Bad Plus

If you're still looking for something to do tonight, and you're in the greater Twin Cities metroplex, think about coming down to Northfield to see one of the best jazz trios around, the Bad Plus.

I'm a big fan, and having seen them play once in Minneapolis can vouch for the fact that they are a powerful - and loud - live act. The jazz-trio format might be misleading: they're well-known for delivering vigorous covers of rock and pop songs (most famously, Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit," but also Blondie, Rush, David Bowie, Bjork...). And their original jazz compositions are excellent, building on all the jazz heroes and developing a truly unique sound. Plus, the players all have Minnesota connections, and even recorded parts of their new album, PROG, in Cannon Falls, just a few miles east of Northfield.

Tickets are $18 and can be had at the door of the Carleton College Concert Hall right up to 8 p.m. tonight. (Check this map for the concert hall's location, near First and Winona.)