Around the 209, Feb. 25-28

Posted February 25 at 11:52 AM

Welcome to an all-Modesto edition of our weekly look at nightlife and concerts around the 209. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of fun to be had this weekend in Stockton as well – check out the Record's LENS blog later today for more information. But from this blogger's perspective, the weekend's most noteworthy events are going down in Modesto. We also gave Stockton lots o' love yesterday (and there will be more coming today); the city to the south deserves some attention.

Local hip-hop fans will have the opportunity to check out some great artists this weekend in Mo-Town. It starts on Friday, when Bay Area rap veteran Celly Cel will take the mic at Fat Cat. While Celly may be best known for collaborating with fellow Bay Area rappers like E-40, Yukmouth and Mistah FAB, he also can bring a more laid-back West Coast vibe to the stage. It's less going dumb, more "To Live and Die in L.A." Tickets are $10 and available here.

Hip-hop heads looking for something a little different, meanwhile, can head to Hero's in Modesto on Saturday to check out a performance by Pep Love, one of the founders of the Bay Area collective Hieroglyphics. Pep has a malty smooth flow that he blends with a mix of bumpin' funk and jazz beats, creating a stew of head-nodding music. Berkeley beatmaker Nima Fadavi (who I'm digging) also is on the bill; click here for more info.

If you only nod your head when you're banging your head, you'll probably want to be at Fat Cat on Saturday for the Motograter show. The Texas band is named after an instrument invented by member Bruce Butler, who combined guitar pieces and industrial cable into a thudding musical machine gun with a ridiculous low end. It creates an aggressive base for Motograter's brand of nu metal. Click the flier for more details.

Finally, this weekend Modesto also will be the site of the biggest event in the local club scene: Colette's set Saturday at Clayton's. Hailing from house music's hometown of Chicago, Colette does double duty as a singer and DJ, and her work represents some of the best of what the genre has to offer. It's uptempo, fun and positive without sacrificing soul. Click the flier for info on the Clayton's show and watch the video for Colette's single "Think You Want It" below to find out what she's about.