Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 17-23

Hey folks,

A lot of good shows are happening this week. For real. Check it out:

Monday, March 17th

Its Saint Patrick's Day. You will probably be drinking green beer (I'm going to try and find some green root beer) and that will be that. But if you want some music check these places out:

• Holocene is having two non local bands play, Beach House and Papercuts. I am super stoked to see both of them. I am really excited that local band, Au, is opening though. First of all it will be good exposure to local talent. Second of all I get to list this show for the blog. And third, and probably most important of all, Au is really cool. Everyone wins! The Show is $10 at the door. The doors open at 9 PM.
  
• Of course Valentines has some fresh Portland talent to expose you to as well. This time it is in the form of Sabertooth, recent signees to locally based Arena Rock Recording Company label,Tractor Operator and Split Rail Fense. The show is FREE. It will begin sometime after 9 PM.

Tuesday, March 18th

You have options. Many many options.

• Usually I personally head straight to Zilla Sake on Tuesday and I call it a night. They have a brillant Open Mic hosted by the brilliant Y La Bamba. It starts at 8 PM.
• There is also the open stage event called The Incubator at Someday Lounge hosted by CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling. This FREE event usually starts around 9 PM.
• But there are actually some shows that are happening on Tuesday. Like at Valentines who is having four bands who you probably have never heard of playing for free. The great thing about the shows at Valentines is that even though you have never heard of the bands you usually leave thinking "Why have I ever heard of ____. They are so good." Tonight Everybody, JP Jenkins Sean Ongely, Alas Alak Alaska, and Whitman will be playing sets. The show is, again, FREE. The music will start sometime after 9 PM.
  
• Or you could go to the Doug Fir who is hosting an all local bill celebrating the release of the new Day of Lions record, "Come Down From the Mountain", out on Yucon Records. They will be playing with Eskimo & Sons, who I have wanted to see for a while, and Dolorean, always a good show. The show cost $7. The show starts promptly at 9 PM.
• Holocene has some local bands, System and Station and The Rainy States, opening up for the former Dismemberment Plan singer Travis Morrison. Travis solo is no D Plan show, but one never knows what can happen at a System and Station show. The show is $8. The music will start sometime after 9 PM.

Wednesday, March 19

A couple things are cooking on Wednesday. Like this:

• At Moxies Soda Shop, made famous by We're From Japan!, is having another show for those of you in the Vancouver area. This time around you got two Portland bands on tour, Whitman and Alas Alak Alaska along with three bands from the 'Couve: The Shivas, Raw Tofu and Talking Backwards. The show is a low $5. Things get started at 6:30 ALL AGES.
  
• Someday Lounge has something interesting happening as well. Check this out straight from the Someday web page: An All-Arts Extravaganza/CD Release Party for: BARONS IN TREES, feat. LESLIE KERNOCHAN of vagabond opera, vaudevillian clown JUSTIN ROSE, painter SEAN SAMUEL KELLY, film artist LUKE NORBY of the Video Girl Friday, and incendiary dancer Amy Hatfield —9pm, Barons in Trees invites local artists to perform their artwork as a response to the Barons' music while video captures the collaboration and projects it for the audience in real time. Sounds pretty cool to me. The show costs $7. The doors are at 9 PM.
  

Thursday, March 20th

Its pay day. Do you want to celebrate by going to a show? Heres what is happening:

• There are early shows. One of the early shows is at Mississippi Studios. This being Point Juncture, WA opening for some band called El Olio Wolof (looks like they will be playing a few shows with Nick Jaina in CA). Looks like it will be a pretty cool show. The thing will cost you $8-$10. It starts at 8 PM.
• The other early show is going down at The Know. It is loud rawk from A Gatherin' Storm and, assuming this is the right band, the electro rawk of A Pack of wolves. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Friday, March 21st

It is the day after payday! Want to continue the celebration? I mean I guess you could see Grand Archives at Dante's, but that wouldn't local. Here is what is happening in the way of local shows:

• You can save some of that hard earned cash, by attending CD Baby's 10th anniversary show at the East End with AristeiA and Seti. This is awesome because it is a) FREE, b) AristeiA makes its official comeback show, and c) you can celebrate a company that helps all sorts of independent musicians release their records on good terms without the aid of a record label. Yay! And seriously, AristeiA is awesome. FREE. The show will start sometime after 9 PM.
• There is also a really cool event happening at Audiocinema. It is being billed, "The Church of The New Mustachio". It features short films by the sketch comedy collective know only as Los Mustachios. It will also feature "Hymns" or music by The Taxpayers, Raised by Television, and Autopilot is for Lovers. This too is FREE. And it is ALL AGES, so it starts at 7 PM.
• The Hush (the place you always hear about above the Tube at 14th NW 3rd) is having a show on Friday as well. They are having Church, Museum, Almost Nearly, and Electric Blanket (I am unsure if this is the right band link). I have only seen Church, but they were really good. The show did not have any cover listed. But it did say that it is ALL AGES and starts at 8 PM.
• The Twilight Cafe and Bar is having a show featuring Here Comes a Big Black Cloud an experience to behold. They are playing with Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Reptilian Civilian, and The Taxpayers (they have a busy night). The show is FREE. It starts at 9 PM.
• The Someday Lounge is also having a show that has Portland Bands. The Velvet Teen is playing a show with Crosstide (Portland), Aloha (Awesome), and Carcrashlander (Portland and Awesome). It is worth it to see Aloha and Carcrashlander alone. Plus I have heard good things about The Velvet Teen. The show is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, March 22nd

There are some shows, on Saturday. All kinds of shows. For instance:

• Berbati's Pan is hosting a heavy music festival , March into Darkness, all weekend. Saturday is day two and the only one I am interested in. I am not going to lie, this is not the sort of show I normally attend, but I will be there. Local band Agalloch, whom I have never heard of before, is headlining. The reason I am going is Red Sparrows and Russian Circles. Both excellent bands that make heavy music enjoyable for people who people who might not like usually enjoy heavy music. Grayceon from San Fran will also play. The show will cost $10 in Advance, $14 at the door, or you can buy $25 for a three day pass for the whole festival. The doors are at 8 PM.
• The funny thing is, on the other end of the spectrum is, the show I would normally go to is the Headlights, and Evangelicals show at The Towne Lounge with local act Southerly headlining the night. It is some pretty poppy stuff (Headlights at least). This show is $6 at the door. The music starts at 9:30.
• But back to the not as poppy stuff, over at Slabtown the band Air War is playing a show with Microtia, and Childlike Empress. From what I remember all are kinda heavy. I really like how Air War describes themselves.
• Perhaps a house show is what you crave? The line up at Dekum Manor is pretty good on Saturday. You have Reporter, Fist Fite, Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!, and World's Greatest Ghosts. This is a super fun place to see a show. This is a FREE show (there might be donations?) and it is ALL AGES. It all starts at 8 PM.
• Hot shows not your thing, how about hockey rinks? Head out to the Mt. Hood Sports Arena for the "Protect Our Precious Fluids 150 Minute Festival". The poster boasts a light show and "films?". The Hand That Bleeds and Party Killer are set to play. I have been wondering if Party Killer is a band or not I kept seeing their sticker everywhere. The event will cost you $5. It is ALL AGES and starts at 5 PM.
• Or you could just go to a solid three local band bill featuring Ferocious Eagle, Reverse Dotty and the Candy Cane Shivs, and Junkface at the Tonic Lounge. This show is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.

Sunday, March 23rd

I only saw one show. Please comment if there is a show that you think I missed.

• The Artistery is having some folks visit from Olympia to open for local act Kelli Schaefer. Specifically they are having Polka Dot Dot Dot and Ben Kamen. I have wanted to see Polk Dot Dot Dot since I first heard them many moons ago. This show costs $6. The show is ALL AGES Doors are at 7:30 PM; the music starts at 8 PM.

So please go out and support your local musicians. And as always, come say hi to me if you see me at any of these fine shows.

-Ben


Point Juncture, WA plays Mississippi Studios on Thursday.
Photo from their myspace page