Sure, there are weekends that shep. and I sit around the apartment and drink beer and moan that there’s nothing to do; but that’s usually untrue, there’s just nothing we want to do. October, though — October is a month of riches here in the Triangle, and I’m going to try and remind you of those riches in advance. This weekend, these are some things that are shaking.

• Tonight, Montreal indie rockers Stars are at the Cradle with locals the Light Pines. This show is SOLD OUT but don’t worry, I’m sure that you can buy a ticket off a hipster in the parking lot. They’ll mark it up, but that’s what you get for not buying in advance and giving money to hipsters. If that’s not your thing, Mavis Staples is at the Carolina Theatre in Durham with Jolie Holland. (I wish I’d known about that show before today, I’d have tried to get a pass to shoot it. Damn. Self, be less lazy about monitoring concert schedules!) Ozomatli‘s at Memorial Hall in Chapel Hill. Demon Beat and a solo set from Red Collar’s Jay Kutchma are at Durham’s new Motorco Music Hall. I’m going to be on my couch with a bottle of wine and the Friday night football game.
• Saturday, Rogue Wave headlines the Cradle with Midlake opening. Cotton Jones & Pepper Rabbit are at the 506. (I’ll be at a housewarming party. I didn’t really give much thought to Saturday’s shows, to be perfectly honest.) And if you’re a glutton for punishment, in the afternoon you can pay too much money for a ticket to watch the UNC/ECU game live.
• Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Almost locals Holy Ghost Tent Revival have not one, but two, increasingly rare Triangle-area shows, since they’re on the road being rock stars all the damn time now. The first is on Franklin Street during Chapel Hill’s Festifall; they play at 2:30. Then they’ve got a set at the Piedmont Biofuels complex in Pittsboro at 5. I guess TRKFest is inspiring Piedmont to do more shows there! Catch one or both of their sets, y’all. You won’t regret it. Margot & the Nuclear So-and-So‘s headline the 506 on Sunday, with ex-Midwesterner Cameron McGill opening. Margot’s new album is stunning, Cameron is a phenomenal songwriter, and I’ll be there, so you can buy me a beer. If you feel like going to Raleigh instead (or if you’re already in Raleigh), roots rockers and Bloodshot Records artist Whitey Morgan & the 78’s are at Kings; I’ve never seen them but I hear they’re absolutely fierce live. Also, the booking at Kings is amazing, the end.
• Monday night, the big one is the National, with Owen Pallett opening, at Memorial Auditorium in Raleigh, touring in support of High Violet. I’ve got a pass to shoot this one, plus three really excellent seats, and I’ve been looking forward to it for months. But if I wasn’t going there, I’d definitely be at the Cradle to see Blitzen Trapper supporting their fantastic new release, Destroyer of the Void. They were one of the best live bands I saw last year, and I’m a little annoyed that show is the same night as the National show, especially because Frank booked them both, damn it.

Everything listed above is 100% approved by me, which is obviously what matters. But if none of these doing it for you? Try the Indy’s calendar. There are approximately 40 million shows in the Triangle every night, something’s got to be to your taste!