As we all know, tackling a festival like Noise Pop can be tough… There’s a lot if different things to do, and you know that they are all awesome, but how do we know which events are most awesomest of all? Well, since I am of great personal taste, you should simply obey my guidelines, and then you can do no wrong.
Opening Night: Tuesday, February 22nd
Yo La Tengo, The Urinals at The Fox Theater
Yo La Tengo are one of the great survivors of the alternative rock era, a band that’s been around longer than dirt. And, opening for them is The Urinals, and LA punk band that actually will actually make Yo La Tengo look like the Jonas Brothers, but will be playing an awesome set of short and dirty punk rock.
But I really think the main reason to go to this show is the chance that this might happen:
Dan Deacon, Ed Schrader’s Music Beat, Oona, Altars at The Independent
Dan Deacon is a rare experimental musician that can also put on a high energy live show that gets bodies moving.
But, if you are a betting person, I’d put money on Oona as the band that will become this year’s Death Cab. They’ve got the songs, the stage show, and the musical skill to take the world by storm
Wednesday, February 23rd
Geographer, Butterfly Bones, K Flay, Funeral Party at The Independent
Some people forget that Noise Pop can, in fact, include unpretentious, reckless dancing. This show is sold out, so you are going to have to buy a badge if you wanna sweat out the stress of living.
Admiral Radley, Typhoon, Social Studies, Fake Your Own Death at Bottom Of The Hill
Admiral Radley is a crazy, practically punk rock side project of Grandaddy and Earlimart. And it’s way more awesome and raucous than their day bands ever are…
Thursday, February 24th
Jhameel, Eastern Conference Champions, Jenny O at Bender’s Bar
Noise Pop’s best kept secret? The Happy Hour shows. And this one might be one of the best bills of the fest, and it’s FREE!!! Even better, they serve TATER TOTS!!!!!! But, yeah, Jhameel is pretty awesome:
And so is Jenny O
Way Behind The Music at The Make Out Room
This is another event hiding in the Noise Pop schedule that looks far too awesome to pass up. We have local musicians reading from the autobiographies of pop stars. That’s all it is. And, quite frankly, how could it go wrong? Especially since you never know when is someone will just try to read from Alice Cooper’s book about golf!
Friday, Feburary 25th
An Evening With Kimya Dawson and Aesop Rock, featuring Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz at Great American Music Hall
This, of course, is the biggest WTF? gig of the festival. We have Aesop Rock, underground hip hop MC & producer teaming up with the great Kimya Dawson, the person to make dirty-twee a genre (at least in my own mind). I have no idea what’s going to happen on stage at this show, but whatever it is will be mindblowing. And, since there is no actual opener, they can pretty much go on forever and do, literally, whatever they please. This isn’t just the Noise Pop gig I’m most excited about, this might be the one show this year that I’m most excited about!
Saturday, February 26th
Best Coast, Wavves, Hunx & His Punx, Royal Baths at The Regency Ballroom
Well, Best Coast are the pop side project of minimalist no wave band Pocahaunted. I love Pocahaunted, but Best Coast have managed to take the world by storm in a way that they never could have. It’s probably the summery, jangly guitars, or the reverb drenched, Neko Case inspired vocals. Or maybe it’s lead singer Bethany Cosentino’s cat.
No Age, Grass Widow, Rank/Xerox, Crazy Band at Rickshaw Stop
Psychedelic punk duo No Age seem to play here rather rarely, so it’s reason enough to see one of SubPop’s finest bands on a Saturday night, but the real reason to sink your hard earned cash into this show is to see our very own Grass Widow totally rock your socks off! These ladies do nothing more than unpretentious pop punk, but it’s hard not to feel giddy as can be listening to them!
Sunday, February 27th
Ben Gibbard, Zach Rogue at Great American Music Hall
Yup, there is no ticket buy link. Because it’s sold out… So, why do you need to shell out $150 to buy a badge? To go to this show. First of all, you will probably never get this close to him again. Secondly, his movie star wife wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln, which, of course, is a shame, but she’s more likely to be hanging out at those show than doing the whole “Oscar” thing in LA. Lastly, well, Postal Service aren’t playing anytime soon. This is the only place you will hear those songs done live.
