THE LIBRAS
9 p.m., White Water Tavern. $5.
We live in a stratified world of cover bands. At one level, the top perhaps, there’s the large contingent of touring and local bands who make their bones playing straight-up, let’s see how close we can get covers. Then there’s a growing number of novelty cover bands, like the little people version of Kiss, Mini Kiss, or the all-girl Led Zeppelin tribute act, Lez Zeppelin. And then there are bands like the Libras, who offer neither verisimilitude nor weirdness. The local coterie, which includes members of Big Silver, the Boondogs, the Easys and the Greg Spradlin Outfit, leans more on a boozey, shambolic foundation — you might not know what they’re playing until the hook comes. They’re all crack musicians, though, so even when they’re just screwing around, they’re mighty entertaining. Over the last six or eight months, they’ve become the de facto house cover band for White Water, playing sporadically on Thursdays, usually taking on a different act each time. Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Tom Waits have been featured in the past. Tonight, Neil Young is on tap. Friends of the band Dave Easely (pedal steel) and Robbie Crowell (keyboards) will sit in, too.