Lawnparties Preview

Cap & Gown Club: Dean Dollar Band (1 p.m.)

"Whoooaaaa cocktail!" proclaims the very ‘80s-looking website for The Dean Dollar Band, playing at Cap this weekend. Strangely enough, Dean Dollar is actually the name of the band's front man, not just some silly-sounding alliteration. Southern rock in the tradition of Lynyrd Skynyrd is the man's forte, so for all of you still pining to hear "Free Bird" live, this is your chance.

- Adam Tanaka

YouTube It: "South's Gonna Do It Again"

Charter Club: Lucky You (1:30 p.m.)

The four-man cover band Lucky You will perform at Charter on Sunday. The Philly natives promise to play everything from rock to funk and disco to R&B, describing themselves as having "undeniable groove" and "unending energy on stage." We'll take their word for it.

- Adam Tanaka

YouTube It: "Carry On My Wayward Son"

Cloister Inn: Andre Legacy and Dirt Nasty (2:45 p.m.)

If you feel like having a naughty Lawnparties, head over to Cloister to see Andre Legacy and Dirt Nasty, the two hip-hop collaborators who worked with Mickey Avalon on his classy, clean-as-a-whistle song, "My Dick." The two will probably play some hits they've worked on together, like "What Do You Say" and "Wanna Get High" (the titles may be tame but the lyrics aren't - don't worry). On his MySpace page, Andre Legacy asks if the world is ready for his drug and sex-heavy songs. His answer? "If [my] live shows, catalogue of songs, and harem of women are any indication, then yes ... the world is ready!"

- Sara Wallace

YouTube it: "Wanna Get High"

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Colonial Club: Hotspur (1 p.m.) and The Ready Set (2:30 p.m.)

The Ready Set is the brainchild of 20-year-old Jordan Witzigreuter - a one-man hit machine that pairs infectious melodies with driving rhythms in a way that few others his age have been able to. Signed to Decaydance, the label of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, The Ready Set is part of the cadre of artists including Never Shout Never and Stephen Jerzak that are on the verge of making it really big, though that might be just because he looks like an emo Justin Bieber. Power pop band Hotspur will get the festivities going at 1 p.m.

YouTube It: "Love Like Woe"

Cottage Club: Sweetbriar (2 p.m.)

If you like drinking, then Cottage might be the place for you: Sweetbriar, the club's regular Lawnparties band, seems to consist of certified alcoholics, if their MySpace page is anything to go by. The Southern rock band has played at Cottage for Lawnparties for the past several years and should be more than capable of providing a good-slash-boozy time.

YouTube It: "Line 'Em Up"

Ivy Club: The John McNutt Band (1 p.m.)

The John McNutt Band will play on Sunday in between stops at an Atlantic City casino and a Blockbuster store where they played in celebration of the Beatles Rockband video game release. The band specializes in raspy oldies covers, like Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Proud Mary," the Beatles' "Come Together" and Prince's "Kiss." From their MySpace pictures and videos it looks like they rock pretty hard and have the long '60s rocker hair to prove it. You probably shouldn't start your Lawnparties escapades with John McNutt, but once you're satisfactorily in the mood, you'll be yelling "Rollin! Rollin!" along with them no doubt.

YouTube it: "Pump It Up

Quadrangle Club: The Roots and Shape Machine (3:30 p.m.)

If you haven't heard of The Roots, the USG's fantastic pick this year, then get excited: They are one of hip-hop's most original, influential and hardest-working bands. Lucky for us, the group places great emphasis on live performance, featuring a whole range of instrumentalists alongside rapid-fire, politically charged raps. It's a rare and unusual set-up for the hip-hop genre that got them listed as one of Rolling Stone's "20 greatest live acts in the world" and has seen them perform alongside everyone from Jay-Z to Jimmy Fallon. The Princeton-native band Shape Machine will be opening.

YouTube It: "The Seed 2.0" feat. Cody Chestnutt

Terrace Club: Deakin and Nosaj Thing (1:30 p.m.)

Most people have heard of Animal Collective, but not everyone's heard of Deakin, the group's founding member. Deakin - real name Josh Dibb - sat out on the collective's incredibly successful "Merriweather Post Pavilion" and decided to try the solo life. During the hiatus, he's been working on psychedelic, spacey electro-pop, as well as remixes of songs for Ratatat and Phoenix. If you stop by Terrace on Sunday, don't expect the full A.C. ambience - but hey, one member of Animal Collective is better than none, right? Opening for Deakin is L.A. DJ Nosaj Thing, who has been producing contemplative, ethereal electronica since his breakthrough in 2004. He has some sweet remixes (like Drake's "Forever" and the XX's "Islands) but his solo work is best, brilliantly toeing the line between ambient and dance. Kid Cudi even liked Nosaj Thing's "Aquarium" enough to sample it on his song "Man on the Moon." Five years from now, you'll wish you had gone to see him at Terrace back in your college days.

- Sara Wallace

YouTube It: "1685/Bach"

Tiger Inn: E3 (3 p.m.)

Playing at TI this Sunday is the cover band E3, who promise to play everything from classic rock staples to modern radio anthems, with some of their own original compositions thrown in for good measure. Coming all the way from Long Island, they're sure to deliver that Lawnparties playlist that we're all well familiar with by now: "Drunken sing-alongs."

- Adam Tanaka

YouTube It: Um ... "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Tower Club: Wale (12:45 p.m.) and Miniature Tigers (2 p.m.)

It's no mean feat to become the next "savior" of rap, but Wale's name has been known to collect rumors. Having initially gained momentum through his mixtapes, Wale (pronounced wah-LAY) is now one of the premier MCs in the hip-hop world. His style is distinctive, blending '80s go-go, disco beats and pop music with crisp, clever lyrics. Discovered in 2006 by producer Mark Ronson, major record labels such as Def Jam and Atlantic Records have fought each other in their desperation to sign him. Last summer, Wale released the brilliant, Seinfeld-inspired "Mixtape About Nothing," followed on by his exceptionally polished debut album "Attention Deficit," which featured guest performances from Lady GaGa, Pharrell and K'Naan, among others. Wale will be performing at Tower with Brooklyn-based Miniature Tigers, a four-member, indie rock band.

YouTube It: "Chillin' " feat. Lady Gaga