Remember those weeks last year when it seemed like I’d just moved into the Local 506 and was, say, sleeping in the bathroom after shows instead of going home, because I would just be back there the night after, and the night after that? This year has had less of that, because this year has had more of me being broke and also selective about what I shoot, but get ready for a whole run of 506 shows up in here, because starting with tomorrow night, there’s some impeccable booking going on. A sneak peek:

• Tripp w/ Virgins and Morning Brigade, 3/1, 9pm, $5. Record release party for Tripp’s long-awaited full-length. I won’t make this one because I’ve got to shoot the Heartless Bastards show at the Cradle, but if you can, you should. Alex Wilkins is a great songwriter with a spectacular band behind him, and it should be a great one to kick off your weekend early.
• Dex Romweber Duo w/ Orbo & the Longshots, 3/2, 9:30pm, $9. Dex and Sara have had a bunch of local shows lately, which delights me; I adore their current brand of surftastic rockabilly and Dex’s sneer and shooting Sara whaling away at her drums. Plus, if Dex does well at the 506, maybe I can convince Josh at Bloodshot to get their bookers to just make the 506 an automatic tour stop for Bloodshot bands, which would help my lifelist.
• Craig Finn w/ Marcellus Hall, 3/3, 8:30pm, $14. Finn is touring in support of his spectacular solo debut, and today I listened to all my Lifter Puller in honor of this show. The Hold Steady put on one of the best rock shows out there, and I don’t expect Finn and his band, Some Guns, to bring any less.
• Gemma Ray w/ Paper Cup Sounds and Charlotte Parrott, 3/5, 9pm, $8. UK singer and songwriter Gemma Ray is headlining a US tour in advance of her May release, Island Fire — like Sub Pop’s Mister Heavenly, Ray is a master of a variety of genres, and this is bound to be a great evening of soul pop, indie rockers, excellent guitars, and a spectacular voice.
• Caveman w/ Quilt, 3/6, 9pm, $10. Caveman’s CoCo Beware was the late-year indie darling of 2011, with good reason, because the sparkling psychedelia and brash guitars were unlike anything else released last year. I’ve heard that their live show is out of this world, and I can’t wait to find out. This one will likely be packed, if not a sell out, so get tickets now if you want to be there.

The rest of the month isn’t shabby, either — The Dirty Guv’nahs on 3/15, the amazing double bill of Frontier Ruckus and Hoots & Hellmouth on 3/25, and Wylie Hunter & the Cazadores’ CD release show on 3/31 — but you can’t beat spending five of six days at the 506, really. I sure can’t, at least. You probably can’t, either.