This week, you are treated to two youtube clips that I make brief appearances in… I think the loyal reader will be happy about that. Are you? Anyways, it’s a pretty good week for shows. Read on:
Thursday, June 9th
Death Cab For Cutie, The Lonely Forest at The Fillmore
So, this side project of Ben Gibbard of The Postal Service, is starting to do pretty well for itself. They have moved up to the larger rooms, and somebody might be big enough to land a major label deal and movie star wives… But, baby steps.
Throwrag, The Chop Tops, The White Barons at Uptown Nightclub
Friday, September 10th
The Detroit Cobras, Girl In A Coma at The Independent
Detroit’s garage scene only thinks it died when Jack White moved to Tennessee. We’ve got ample amazing bands still coming out of there, and The Detroit Cobras, in my own, ever so humble opinion, are the best. Former butcher Rachel Nagy has the perfect rockabilly voice, and this will be an especially raucous time. Also, the opening band is named after a Smiths song, and those bands tend to be pretty good (Pretty Girls Make Graves, Shakespeare’s Sister)
R Kelly, Keyshia Cole, Marsha Ambrosia at Oracle Arena
Now it’s like murder she wrote
Once I get you out them clothes
Privacy is on the door
Still they can hear you screamin more
Girl I’m feelin what you feelin
No more hopin and wishin
I’m bout to take my key and
Stick it in the ignition
Girl, I got you so wet, it’s like a rain forest
Like Jurassic Park except I’m your sex-a-saurus baby
You and me hoppin? like two kangaroos
Rattlin? and moanin? out here in these woods
The Buzzcocks, IMAGES at Slim’s
Saturday, June 11th and Sunday, June 12th
Harmony Festival at Sonoma County Fairgrounds
Yes, I know that this event is 3 days, but the first day kind of sucks. The 2nd & 3rd days, however? Well, it’s festival worthy of competing with the many other bay area music events. Saturday’s highlights include The Flaming Lips, whom I rank as the greatest live show out there. (But when are they actually going to bring us a Soft Bulletin show?), the reigning kings of the lazer light show, Ghostland Observatory, and Vermont’s reigning queen of garage soul Grace Potter & The Nocturnals. Sunday brings us a headlining set by the bay area’s Primus, as well as sets by every hipster & hippy’s favorite band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, and middle eastern world beat legend Natacha Atlas. These are all darn fine reasons to trek up to the north bay. Just be careful, it doesn’t look like this event is accessible by public transit, and as my loyal readers now, I try to avoid recommend events that aren’t, but this looks good enough to drop that rule.
Saturday, June 11th
Shannon & The Clams, Rank/Xerox, The Outdoorsmen at The Knockout
Justin Bieber at Mountain Winery
http:v//www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WwaPtx71Og
Sunday, June 12th
Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance), Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins) at Bimbo’s 365 Club
This tour was initially going to be Brendan Perry co-headlining with the goth-father Peter Murphy, but things went awry, and Cocteau Twins instrumentalist Robin Guthrie stepped in, creating what might be the most ethereal gig to ever come to Bimbo’s.
Monday, June 13th
The Deftones, Dillinger Escape Plan, Les Butcherettes at The Warfield
In a perfect world, this line up would be going the other direction… Les Butcherettes are a deliciously inventive and noisy band from Mexico. Dillinger Escape Plan are a classic math-metal band that never seems to stop, and The Deftones, well, they managed to escape the whole rap metal scene and have turned out to be the reigning heroes of sludge core. This night promises to be quite loud, so bring an extra set of ear plugs & c’mon down!
Wildbirds & Peacedrums, Therapies Sun at Cafe du Nord
Tuesday, June 14th
Times New Viking, King Tuff, Spencey Dude & The Doodles at Rickshaw Stop
This band was one of my finds from this year’s SXSW festival. I was utterly exhausted, and a little hungover. Their wonderful lofi pop punk perked me right up, and got me re-energized for the rest of the night. This band is as good as a triple espresso, without the side effects like stained teeth.
An Evening With Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson at The Independent
Mark Lanegan, Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss at Great American Music Hall
Wednesday, June 15th
Motley Crue, Poison, New York Dolls at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
I really don’t think that I need to say anything about this show. Except maybe that it will most definitely rule.
X, The Devil’s Brigade at Great American Music Hall
I’m really glad that John Doe is a bit more sensible now… Despite his slightly disturbing introduction to this song, it’s still one of my all time favorite songs.
