Deborah Harry

Deborah Harry, who's now in her 60s, bristles when asked when she's planning to retire. "What are you trying to say?" she hisses in a phone interview from a North Carolina tour stop. "I think I'll know when it becomes too physically difficult to perform. That's the only thing that will stop me." Between touring and recording with Blondie and releasing a new dance-oriented solo album called Necessary Evil and touring behind it, Harry's been plenty active in the past couple of years. And for this tour, she's stressing her solo material over the Blondie material. "It's slightly different," she says of touring with a four-piece. "The new stuff is more modern and up-to-date. It represents what I'm thinking today. I think there's quite a bit of great music these days. I enjoy a lot of stuff. There's a lot of nice music. I like different songs and not so much bands." For the Rock Hall inductee, who recalled one "wild night" in Cleveland years ago when Blondie opened for Iggy Pop and David Bowie, the changes and mutations the music industry has gone through aren't totally unexpected. But we are talking about the woman who introduced hip-hop to the masses with her 1981 hit "Rapture." "Music is still very vital to lots of people's lives," she says. "It's a powerful creative source," she says. "It's vital. [Blondie partner] Chris [Stein] was the first to bring the fusion of different forms of music. It's a good legacy for us." Ragastan opens at 8 p.m. at the Agora Theatre (5000 Euclid Ave., 216.881.2221). Tickets: $26. - Jeff Niesel

Thursday, November 22

The Waterproof Tour with Vast Aire, Copywrite

Opening this evening of raptastics at the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., 216.321.5588) is Columbus, Ohio's own Copywrite. After what will prove to be an expletive-laden set full of classic-sounding rap tracks, Vast Aire is scheduled to take over the confines of the Grog's stage. Coming through town numerous times in the last few years, VA has yet to follow up 2005's terrific The Best Damn Rap Show. Expect to get your share of that classic, turn-of-the-century Def Jux sound at 9 p.m. Tickets: $10. - Dave Cantor

Friday, November 23

Liz Mandville Greeson

Liz Mandville Greeson aka Liz Mandeville paid her blues dues in the blues capitol of the world, Chicago. She worked the club circuit there for years before releasing her debut album in 1996. She's now got three discs to her credit on Earwig Records including her latest, Back in Love Again, which showcases her smooth, sultry pipes and smart phrasing that draws from jazz and soul as well as blues. Greeson's devoted her life to music on many levels: She performs constantly both as an acoustic act and with her band the Blue Points, and promotes the blues as a researcher, speaker and writer. She'll be at Fat Fish Blue (21 Prospect Ave., 216.875.6000) at 9 p.m. Tickets: $8. - Anastasia Pantsios

Saturday, November 24

Dirtbombs

No matter how many times the Dirtbombs play live, some drunkard is bound to yell for a few songs by the Gories, the band Mick Collins fronted before starting up the Dirtbombs. If that's you, make 'em count at least. "Thunderbird ESQ," anyone? How about "Chick-Inn"? While the Dirtbombs have a significant catalogue of their own, a constant touring schedule means they haven't put out a new album in a few years. They've got one in the works, however. More akin to the sound of the aforementioned Gories than the Dirtbombs are Clevo youngsters, the Luxury Units, who, if their amps don't punk out, will deliver the sloppy rock goodness when they open along with Living Stereo at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124) at 9 p.m. Tickets: $12. - DC

Sunday, November 25

Circa Survive

Shonen Knife - Adored by fans with a thing for cute Japanese girls.

From the first reverberating note on On Letting Go, Circa Survive's sophomore effort and anticipated follow-up to its compelling debut Juturna, the talent and vision of the Philadelphia fivesome is apparent. While the record, again recorded with producer Brian McTernan in Baltimore, is technically just a more practiced, expanded rendition of the swirling progressive rock on Juturna, Circa Survive's greatest gift has always been the unique voice and vision of singer Anthony Green whose helium-tinged, borderline girlish howl soars and twists through the group's melodies with unmatched urgency. The new disc is a logical step to follow Juturna and although it never meanders too far outside the sonic territory the group set about to explore upon its inception, there's a strong sense of what's possible for Circa Survive in the future. Ours, the Dear Hunter and Fear Before the March of Flames open at 7:30 p.m. at the Agora Ballroom (5000 Euclid Ave., 216.881.2221). Tickets: $15. - Emily Zemler

Celebration

Even if watching multi-instrumentalist Sean Antanaitis play weren't itself worth the price of admission, Baltimore's Celebration would put on a show worth catching. Its core members - Antanaitis and the gifted vocalist Katrina Ford - have been together in a handful of bands since Detroit's post-punk disreputatta Jaks in the mid '90s. But their early work gave no clue to the dark and lovely Weill-via-Nick Cave music they'd eventually conjure. Their recent second album, The Modern Tribe, has seen a stronger groove-orientation insinuate itself into the group's sound, surely the result of chumming around with TV on the Radio. But the change is for the better, and whatever they sound like, Ford is a compelling frontwoman, and you get to watch Antanaitis play three instruments at once. I'm totally not kidding. Dragons of Zynth and the X Bolex open at 9 p.m. at the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Rd., 216.383.1124). $8. - Ron Kretsch

Monday, Novenber 26

Citizen Fish

Paying to see the UK ska act Citizen Fish is kinda like paying to see two bands in a number of ways. First, you obviously get to see CF and the cleverly offensive MDC on the same bill, but while CF is jumping around, you ostensibly get to see the Subhumans, or at least three quarters of them, as they're part of Citizen Fish. With the Fish's recording output taking a vacation for about six years, recently a split single with Leftover Crack surfaced from Fat Wreck Chords, and the band's been working on new material. The legacy continues at the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., 216.321.5588) with one of the best-named local acts in years, the Beefdealers, starting at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. - DC

Wednesday, November 28

Shonen Knife

Novelty had plenty to do with Shonen Knife achieving underground popularity in the mid-'90s when it played on Lollapalooza and earned the respect of acts such as Nirvana and Sonic Youth. It's not often you stumble upon three diminutive Japanese girls playing punk rock. In their wake, it's not like a slew of Japanese rock acts have crossed the Pacific to these shores to make a huge splash, either. Still touring in support of last year's spunky but accessible Genki Shock, the band includes founding sisters Naoko and Atsuko Yamano. The Juliet Dagger, a Buffalo-based indie pop act that's just released an album called Hi-Ya, and Verona Grove open at 9 p.m. at the Grog Shop (2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., 216.321.5588). Tickets: $12. - JN