Ben Meyercord's live music picks for Dec. 31st to Jan.6th

So I am back in Portland. Man if feels good to be back. I have am no longer stuck at home waiting for something to do. Let me assure all of you people of Portland, you live in city where things happen. And speaking of things happening, this is how the show situation is looking for this week.

Monday, December 31st

Holy crap! It is the last day of the year and I am sure there will be a ton of parties or get-togethers that you have already committed to, but there are a couple of good shows happening too.

• The Wu Tang Clan is playing! Crazy. I know this is a Portland-centric blog, so let me tie our city in. All of the openers are Portland people. Cool Nutz besides having a bad ass name is reported to be the ambassador of NW hip hop so it is only fitting that he should warm up the stage for the WU. There are the Sandpeople. I checked them out this summer at PDX Pop Now! It was good times if you like hip hop. Then there is the Grant High School graduate Lilla D Mone (D Mone is supposedly a nod to D'Angelo and Nina Simone) who will grace the stage with her mix of modern R&B and Hip Hop. But for real, the Wu Tang Clan a'n't nuttin to fuck with. This may or may not be sold out at the Roseland. I think tickets were going for $40. Doors at 8pm.
• In Old Town there will be 4 venues having simultaneous entertainment. The event is called Old Town Get Down. You may choose to go to each venue individual for $10 like a chump, or you can buy a pass to get you into all the venues for $20 -$25. I personally would only go to the Someday Lounge. Panther, and Copy are playing there and they always put on a fun live show. Satyricon, as per usual, will have a ton of bands that I have never heard (such as Massive Meat Split and Embrace the Kill); Backspace is hosting the music of, among others, Gepetto whose myspace headline colorfully suggests that you, "eat shit and die"; and Ground Control has The Beauty playing a set and several DJs. I believe that all doors are at 8pm with music starting at approximately whenever.
  

Tuesday, January 1st

You will be tired. I know. Luckily there is not that much going on tonight so you can either take it easy or check out these shows:

• The Incubator at the Someday Lounge will be in full effect hosted by Gabriel Darling. You can do whatever for twenty minutes. The possibilities abound. The music is free and starts at 9PM lasting until midnight.
  
• Or you can play two to three songs among other very talented people at Zilla Sake hosted by the lovely Y La Bamba.
• Or you can just observe as the Ash Street Saloon offers up a "mixed social". The website says it will happen every Tuesday and it looks to be free. The The Righteous and Harmonious Fists will be playing along with Orem(the sink) and Critical. It is free so you might as well check it out. Music at 9:15PM.

Wednesday, January 2nd

Believe it or not, I don't know of anything going on for Wednesday. If I am wrong, feel free to comment on the blog and I will add your suggestion. If not get some well earned rest.

Thursday, January 3rd

Here are a couple of shows that are taking place that I wouldn't mind seeing:

• The Ash Street Saloon offer a line up of Lasers All the Time, Ferocious Eagle, Newspapers , and Old Money. I have heard of Ferocious Eagle and Newspapers before, both in a positive light as I recall. At a $5 admission, I think it is worth checking out. Music at 9:30PM.
• Or you could heard over to the Someday Lounge see Green Pajamas, The Soft Tags, and The Brother Egg do their indie-pop thing. $5 admission. Music at 9PM.
• At The Doug Fir Lounge, Day of Lions is playing a show with local favorite (though not my favorite) Boy Eats Drum Machine, and Seattle band Siberian. $8 day of the show. Music starts at 9PM.
  

Friday, January 4th

There are three really good show today. Your decision will be tough. So here are you options:

• Okay. I will be completely honest with you . I am playing a show as Meyercord on this day. It would be awesome if you came. I will be opening for the somewhat jazzy The Murder Trio and the wonderful music of Y La Bamba. The show is to take place at The Chaos Cafe (donations are aprrecitated). Music at 7:30PM
• The Doug Fir Lounge will be having Weinland play along with James Low, and Mike Coykendall. These are all fine musicians/bands in the local roots rock vein. Admission is $7. Music at 9PM.
• Over at The Mississippi Studios, Richie Young (of Loch Lommond) will be playing a set in between Leviethan and IOA (drummer of Point Juncture, WA). The show is part of Mississippi Studios' Free First Friday series. As indicated it will be free. Music starts at 10PM.

Saturday, January 5th

Again some hard decisions to make

• The Someday Lounge will be hosting a benefit show for "Vida para todos" (life for all), a community Music and Arts center in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. I only know of one of the bands playing, Please Step Out Of The Vehicle. Drew slum,Toiletooth, and Plank Scale will also be playing. There is a sliding scale cover of $5-10. Music at 9PM.
• Some how, a Portland music festival almost slipped under my radar and will be taking place this weekend. It is called Children of The Revolution 3. I am assuming that this is the third one of these festivals. It is happening at AudioCinema over the course of two days. Saturday features: Fleshtone, Panther, Tara Jane O'Neal, LKN, Starfucker, Chrome Wings, Dragging an Ox Through Water, Worms, Matress, and Death Songs. I believe the price is somewhere between $10 and $15. The music starts at 2PM.
  
• Plus Horse Feathers will be performing twice at The Mississippi Studios. The first show will have MBilly opening and the second show will have The Botticellis open. The first show is $10 at 7PM. The second show is $12 at 10PM.
  

Sunday, January 6th

There is no day of rest for a music fan (except this Wednesday). So here are the shows that I think might be worth checking out. I make no guarantees, but I think they will fun.

• The Ash Street Saloon is having a show of three bands that ride the line between quirky and just plain zany, and one folksy guy. The bands are as follows Late Night Curly, iji, and Math The Band. Iji and Math The Band are touring together (warning these bands are not local), so if you like what you hear there is more incentive in the way of a tour split entitled "Tour de Friends". Also the folksy guy I made allusion to is William Holley. What he has on his myspace page sounds real nice. It will cost you $5. Music starts at 9:30PM.
• Day two of the Children of The Revolution 3 looks to be the noisier of the two day festivities at AudioCinema. If only the fact that Yellow Swans are playing. i saw them at PDX Pop Now! and they were loud. I mean they brought they brought their own sound system in order to be at the very least twice as loud as any other band that played. I stood at the very back of AudioCinema (which is pretty large) and still had to plug my ears (even though they already had ear plugs). The other bands playing are Thrones, SubArachnoid Space, Magick Daggers, Rollerball, Fist Fite, Dagger of the Mind(self proclaimed "bardcore" as in they sing Shakespeare over heavy metal), Rabbits, and Silentist. Again I think that it costs between $10 and $15. Show starts at 2PM.

So I hope everyone has a great new year and I look forward to seeing a whole lot of shows and missing even more of them.

-Ben

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un-conventional top 10 ....piecemeal....

or mincemeat pie...meal???!!!

ostensibly, the offices of gkd-landia are ever demanding, ever challenging, and always full of wonderful and amazing suprises....

additionally, we all have agendas... and some are more obvious than others... it's true, i'm gonna write about a Portland Asian-American band... and yes, they did make my top 10 of local/indie bands.... why? because those items...those tid-bits land on my desk.... who knew i was a man!???!!!

hahahahaha!

Firstly, Dragging an Ox Through Water was brilliant, amazing, sensitively crafted, mesmerizing and enchanting last night at Dante's....

Two words: testosterone city --- in the audience at Dante's!!!

Last night was my first time to visit Dante's and I only stayed for the swankiness and sublime joy of listening to Brian Mumford's magic.....but come on!!!!??!!! where were the ladies???????!!!!
Seriously! FOR REALS!!! there were 5 times more males in that room than females....

and yes, BTW, the restrooms at Dante's are not the best places for ladies... 2 stalls, cramped spaces. on the plus side: the paper towels were plenty, and the soap dispenser was full..... i think i am easily amused...

***psssst, ladies, you do NOT have to pee all over the toilet!!!
i know squat and trot is the mantra for those dark, smokey low dough clubs, but that does NOT mean you too have to join the fraternal rite of passage and urinate ALL over the toilet and stall!!! (yes, the seat was down....)


Secondly, the Slants are the lovely wonders to make my personal top 10 ...and only for the very beautiful reason that "Chinatown Dance Rock" should be 24/7! lollol....does not matter what, where, when, or how you are or how you came from yo mama's bootie shakin' soul, but if it moves you, and you move to it, and it's more than magical, well, how could the LP Slanted Eyes, Slanted Hearts not melt your cold, hard, cynical heart!????

Thirdly, New Year's Eve at the Someday Lounge is gonna be another rip, sip, and let's get lit night to welcome in the New Year Bash with Panther, Copy (that guy is everywhere...and I keep NOT being introduced to him), DJ Broken Window (i kninda think i was his roommate for my first month in PDXlandia --- I could have him totally confused with those other strange creatures...), and DJ Hostile Takeover (better than DJ CreamPuffnStuff!)!


the other top 8 continues in the next post....

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Thursday night + the moon

Tonight, Thursday, December 27th @ Dante’s, 9PM $5 21+


Recently, I read an interview with Chantal Akerman …. Cinema is a shared time, a shared experience, but when we read, we read alone, the text is a separate and individual time… an individual consumes with eyes and absorbs and processes expansive worlds with such limited descriptions… words… …well, that’s all me being rather reflective about the end of another year, the end of this chapter in my life…ready to begin a new chapter… a fresh start…

One of my favourite listening pleasures this town has to offer is Brian Mumford’s Dragging an Ox Through Water .. … one senses that the melodies were composed to lead us toward some personal destination. We can be in the same room together, but we are uniquely shaped and affected … one listens with only one’s own ears, listening, like breathing is a solitary endeavour that can be accomplished in the same space as others… but more often than not… sometimes… sometimes…


Of course, tonight, Earth, and Jackie-O Motherf*#ker are also on the bill… according to the papers, Earth is a vestige of a vestige of a vestige and a collaborative effort not to consider mildly… as for Jackie-O …. I can barely say the “f” word meeself ….so, I am told that sweet people come from volatile landscapes…

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Seeking Portland Indie Muisc Lovers

Do you go to shows no one has ever heard of?

Do you like music that isn't on a label (or a label that isn't Capitol Records)?

Do you love finding music and sharing it with your friends?

Portland has hundreds of bands the Mercury and the Willamette Week don't write about. Let's write about them here!

Things I want to read about:

1. Best of Portland 2007
2. Best Jazz of Portland, Oregon
3. Best venues to play shows at
4. Top Ten Bands no one has heard of but you swear are worth a listen!

If you blog for another blog -- Publish in two places! or leave a comment with a link to your best of Portland 2007!


(members of Westfold, AristeiA, present. Gary from Gas House was there! Amber Dawn, Ste. Goldie and others...) Photo taken with my camera by Mel!

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Dave Allen hates on me in a nice way!

The following has been copied and pasted from Pampelmoose:

Dave Allen Says:
December 11th, 2007 at 9:29 pm

Mr Goldie, if in fact you are a Mr, maybe a Ms, your blog is fine, but such early days….you’ve got to earn the accolades in the blogosphere and it takes years believe me. The ‘tricks’ of getting traffic are out there but they don’t work, there are no shortcuts. What works is a dedicated posting schedule, an authentic voice, a good overview of your subject and/or topics, original content that other blogs will want to host on their own site, etc etc etc. You must become a journalist and do your research too. The Moose site is now heavily-trafficked after two years of at least 3 posts a day. 852 blogs link to the Moose and we get about 63,000 unique visitors a month…that’s uniques, not just our fine regular readers such as yourself. To get there I have put in on average about 3 hours a day every day for two years. Keep at it and you’ll be fine. BTW, my local top picks are up on Indie Music Portland

WOW! I HAD NO IDEA PAMPELMOOSE WAS SO BIG IN THE BLOGOSPHERE... Maybe I need to beef up on my online stalking techniques!

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Ben Meyercord live music picks for Dec. 17th -23rd

Another week another group of shows that we all should attempt to attend. Maybe we should call this weekly list of shows, "Ben Meyercord's Attempt to Attend show list" or "Attempt 2 Attend: Portland shows".

I am going back to Texas on Wednesday, so I will only be able to make it to two shows this week. But I will list all the shows I would consider seeing were I in town.

It goes like this:

Monday, December 17th

This is so hard for me. There are two shows. Both really good. Both near my home. Both featuring personal friends. Unfortunately, both at the same time.

• Y La Bamba is playing Mississippi Pizza along with other Zilla Open Mic vets Elliot King and Down South Sallie. Y La Bamba writes some of the most evocative and emotive music I have heard in quite some time. Elliot King is the composer of many songs in many styles which when mixed together give a pleasing experience. Down South Sallie has a voice on her. Be sure to listen to her talk, then listen to her sing. You will be blown away first by the contrast and then again by how well she sings. I have had the pleasure of playing with two of the three acts tonight. I highly recommend the show. I believe it is free. Plus if you get there early, say at like 7pm you can watch the Portland spelling bee. Show at 9pm Free.
  
• Annie Bethancourt writes some pretty darn good tunes as well. I have had the pleasure of performing shows with her as well (she will appear on the forth-coming Meyercord ep). She is performing at the White Eagle. This is a place I have been meaning to check out for a while. She plays with the Hide & Go Hustle and American Nobody. The Hide & Go Hustle are a cello and guitar duo who supplement their sound with preprogrammed beats. American Nobody apparently is where "The Solo Loop Show- organic folk meets technology" . Sounds interesting. Show at 8pm. Free.
  

Tuesday, December 18th

Tuesdays, I generally reserve for Open Mics unless there is something really cool happening.

• Holcombe Waller might be that really cool thing happening. Check out what the Willamette Week said about his TBA entry. " With this TBA entry, the restlessly inventive and ridiculously talented Holcombe Waller takes lessons learned from last year's experimental work, Patty Heart Townes - which presented songs of Patty Griffin and Townes Van Zandt, sung by Waller in costume and character, accompanied by a small string ensemble and video projection - and applies them to his own literate, incisive, beautiful songs. His forthcoming album, titled Into the Dark Unknown, is his first since 2005's stunning Troubled Times. Having found new fans such as Antony (of the Johnsons), Waller's well on his way to a wider audience. JEFF ROSENBERG." It is nice to know that we have people like him living in Portkand. Chris Garneau will be opening the show. I believe he was part of the Xiu Xiu touring band at one point. Doug Fir Lounge. show at 9pm $10
• Incubator at the Someday Lounge. Open stage for up to 20 minutes. Gabriel Darling. 9pm. Free.
• Open Mic at Zilla's Sake. Two songs per person. Good sake, if you like that sort of thing. Plus Y La Bamba usually plays twice. 8:30pm. Free.

Wednesday, December 19th

I leave for Dallas on this day. I will not be able to see any of the shows below this point.

• Local legends The Dandy Warhols will be teaming up with two other "The" bands, The Upsidedown and The Nice Boys at the Roseland Theater. So if you want to get your pyschedelic PDX-Mas groove on, then I suggest you attend. All Portland. All Rock. 8pm. $15 plus whatever outrageous service charges they tack on.
  
• Jon Garcia is playing over at Berbati's Pan. You may recognize his name cause he played with AristeiA last week. This week he is playing with Ali Wesley, Leigh Marble, Zach Boyle (guitarist of A Weather), and Whit Walker all part of a Singer/songwriter in the round performance. Show at 9pm. $3
  
• Or if you just want to dance your ass off. Head over to the Doug Fir Lounge where Dat'r will be thowing it down. Dahlia (not my sort of thing) will follow. Show at 9PM. $6

Thursday, December 20th

There are two good shows this night. I am glad I will not have to choose.

• Nick Jaina will be playing the Doug Fir Lounge with The Butchers and The Builders and The Golden Bears. I saw Nick the last time he played the Doug Fir Lounge (also with the Butchers and Builders) was great. He and his band really know to arrange a song. A lot of people really dig the Butchers and Builders. I don't really get it. I don't know much of anything about The Golden Bears. Show is at 9PM. $8
• A Weather is playing a show with Super XX Man and Love Menu at the Holocene. A Weather is one of my current favorite local groups. I enjoy Super XX Man's charming and often endearing songs. I know nothing of Love menu, but based of the company she keeps it should be good. Show at 9PM. $6

Friday, December 21st

There are a couple things happening this night.

• Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks are playing the Doug Fir Lounge with Blitzen Trapper. This show will in all likelihood sell out. If you want to go to this show. Buy your ticket now.
  I mean two of the biggest Portland bands playing in Portland. This will sell out. Also with Malkmus coming out with a new record in the next few months, I would image there is going to be some new stuff. Show at 9PM. $15
  
• Or you could head over to the Someday Lounge and watch a ninja band. Fist of Dishonor proclaim themselves to be the "Premier Ninja Rock Band". They will share the stage with The Nodding Tree Remedies (who played the very first AristeiA show ever), Larry Yes (whom I have heard good thing about), and Rob Walmart (who play out a van or as they call it a vanue). Show at 9PM. $5

Saturday, December 22nd

Honestly nothing jumps out at me for this day.

• Though you might check out Bryan Free. He will play the Tonic Lounge with the Deepest Darkest. i know very little about either of these bands. Except that Bryan Free put out a split ep with Day of Lions a few years ago. Show at 9PM $7
  

Sunday, December 23rd

There are two good shows tonight.

• Over at Valentine's (232 SW Ankeny) The Evolutionary Jass Band will be performing with Venable. The Jass is always awesome. I read that Venable has toured with David Pajo (this means that he is also probably pretty awesome).
• The Murder Trio will be playing at a place called the Night Light Lounge. They play a cool jazz type thing (Also they will play with Meyercord next year). Show at 8pm. Free.

So enjoy the shows while I am away. I have looked and there appear to be absolutely no shows in Texas.

-Ben


A Weather Live. Check them out on Wednesday.

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Wednesday December 12th, 2007: AristeiA, Jon Garcia and Charmparticle @ The Doug Fir

3 wonderful local bands play this Wednesday night at The Doug Fir!


Aristeia Photo by Ste. Goldie


Jon Garcia soon to be known as Castle Photo by Micha Usher


Charmparticles Photo by ? (got it off their myspace)

All three bands are from Portland, Oregon. If you are looking for a place to hang out this Wednesday night come to the Doug Fir. You will get a chance to hear beautiful music and engage with people who love music and who's hearts beat to the rhythm of their own sweet sounds. Are you a rock band photographer? Take some digital photo's of the show and have them published here!

This Wednesday December 12th, 2007
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside
Portland, Oregon 97214
Doors open at 8pm
Show starts at 9pm
$6 at the door

ALSO:

Vote for your favorite Northwest Releases of 2007 at threeimaginarygirls.com

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how much is too much ...how much is TMI....

so, last Wednesday night the mighty fab (more than four) Voxtrot came out to the West Coast again...and despite the post-flood roads and I-5 closures, the band made their gig at the Hawthorne Theatre.

Their songs are the the good kind of treacle ...
the songs are the reflective, exploratory, daring, retro-fresh and sincere....
not to sound oddly cliched, but if ya like the Beatles and a solid evening of indie twee dance tunes with meaty moments of truth and honesty...then certainly... Czech them out!

They are nice and friendly lads, chaps that you could entrust your puppy with...the kind of music to swirl around the room whilst danlging on a line of sentiment....spooning 'round,"Baby I'd leave you for the person you used to be ..."

Indeed.... sink your teeth into something inspired!

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Pampelmoose! Dave Allen can you hear me?

ATTENTION BLOGGERS OF PORTLAND OREGON!

Dave Allen from Portland band Gang of Four has a blog.

Why am I telling you about it?

1. Because I want you to read it and tell me if you get anything from it.
2. This is the only other indie music blog in town.
3. CIMTB is not Pampelmoose but we have a lot to learn from Pampelmoose.
4. OR DO WE?

Reading other people's blogs is essential. It's like taking a pulse. Leaving comments on other people's blogs is essential. It's like giving mouth to mouth only you can't get TB.

DAVE ALLEN DO YOU HEAR ME? I WANT YOUR ATTENTION. TELL ME IF THIS BLOG SUCKS. TELL ME IF YOU THINK I AM A LOSER. ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN YOU IGNORING ME! I WILL NOT BE IGNORED!

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music picks for Dec. 10th-16th

It just doesn't get easier does it. Another week full of great shows, and therefore another blog post detailing them.

Hello Portland and areas surrounding Portland this is what is going down, show wise, this week:

Monday, December 10th

There isn't too much going on at the start of the week but there is this...

• Strangers Die Everyday will be performing at Valentine's (232 SW Ankeny St) with Blue Cranes. Show starts at 9pm ($5).
  

Tuesday, December 11th

like I said not too much going down at the beginning of the week, but check out either of these open-mics as there have been glimpses of brilliance at both. I have also been known to perform as Meyercord at both (not that there is a correlation between this sentence and the previous sentence).

• The Incubator is hosted by my good friend and apparent fellow Crappy Indie Music blogger Gabriel Darling. This goes down at the Someday Lounge. The cool thing about these besides the great sound and stage and people, is that every performance is recorded so and archived on the Someday Lounge website for later viewing. Starts at 9pm (free).
  
• There is also the Open-mic Night over at Zilla's Sake on Alberta. This is usually hosted by my friend Elena Mendoza aka Y La Bamba (in my opinion one of the most talented people making music in Portland right now). The room is small but the sound is very warm thanks in large to a gentleman who calls himself E (not to be confused with the lead singer of Eels). He records this musical gathering every Tuesday and makes them available via the Open Mic Scout Podcast. Starts at 8pm (free).

Wednesday, December 12th

Today I am playing a show in the band AristeiA along with Jon Garcia and The Charmparticles at the Doug Fir so you know where I will be (and where you should be as well). But in the interest of being fair, the following shows are going on too.

• Some local band called The Shins are playing at The Crystal Ballroom. But its sold out so I guess it doesn't matter.
• Over at Valentine's ( 232 SW Ankeny St) Aan, Ah Holly Fam'ly, and Saw Whet are all playing the Cloudrag Magazine release party. I have heard that all of these are bands worth checking out.

Thursday, December 13th

This is where it gets tough. There are three shows. I wish to be at all of them.

• Tu Fawning (featuring Joe Haege of 31 Knots and Corrina Repp) is playing with The Golden Bears, and some band called Baby Dollars are all playing the Holocene. The show starts at 9pm ($7). I have regrettably missed Tu Fawning play every single time they have played. This might be another time because...
• Peter Broderick is playing with Ethan Rose at The Mississippi Studios. This is a rare treat as Peter has until further notice relocated from Portland to Copenhagen, Denmark. Don't miss you chance to see him and get his new cd without all of those oversea shipping charges. Show starts at 8pm ($8/$10).
• And over by PGE Park, Nate Ashley and The Liminal Sea are playing with The Graves and "a very special, secret guest" at the Towne Lounge. It sounds interesting. Doors at 9pm ($5?).

Friday, December 14th

I will be out of town playing a show with Nire in Hood River as Meyercord (if you have friends in Hood River, send them to The Horse and the Hound on Friday) so I won't be able to see these but...

• David Bazan (ex-Pedro The Lion) with J. Tillman in tow. They are playing at The Mississippi Studios. You may recall that AristeiA opened the last time David came through (it was pretty cool). If you don't have a ticket, whoops. It sold out.
• Over at Kelly's Olympian, Tractor Operator will be playing with both Oh Darling and The Dimes. I like Tractor Operator. Show at 10pm (no price listed).

Saturday, December 15th

There are a couple of good ones. You would do right by me by attending any of these

• Spoon is playing The Crystal Ballroom with The Skaky Hands. Sold Out (this makes the third sold out show I have listed. "Why do I list the sold out shows?" you may ask. "Because I wish I were there" is what I would answer.)
• The Bitter End will be featuring one of my favorite local bands, Westfold. Mirumir and Trick Sensei will also play. Show at 9pm ($5)
  
• The Doug Fir will hosting a double bill feature Portland's own The Blow and Swan Island. Show is at 9pm ($12).
• The one I am truly excited about is Y La Bamba playing with a full band. This will go down at the Chaos Cafe. Show at 8pm ($5).
  

Sunday, December 16th

I will most likely go to this show

• Modernstate is playing over at the Holocene with Autopilot is for Lovers and Sarah Winchester (of A Weather fame). If I remember correctly he/they put on a pretty fun live show. And besides it being a good line-up, it is a benefit for local musician, Lou Thomas (also of A Weather). See the holocene page for all the details. Show starts at 9pm ($8).
  

You may recall that in my last post I readily admitted that I would not get to all of the shows I listed. I had no idea how right I was. I only made it to two of the listed ten. Let's see how I do this week.


Ben Meyercord--photo by Ben

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What's with your bathrooms, Rotture?

(Hi. I'm Amber)

By now, Portland friends, you might quite possibly be familiar with Rotture, a bar and venue in the place of the former Loveland former Meow Meow former B Complex where I had interesting times as a young one. I've only been there a few times, but have always been generally pleased with the experience - it's a nice venue (though shows upstairs are better set up than shows downstairs) spacious and pleasant, cover is usually cheap, shows frequently good, and the drinks are moderately priced and tasty.

I was at Rotture last night, downstairs, to celebrate my friend's birthday and see Yellow Swans and Shearing Pinx. It was on this fateful night that I realized the one thing I really don't like about Rotture... The bathrooms.

My displeasure was magnified by the fact that last night, somebody had stuffed all the womens' toilets to the brim with toilet paper and other things that tend to end up, and rightly so, in toilets. This is not Rotture's fault. However, there are two bathrooms, and they don't appear to be labeled, not even with the cute letters on the door that I usually miss. I can't figure out how people know which one to go in; I usually try to follow other people back and hope they know what they're doing. It leaves me feeling like there's some kind of secret bathroom identification club I wasn't invited to.

Upon entering the women's room, one immediately notices that the stall doors are set unusually high, so that when peeking under the door for legs, you pretty much see everything from the waist down. I don't know about you, but when I'm in the bathroom, that's the half I'd rather people not see. I can't imagine who came up with this design. Finally, the doors are equipped with little eyes, but no hooks; they don't lock. I can't imagine one of those little gadgets costing more than a dollar, and they're well worth that for the sense of privacy and security a locking bathroom door provides. I'll admit, I haven't seen the men's room - perhaps one of you can inform me - but I haven't got the highest hopes.

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks For This Week

Damn my inability to be everywhere at once!

There are too many shows in Portland.

If I could I would be at two or three show every night. Unfortunately I have a lack of money and time. Plus my body tends to slow down and eventually fall asleep on me. But I guess the question is, "is that a bad thing?" It depends I suppose.

So I guess what I am getting at is this:

Wednesday December 5th, 2007

• The Portland Cello Project playing at the Holocene with the Horse Feathers (recent kill rock stars recruits) and others including my good friend Fall of Snow (aka Stephanie Casey).
• Also that night over at the Doug Fir Don Coballero is playing. I am not sure which I will go to. it all depends on if I am too exhausted from AristeiA practice.

Thursday December 6th, 2007

• Portland Cello Project playing again at the Holocene with the Horse Feathers and Fall of Snow. (No you are not crazy, it is the exactly the same line up as last night. Which can be a good thing. You have two chances to see it.)
• But at the same time there is The Graves and Boat playing over at the Doug Fir. Sigh.

Friday December 7th, 2007

• Here is where it gets really good. Friday night I want to see Shannon Jones and the Dap Kings at the Doug Fir.
• Over at the Holocene Prefuse 73 is playing.
• But deciding between these two show is a non issue as I am Playing a house show at my friend Annie's house. So that show will be Annie Bethancourt, Dave Lowensohn, Meyercord, and Westfold.
• But if you are not on the east side you should go and check out Ah Holy Fam'ly at the Towne Lounge.

Saturday December 8th, 2007:

• Saturday is easy. I want to go to the Doug Fir to see Laura Gibson who is playing a show with the Cave Singers. I have missed both of these peoples last shows and regretted it. Something that I plan to rectify this Saturday.

Sunday December 9th, 2007:

• Sunday an old acquaintance from Denton, TX, Fishboy is playing a show at Slabtown. So if I am in the mood for some indiepop opera I might go check that out.

But alas I do believe that I will be unable to attend the majority of these excellent shows because my wallet is just not fat enough. But you should try to. I figure that if we put our minds to it we can make sure that every good show is attended.


Brain Wright from The Graves -- photo by Ste. Goldie

PS -- Don't forget you can get your jam on at Someday Lounge Incubator TONIGHT!

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i found a blog for you to read AND wanna write a blog?

To read:

A thoughtful blog about what it means to a certain blogger to be "Indie" It's a good read and should provoke some discussion (leave a comment).

ALSO

To consider:

Are any of you out there ready to publish your thoughts and feelings about all things indie music in PDX?

If so please consider becoming a contributing member of Crappy Indie Music -- The Blog!

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