It's Super Bowl Sunday, but not all of you will be glued to your televisions, so I'm offering you one great reason to get out of the house. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, a concert by Middle Eastern superstars Khaled and Hakim (scheduled for Sept. 14) was canceled. Promoters feared the two performers might be the target of a xenophobic incident. Now, it has been rescheduled for the Lisner Auditorium. Khaled, an Algerian expatriate living in Paris, combines traditional rhythms and instrumentation with European dance-pop in a powerful style called Rai. Hakim is the undisputed master of the music known as Jeel, a dance-pop update of Egyptian "street" shaabi music. A show by one is a good reason to get a ticket. A show by both leaves no excuse for not going.

Monday, Jan. 28
Cafe Citron has one of the best ways to forget it's Monday. From 8 to midnight, get specials on pitchers of sangria and on such snappy cocktails as mojitos and caipirinah. On top of that, take in a flamenco floor show, featuring guitarist Michael Perez, singer Gerard Moreno and dancer Micaela Moreno. I still miss Mr. Eagan's, the cool divey bar that was in the Cafe Citron space for years and years, but CC is doing its best to make a mark on the local scene.

Tuesday, Jan. 29
Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Chad Thevenot had the gumbo funk in his blood from day one. When he recorded his own brand of New Orleans R&B and pop, he called up George Porter Jr., the bassist for the legendary Meters. Porter laid down some ferocious grooves underneath Thevenot's tunes, which were released under the nom-de-CD Sugar Jones. Thevenot relocated to D.C. not too long ago, and while Porter couldn't come along, Thevenot has re-created Sugar Jones. The next chance to see them is at the Metro Cafe, where they'll perform at a benefit for the Marijuana Policy Project. Thevenot and company will take the stage around 8:30, so if you support that sort of thing, head on down for a good cause and some good funk.

Wednesday, Jan. 30
When the Charlatans zoomed onto the airwaves 10 years ago, this British band's catchy dance-groove pop deserved the attention. Not enough, if you ask me -- at least not stateside, where the band was forced to add "UK" to its name to avoid confusion with the influential 1960s psychedelic band. Despite tragedies -- including the death of their keyboard player -- the Charlatans managed to keep putting out swell records that embraced new directions (Stonesy blues-rock, electronic dance stuff) while still sounding like the Charlatans UK. The band's latest, "Wonderland," might just be its best yet. You can hear the band live at the 9:30 club, along with Starsailor, a band that's getting the same media buzz the Charlatans did 10 years ago -- to my ear, though, Starsailor doesn't have the same depth.

Thursday, Jan. 31
The man behind the Right on Rhythm blues label and Web site, Wayne Kahn, has organized a "Harmonica Homecoming" at Bangkok Blues. It'll feature some of the best harmonica players on the planet, all of whom are from the D.C. area. The best known is Nighthawks harpmeister Mark Wenner, but also on the bill will be Phil Wiggins (of the Piedmont Blues duo Cephas & Wiggins), Charlie Hubel, Bret Littlehales and chromatic jazz, bossa nova and blues ace Bruce Ewan. The back-up band for all these cats includes members of the 'Hawks and the J St. Jumpers. If that's not enough to get you out there, try the pad thai or the fish cakes.

Friday, Feb. 1
I'm not a big follower of cover bands, but this one's so good, it's worth checking out. I'm talking about Gonzo's Nose, a band whose versions of pop songs from decades past and of right now are uncanny. Last summer at the Clarendon Ballroom the band did an all-'80s night playing everything from Van Halen's "Jump" to Wang Chung's "Everybody Have Fun Tonight." They did so well, they're doing it again in the same place. The Clarendon Ballroom is an impressive party space, and it's the perfect setting to hear the quintet throw down its amazing version of your favorite (and, surely, most hated) tunes from that strange decade. It'll be the soundtrack to the new "That '80s Show" and you won't even have to turn on your TV.

At the Barns of Wolf Trap, one of the best bands anywhere, Lil' Band o' Gold, plays a dance concert. This group started as a pick-up band in Louisiana, playing when its members weren't booked with their main bands, but has become the toast of New Orleans and Lafayette. While catching them in a Louisiana club would be best, a night at the Barns with the chairs pulled out of the way will do fine. They play horn-driven R&B, funk, pop and rock, and are just insanely infectious. You will dance.

Saturday, Feb. 2
"Billy Hancock's All-Star Band!" screams the listing in the Whitlow's on Wilson ad. This is not hyperbole. Bill Hancock is one of Washington's musical treasures, a man who can play rockabilly, swing, standards, country and more, and has been for 40 years. His recorded musical output hasn't been terribly prolific, but it's a mere taste of what he delivers live. Hancock will be shaking the roof of Whitlow's, and if you haven't seen him, he's worth your time.

Sunday, Feb. 3
It's Super Bowl Sunday, but not all of you will be glued to your televisions, so I'm offering you one great reason to get out of the house. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001, a concert by Middle Eastern superstars Khaled and Hakim (scheduled for Sept. 14) was canceled. Promoters feared the two performers might be the target of a xenophobic incident. Now, it has been rescheduled for the Lisner Auditorium. Khaled, an Algerian expatriate living in Paris, combines traditional rhythms and instrumentation with European dance-pop in a powerful style called Rai. His voice is incredible, and even though the songs are mostly about partying and dancing, they carry great weight. His homeland is in the middle of an underpublicized civil war, and one of the extreme factions is killing Rai singers and other popular performers because of their belief in the right to have fun. Hakim is the undisputed master of the music known as Jeel, a dance-pop update of Egyptian "street" shaabi music. A show by one is a good reason to get a ticket. A show by both leaves no excuse for not going.

Monday, Feb. 4
Jon Dee Graham is one of those understated greats who flies under most people's radar. This scruffy Texas dude has put out three super-duper indie releases that combine gruff, Tom Waits-esque observations on the world with a touch of the old punk esprit. (He was in several punk bands, including the True Believers, which also featured a young Alejandro Escovedo in its ranks.) For this Iota show, Graham is bringing a band -- something he doesn't always do, but which will allow him to rock hard, something he always does really, really well.