyline, Thursday; Lark Tavern, Friday

They’ve got the emo haircuts, they’ve got the pimped-out MySpace page, they’ve got the quirky, multilayered name (and yes, they’ve even been called “infectious”). . . . Look out, All-American Rejects and Fall Out Boy! This group of guys from Rockaway, N.J. are poised to take over the Top 40 world! Touring in support of their new release, The Deception EP, Hero Pattern will be in Albany for two nights this weekend. Absolutepunk.net said that the disc is “a collection of slick, power-pop tunes that may not immediately hold your interest, but after a few listens you will find yourself spinning this EP constantly and singing along with gusto. This is a band [that] has the potential for big things in the future, especially if they are able to further refine their addictive brand of power pop.” At the Skyline, Red Red Wine also are on the bill; at the Lark Tavern, the Crayons will open the show. (Skyline: Feb. 15, 8 PM, call for prices, 90 N. Pearl St., Albany, 472-8150; Lark Tavern: Feb. 16, 10 PM, $5, 453 Madison Ave., Albany, 463-9779)

The Valentine’s Soul Jam

Palace Theatre, Friday

Nothing says “Valentine’s Day” like a concert with four of the best-known R&B bands from the ’70s, so it’s ironic that somehow the Valentine’s Soul Jam doesn’t fall exactly on Feb. 14. Alright, alright—we know it already includes the word “valentine” in the title, but to have a show this genuinely smooth actually fall on the cheesiest and most commercial “holiday” of the year would have been adding insult to an already hurtful premise. With headliners the Chi-Lites, the Manhattans, the Emotions, and the Stylistics, the Soul Jam offers more than you might expect from this Valentine’s Day: tight harmonization, smooth vocals, and—most important—meticulously pressed suits. The bands will present new material in addition to pulling out old hits like “Oh, Girl,” “Shining Star,” and “You Are Everything.” The Palace Theatre gives you a chance to experience the Valentine’s Soul Jam in all its fuzzy warmth tomorrow—but don’t think you need to have lived through Watergate to appreciate a show like this. Everyone craves some old-school romance once in a while. (Feb. 16, 8 PM, $32.50-42.50, 19 Clinton Ave., Albany, 465-4663)

David Bromberg, Angel Band

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Saturday

David Bromberg is many things, among them a violin-shop owner and repairman, guitarist, fiddle player, and songwriter in the styles of bluegrass, rock, jazz, country and folk. Bromberg will release his first album of original material since 1990, Try Me One More Time, on Feb 27. Bromberg got his start—like so many folk musicians of his time—gigging in the 1960s Greenwich Village folk scene; he then became a sought-after back-up musician, playing with the likes of Ringo Starr and Bob Dylan (Bromberg covers a Dylan song on his new album). This tour is a rare one for the man whose official bio says that nowadays he’d rather spend his time buying and selling violins than touring. Support will be provided by Angel Band, which features Bromberg’s wife as well as Bromberg himself providing backup. (Feb. 17, 8 PM, $35, 14 Castle St., Great Barrington, Mass., 413-528-6415)

The Mooney Suzuki

The Mooney Suzuki

Valentine’s, Saturday

When V2 Records decided to cease terrestrial operations last month, lots of folks wondered “What will become of the White Stripes?” Easy: Jack White’s fucking loaded; they’ll make out alright. Lost in the shuffle, however, were New York throwback-rockers the Mooney Suzuki, who had just delivered their new album, Have Mercy, to V2 when the news came around of the label’s closure. But rather than be left in the lurch, the band have decided to go ahead with their planned tour dates for the next few months, promising a spring release for the album through other channels. More power to ’em. When they come to town this weekend, they’ll be supported by one of our area’s finest—the Luxury Flats—plus Two Gun Man and Riot! Riot! (Feb. 17, 8 PM, $10, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)

Gym Class Heroes

Revolution Hall, Sunday

Have you heard that infuriatingly catchy song on the radio called “Cupid’s Chokehold”? Well, this weekend you have the chance to hear (and see) it live when upstate New York (Geneva, to be exact) “indie/hip-hop” group Gym Class Heroes stop by Troy’s Revolution Hall on the second night of their two-month-long Daryl Hall for President Tour through the United States and Canada. You can expect GCH to perform their above-mentioned hit, along with other selections off last year’s As Cruel as School Children, like the MySpace-themed “New Friend Request,” along with some new stuff. The band’s tour schedule is packed to the brim, with some shows (like a date later in the week at New York City’s Webster Hall) sold out already. Catch them while they’re hot this weekend. RX Bandits, P.O.S. and K-OS open the show. (Feb. 18, 7 PM, $15, 425 River St., Troy, 274-0553)

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