Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 24-30

Hey everybody,

Did you have a good weekend? So did I. Shows everynight. But then again, there are always shows everynight, which is why I do this crazy blog-post-thing. Check out the Awesome for this week:

Monday, March 24th

Okay, I might have gotten a little ahead of myself. There aren't any local shows that I can fully recommend. Not that all the local shows are bad for Monday, its just that I don't know them. So maybe you can check out Jens Lekman at Berbatis. Or better yet The Phosphorescent, Bon Iver, and White Hinterland show at Holocene. That show has a person who used to live in Portland, White Hinterland (She has cd out on local label Hush under her birth name, Casey Dienel). Anyways:

• You can usually count on good music to be seen at Valentine's on Monday nights. This evening they will have Noel and Rush-N-Disco do their thing. I just checked out Noels thing. It is lo-fi goofy white boy rap. Rush-N-Disco do something pretty unique in that they reenact clips of tv shows etc... from their child hood (it is kind of like performance art, kind of). You can see you tube videos of them on their myspace page. Did I mention they are brother and sister. Well, they are. This show is FREE and starts sometime after 9 PM.

Tuesday, March 25th

There are some shows going down. This is the info:

• The big show tonight is the band that just got huge over the past year, Vampire Weekend(NY). What makes this show special is that Portland's own Yacht is opening and set to tour opening up for the band on several dates. Who knows, he may be the next Vampire Weekend. Maybe hes already huge and I don't know it. Its so hard to tell who if a local musicians are big unless they are on MTV and add members from The Smiths to their line up. Anyways, this show is at Doug Fir. It costs $12 and chances are that it will sell out. If you want to go buy your ticket now. The music starts at 9 PM.
• You also got a sweet show at Mississippi Studios on Tuesday. Musee Mecanique will be opening for These United States (D.C.). Musee Mecanique is awesome and about to go on tour until May so catch them now while you can. The show is $8-$10. The music starts at 10 PM.
• Or there is always good times at the Zilla Sake open mic held every Tuesday. It is hosted by the very talented Y La Bamba. This is FREE. The music starts at 8 PM.

Wednesday, March 26th

Due to a bandmate going out of town, I am free to do whatever I want on Wednesday. I will not be attending the I am think maybe one or two of the following:

• The first thing listed for Wednesday is not actually a show you can see, but you can hear it. I know this sounds lame, but check it out. You also don't have to pay for it either. So it kind of evens out. I am of course babbling about Y La Bamba playing on KPSU Portland State University's radio station. I think that there is also a interview taking place so it should be pretty interesting. You can listen on 1450 AM or online at the above link. Things get started at 6 PM sharp.
  
• If you are in the 'Couve there is a show taking place at Pistols Skate Shop (2305 E 5 St, Vancouver, WA) . If you want to watch Lewd Acts (CA), I quit, Brain Eaters, and Building Failure, then get a Lincoln ready (that is $5) and stop by around 7 PM. It is an ALL AGES punk/hardcore show.
• If you want to go to a underage punk show in Portland, then hows about checking out the new ALL AGES venue in North Portland called Exit Only. Altlases, Batman Vs. Predator (CA), and Tyrants will be playing. I know nothing about these bands but with a name like Batman Vs. Predator how could you possibly go wrong. The show might cost money? Show starts at 8 PM.
• Perhaps you don't want to go to North Portland (its okay, I understand). Maybe you should check out Towne Lounge. Trespassers William (Seattle) is playing a bill with Tractor Operator, and The Coast (Toronto). Its all good stuff. This one will only cost you $6. The Music starts at 9 :30 PM.
• Or if you are in the SE, by all means check out Rotture. They are having The Beauty, Brother Sister, Megadome, and Pipedream play. Four bands, $6; not bad. The music starts some time after 9 PM.

Thursday, March 27th

This is whats up with Thursday:

• David Evan and his New Band (awesome band) are playing with Raised by Television, Betacrack, CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling and special Guests (Myrhh?) at Kelly's Olympian. How can you make this awesome show more awesome? How about charging $3 thanks to PRA. Ridiculous, I know. The show starts at 9 PM.
• Or go to Holocene where Love Menu will play with The Maybe Happening, Church, and Paper Brain. I really like Church (a sentence I never thought I would type). Anyways, the show will cost a little more than the David Evan show, but just barely at $4. The doors are at 9 PM.
• Or if $3 to $4 is too much for your wallet, then I suggest you check out the Kenton Club on Thursday. There is a FREE Drats!!! and Cicada Omega show. The show starts at 9 PM.

Friday, March 28th

You can go see Jose Gonzales play at the Aladdin or you can go see Bruce Springsteen at the Rose Garden Arena for like A Gazillion dollars ($100), but I think that maybe you're probably more into local stuff:

• Slabtown is having a show consisting of The Slow Poisoner, The Department of Motor Vehicles, Andy Combs and the Moth, and Here Comes a Big Black Cloud. I have seen Andy Combs and the Moth and Here Comes a Big Black Cloud. Both are super fun to see live. The show is only $5. It starts at 9 PM.
• Or you can go to the Towne Lounge and see Newspapers, The Attachments (CA), and Lasers All the Time. Lasers All the Time are releasing an ep. The other bands are super poppy on a good way. The show is $5 at the door. The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• Or you could go see one of my favorite Portland bands, Weinland, at Mississippi Studios. Telegraph Canyon (TX) opens the show. Weinland put together really well arranged Americana tunes. Well worth seeing. The show costs $10-$12. The show starts at 10 PM.

Saturday, March 29th

There are shows and then there are SHOWS:

• The SHOW in I was referencing above is at the Ivy House (117 Ne Ivy St, Portland, OR) and it is all day ordeal. It is also a benefit for SMYRL (sex​​ual​​ minority you​​th resource center). You can read about it at A Modern Woman on the Move here. It will feature the music of The Vonneguts, The Taxpayers, Hey Tiger, Hugh Downer, and more. It will also be an art opening and a Risk Tournament. There a requested donation of $5-$10. The thing will last 2 PM to Midnight.
  
• You could probably see some of the benefit and then check out other things like Sudden Anthem and Beliss (featuring sometime members of Pink Martini). They are playing at Chaos Cafe. This means is ALL AGES and FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Or you could go to The Waypost to hear Leonard Mynx, Shoeshine Blue, and Julie Rose play a set. Why not? Its FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• But then again you could always head over to East End and catch Birds of Avalon (N.C.), Old Growth, and Hungry Ghosts play. That is if you like rock. This show has a cover.

Sunday, March 30th

This Sunday is all about FREE and awesome music:

• Okay, I will be the first to admit that I am being biased, but I thing that the show at Towne Lounge on Sunday is the "show of the week". It is the WWeek sponsored Lounge Series XVIII. It will feature Meyercord, Per Se, and Laura Gibson. There will be three individual interviews and performances of all of the artists which will later be podcast via localcut. I cannot tell you how excited I am to play with these ladies. And its FREE. The event starts at 9:30 PM sharp.
• The other FREE show is really good too. It goes down at Valentine's and features Jeff Brown (of The Evolutionary Jass Band), Plankton Wat, and Bob Jones. FREE! This starts at 9 PM.

So there you have it many shows for many nights. As always, say hi to me if you see me at any of these shows. Have a great week.

-Ben


Laura Gibson plays for FREE at Towne Lounge on Sunday
photo by Jason Quigley