The Profiler

I love movies almost as much as music, so I decided to make this week’s Profiler a Special Oscar Edition. 

The Suspect: The Old 97’s

The Old 97’s stand alongside the Jayhawks and Whiskeytown as early pioneers of the alternative country genre; frontman Rhett Miller and Bassist Murray Hammond met in Dallas in the late ‘80s and they’ve been playing together ever since.  Originally more country-punk (for a while they were with Bloodshot Records), eventually their sound morphed more into straight-up pop.

Can Be Found: The Orange Peel, Thursday, Feb. 24.

RIYD (Recommended if You Dig): Bottle Rockets, Wilco, Spoon.

You Should Go If: You watched Blue Valentine a second time because even though it completely depressed you, it also made you feel better about your marriage; every time someone uses the word “cool” you say, “You know what’s cool?  A billion dollars”; watching Javier Bardem in Biutiful after seeing him in No Country for Old Men convinced you that you could be just one haircut away from total hotness.

The Suspect: Jonathan Richman

Boston-born Jonathan Richman was not only half of the Greek chorus in There’s Something About Mary, but also one of the founding members of the protopunk band The Modern Lovers (along with David Robinson, later of The Cars, and keyboardist Jerry Harrison, later of the Talking Heads). His music ranges from doo-wop to country to pop, and his current sound is a kinder, gentler acoustic version of his former punk self.

Can Be Found: The Grey Eagle, Thursday, Feb. 24.

RIYD: Modern Lovers, Lou Reed.

You Should Go If: After watching The King’s Speech your wife asked if you’d like her to find you a full-time therapist; Toy Story 3 made you think maybe it is a little weird to keep all your childhood toys in a box under your bed; for months after you went to 127 Hours you couldn’t stop making jokes about all the things that Aron Ralston could do “single-handedly.”

The Suspect: 311

Where else would a young band acquire their punk-ska-reggae sound but amongst the cows and cornhuskers in the mean streets of Omaha? The band has been kicking it since 1990, with several singles breaking the top ten of the Modern Rock chart. Their most recent album, Uplifter, was released in 2009 and front man Nick Hexum calls it “the heaviest 311 has ever been.”

Can Be Found: The Orange Peel, Monday, Feb. 28.

RIYD: Sublime, Sugar Ray, Red Hot Chili Peppers.

You Should Go If: Seeing The Boxer inspired you to order P90X Ab Ripper; Seeing Black Swan made you realize that your girlfriend’s mood swings are actually quite manageable; seeing Inception made you wonder if you were really confused because you were high or you were really confused because you weren’t high enough.

The Suspect: Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart

Ever heard of Riverdance? David Downes, the music director of that phenomenon, was a major player in the 2004 formation of Celtic Woman. PBS filmed and broadcasted the group’s first performance, and they’ve been a mainstay on the World Music charts ever since. And if that’s not enough to impress you, the ensemble performed on Dancing With the Stars last year. 

Can Be Found: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Tuesday, March 1.

RIYD: Enya, Loreena McKennitt

You Should Go If: You’re still having scary flashbacks about the horse dying in True Grit; you find it unbelievable that no Twilight or Harry Potter movie has ever been nominated for any major awards; it finally dawned on you after the 11th person in your office asked what you thought about The Kids Are All Right that everyone you work with thinks you’re a lesbian.