Brazzaville

On the opening track of Brazzaville’s sixth album, East L.A. Breeze (Vendlus), singer-guitarist David Brown croons softly, “We’re here and then we’re gone.” He’s got that right. The band is in town—one gig only—for the first time since 2002, but this will be the premiere U.S. appearance of its European lineup, put together after former Beck sax man Brown moved from L.A. to Barcelona in 2003.

A teenage runaway, Brown spent much of the ’80s traveling hard tack through Asia, South America and Europe; those journeys still inform many of his sinuous, slinky, narcotic tunes, full of place-name dropping, hallucinatory found images and unbridled emotions. “New York in May, a Barcelona rain, nothing’s as moving as your little face,” Brown sings on “Super Gizi,” from 2004’s best-of comp Welcome to…Brazzaville, revealing his penchant for seeking beauty in weather, varied locales and a woman’s face. Brazzaville is best listened to while staring out the window of a car or train or bus—anything that moves and affords shifting landscapes and perspectives, much like the songs that sprout from Brown’s head. There’s more than the hint of a Gypsy influence to the graceful violin slathered all over the new album’s title track, too. The band will reportedly be playing songs from their whole catalog at this rare show, along with new tunes still being woodshedded in Barcelona; don’t count on Brown’s travels bringing him back anytime soon. — Mark Huntley