Evan P. Donohue at The End

The most immediate comparison one is likely to make in describing fresh-faced local power-popper Evan P. Donohue is to Elvis Costello. And the reason isn’t just the glasses. Like the early material of the bespectacled king of brainy geek-rock, Donohue’s songs are literate hyper-pop anthems for the brokenhearted. The biggest difference is that where Costello espoused a palpable anger and bravado in his songwriting, Donohue has a carefree air of romanticism to his lovelorn pining. While, in some instances, the music gets a little cutesy—bordering on twee—it’s by and large much better than that, and far more rockin’ to boot. Fans of nervy awk-rock from favorites of the Stiff Records catalog to pre-Y2K Weezer should take notice.
Fri., Sept. 25, 9 p.m., 2009