Winner – Gary Clark Jr -With the release of his major label debut, Blak And Blu, last week 28 year old guitar slinger makes it abundantly clear that he is sharp enough to not want to be Hendrix, a) because he can't but also b) it isn't enough to be the best in 2012, you have to be a wild, eclectic whirlwind thing. And Clark is just that, a good looking 28 year old heir to the Prez future passed black man who can really play, all deadly blues riffs and calm insouciance. Gary's gig at Bowery Ballroom on November 5th is sold out, but sixty bucks to stubhub will get you in.
Loser – Cat Power – Expectations for Cat on stage maybe very low but six years after her breakdown, they aren't this low. At Hammerstein Ballroom on Tuesday night, if Cat wanted to irritate us with electronic music at least she should've turned up the lights enough to see us. With a cracker band and a handful of great songs, she failed to deliver.