Full reviews of recent concerts: nytimes.com/music.
AUGUSTANA (Wednesday) This popular California quintet is best known for its mawkish, piano-driven ballad “Boston,” which has been featured in many popular television shows. (It’s typically employed during moments of deep, brow-wrinkling catharsis.) The band’s latest LP, “Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt” (Epic), is packed with earnest, midtempo rock songs in the adult-alternative spirit of Counting Crows and the Wallflowers. With Wild Sweet Orange and David Ford. At 9 p.m., Bowery Ballroom, 6 Delancey Street, near the Bowery, Lower East Side, (212) 533-2111, boweryballroom.com; sold out. (Amanda Petrusich)
BISHOP ALLEN (Friday) Borrowing from the playbook of early Jonathan Richman, this Brooklyn band puts a boyish smile on spunky, angst-ridden guitar-pop, and nurses worries about the slow crawl toward the workaday adult life: “Burn, calendar, burn.” With the War On Drugs and the Silent Years. At 9 p.m., Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 North Sixth Street, Brooklyn, (718) 486-5400, musichallofwilliamsburg.com; $13 in advance, $15 at the door.
★ BLOOD ON THE WALL (Saturday) One of New York City’s most beloved local bands, the Brooklyn trio Blood on the Wall plays belligerent, lo-fi stoner-rock marked by largely unintelligible lyrics and throbbing guitar riffs. Along with the band’s steadfast embrace of feedback, the oscillating boy-girl vocals of siblings Courtney and Brad Shanks recall “Daydream Nation”-era Sonic Youth. With Abigail Warchild, Lights and Cause Co-Motion. At 8:30 p.m., Mercury Lounge, 217 East Houston Street, at Ludlow Street, Lower East Side, (212) 260-4700, mercuryloungenyc.com; $10 in advance; $12 at the door. (Petrusich)
★ GLENN brANCA (Thursday) This avant-garde composer and guitarist transcends mere riffing: acclaimed for his experiments with volume, drone, tuning, microtonality and harmonics, Mr. Branca, a primary player in the No Wave movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s, is best known for his 100-guitar symphonies and for his 1981 masterpiece, “The Ascension” (99 Records). With the Paranoid Critical Revolution. At 8 p.m., Issue Project Room, 232 Third Street, at Third Avenue, Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, (718) 330-0313, issueprojectroom.org; $10.

nytimes.com

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[Correction published 9/8/06]
At 9 a.m., it was 40 degrees in downtown Portland.
Was NOT expecting to still need the scraper. But the windshield was frosted over this morning, which sent me scurrying to the basement to find the aforementioned scraper, which was put away because winter was supposed to be over.
Alas, I imagine it would be better than scraping 6 inches of snow off the windshield, which is how much many places in Maine got as water over the past two days. The rain is gone now, leaving a clear and sunny but brisk day in its wake. Highs only in the upper 50s.
From Shawn in YARMOUTH: It is a bright chilly morning. 35 degrees, sunshine, singing birds and the plants are very green. Might have to mow this weekend and it is almost May. Glad it is sunny as I am off on a field trip with the 7th grade here in Yarmouth. Always interesting and fun.
From Mark in brUNSWICK: There is a nip in the air this morning as it’s 34 degrees with clear skies overhead. Brunswick is drying out as we received over four inches of rain in a 36-hour period.
From Karen in STEEP FALLS:Brrr…what happened?? There is ice on the cars and all the puddles are mini skating rinks! It is 37 degrees at 7:22am and a little breezy. Lots of sunshine though. Happy Wednesday! We’re half-way there.
From James in CAPE ELIZABETH:At 6:30 a.m., it was 30 and sunny. We saw 4.01 inches of rain fall here during the storm. Bring on the SUN!

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