Boston-based rapper and DJ EDAN staked out his turf on his most recent full-length, 2005’s eclectic and unabashedly geeky Beauty and the Beat–he laid claim to everything from the street to the dorm room to the hippie den with his lively, free-range style. Like the heroes of hip-hop’s golden age, he’ll sample anything that holds still long enough; like their counterparts in the indie age, he’ll also happily grab a few things that don’t. Fellow Boston emcee Dagha, who appeared on Beauty, will join him for this show. –Monica Kendrick
In the late 90s singer-guitarist Rob Fisk split San Francisco and moved to a cabin in the Alaskan woods, leaving behind Deerhoof, the band he’d cofounded. When he resurfaced a few years later as BADGERLORE it was clear, as had been the case with such songwriters as Merrell Fankhauser and Vashti Bunyan before him, that the time spent living off the grid had made an impact. Badgerlore’s debut, Of Things Too Sorrowful to Be Reminded of and Things Too Beautiful to Possess, has a definite bigfoot-is-my-nearest-neighbor vibe–my copy even has leaves and twigs attached to the sleeve. But modern civilization isn’t totally abandoned: the duets between Fisk and Ben Chasny, as dark and lonesome as early Dead C, are played on electric guitars. On last year’s follow-up, Stories for Owls (Free Porcupine Society), the addition of Tom Carter’s eerie slide-guitar licks and Pete Swanson’s tape-delay vocal treatments makes things even spookier. This gig won’t feature Chasny; Fisk, Carter, and Swanson will be joined by Grouper vocalist Liz Harris and Jeweled Antler Collective guitarist Glenn Donaldson. –Bill Meyer
This show is part of the Adventures in Modern Music festival; see page 40 for a complete schedule. Edan headlines; Badgerlore, Hive Mind, and the Coughs open. Thu 9/21, 9 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, 773-276-3600 or 866-468-3401, $15.