Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 31st to April 6th

Dear Readers Sunday Night was awesome. I had such a good time and was so amped that I didn't sleep until 3 AM. Which was fine except that I had to wake up at 6:30 AM. This amount of sleep made it very difficult to concentrate my thoughts most of Monday. Do much so that I did not the post out on time. Sorry. Below is the post including shows on Monday that you may or may not have seen:


Monday, March 31st

This is what is going down:

• The show I would like to see the most is going down at Someday Lounge. We're From Japan! is playing with fellow Zankyo Label-mates You May Die in the Desert (Seattle) and Colt Vista. We're From Japan! has a new album recorded and will be playing songs from it. No word on whether it will be for sale at shows, but I know one way you can find out. The show is $5. The show starts at 9 PM.
• The show that I would consider going to though I generally would never go to the venue is Starfucker and Atole at the Tube. DJ Nate C will also be DJ-ing as well. The Tube is small and crowded, but Star Fucker and Atole are both pretty great. There is a $3 cover. The music starts at 9:30.
• As per usual, Valentine's has a good show lined up. Tonight they will be host to Hornet Leg, Las Artificiales (members of New Bloods and Magic Johnson), and I Copy Your Copy. I know that I have seen the name Hornet Leg before. I know I have seen I Copy Your Copy before. They made cute boy/girl vocals music if I remember correctly. This is a FREE show. The show starts at 9 PM.
  
• There is also a free Bluegrass show at The World Famous Kenton Club featuring Podunk. This show is at 8 PM.

Tuesday, April 1st

I know that most of you will be at 311 at the Roseland but...

• There is the Tuesday open mic at Zilla Sake. This is hosted by the very talented Y La Bamba. The music starts at 8 PM.
• Someday Lounge is also having an open stage event on Tuesday as well. There biweekly event, The Incubator, hosted by CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling.
• A lot of people seem to like Little Wings. You can decide if you like them by going to Mississippi Studios. They are sharing the stage with Lee Baggett and some mysterious "special guests". There is a $8-$10 cover. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Just down the street and a few hours earlier, you can see Gregory Miles Harris , Matthew Gilligan, and Tony Suitcase play at Mississippi Pizza. They all play quirky pop songs. Gregory will have the distinguished honor of opening for Daniel Johnston when he plays in town next month. The show is ALL AGES and FREE. The music starts at 6 PM.
  
• If you are inSE, you could stop by the Chaos Cafe for what will probably a night of blues and bluegrass influenced song. Ali Ippolito, Jay Cobb, Mimi Naja, and Fruition are all playing. It is FREE and ALL ages. Plus Chaos has a delicious menu. Show starts at 8 PM.

Wednesday, April 2nd

I am going to list four shows. They are all very good. Which ever you choose, you can't go wrong.

• One show I have been very excited about since I first saw it listed about a month ago. Loch Lomond is headling a show featuring some of my favorite newer musical discoveries The Ruby Suns and Le Loup at Holocene. The Ruby Suns (New Zealand) just put out a record on Subpop. Le Loup (D.C.) put out a record last year on Subpop sub label Hardly Art. I really love both of these records. And it is really great to see Loch Lomond headline such a good lineup as I really like them as well. I am really excited. Can you tell? The show is $7. The doors are at 9 PM.
• One of the other good show with good people is happening at Chaos Cafe. Alix Sun, Like Deities, and Y La Bamba will be playing music (probably with each other and separately). I am sure that it will be good. I am also sure that it is FREE. The show gets under ay at 8 PM.
• Someday Lounge looks like it has a very interesting show in Wednesday as well. It is the CD release for Colin Jones. Check out the description form the Someday Lounge webstite: This is the release show for Colin Jones' Dancebook Vol.2 (CD & book). Colin Jones is best known as the rapper for Portland based hip hop duo Brokaw, but he broke out of the hip hop realm last spring with his debut solo release Dancebook Vol. 1 on Diss Company Records. More electro / dance / pop than hip hop, the Dancebook series continuesnow with 9 new songs, 2 new videos and a full color storybook created by Colin and a few close friends. Like volume 1, Colin Jones' Dancebook Vol 2 is a limited run of 100 copies. The live set currently features Armatronix on effects,backing vocals and hype duties. Expect a loud and energetic multimedia and multi-genre show. Sounds cool, right? Plus Paperbacks (Ryan of Starfucker), Guidance Counselor, Sixteen Switches, and Staley play. All of this for $6. The doors are at 9 PM.
  
• The Artistery is having a cool show too. This one involves Evangelista, on tour, and Ghost to Falco. I think Ghost to Flaco makes very interesting and cool music. Evangeslista , does the same. There for this should be an interesting and cool show, right? The lead singer for Evangelista is Carla Bozulich (of Thee Geraldine Fibbers), who I saw put on quite a show with A Silver Mount Zion a while back. The cover for this show is $6. The doors are at 7 PM.

Thursday, April 3rd

Some interesting things are happening of Thursday:

• The Doug Fir is putting on a show featuring Holcombe Waller & The Healers and The Golden Bears. Holcombe Waller and co. are known to be very dramatic. Like he is working on on putting on a touring theater show sort of dramatic. It is also the CD release show for the Golden Bears. Plus out of town folkster Tom Brosseau will be playing some songs. The show has a $10 cover. The music starts at 9 PM.
• The Towne Lounge has a line up full of local fun. Check out Tenslon Fort, Timecat, Laz-D, and New Finesse. I basically don't know much about any of these bands but I enjoyed the ad that New Finesse put here. The show is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• E*Rock will be DJing at Tiga as part of an art reception for Charlie Salas-Humara of Panther fame. This event is FREE.
• Backspace is having a show on Thursday too. They are having the indie-pop of Swallows, Kusikia (Tacoma), and Chores. It should be fun. It cost $5. It is ALL AGES and starts at 9PM.
• There is also a show happening at Dekum Manor. Love Menu will be playing with June Madrona (Olympia), and Purrbot. The show probably is on a donation basis for the Touring band. The show starts at 8 PM.

Friday, April 4th

There are several very good shows tonight:

• First thing you can do is tune into KPSU at 1450 AM on you radio or online here. You see, The Morals are playing on the radio for your listening pleasure. Do this between the hours of 6 PM and 7 PM. It is good, and FREE, times.
• Why stop the free times there? You shouldn't. You can go to Chaos Cafe and see one of the best live bands in Portland, Westfold, play. They are sharing the bill with Hughdowner, and Ah Holly Fam'ly. This FREE show starts at 9 PM.
• One of my favorite new non-Portland area bands, Pattern is Movement, is coming and playing Friday night at The Know. Local William Holley, also very good, is opening. Pattern is Movement make catchy kinda mathy pop songs, while William Holley does a Will Oldham-esque thing. There is no indication of whether there is a cover. I think the show starts at 8 PM.
• Mississippi Studios is having a show with The Old Believers, and Shane Tutmarc & The Traveling Mercies. This should be a good and folky night of music. The cover is $8-$10. The show starts at 7 PM.
• Kelly's Olympian has started getting decent shows lately. Friday night they have The Brilliant Channel, Eux Autres, and The Village Green. It would be well worth your cover (though it is not listed anywhere). The show is scheduled to last from 6 PM to 10 PM. We shall see about that.
• At the Doug Fir, that show that happened at The Artistery on Wednesday, Evangelista and Ghost to Falco, is playing at a bigger venue. Also American Music Club is playing. The cover is $12. The show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, April 5th

Saturday is the night of a thousand shows (several of them kick ass):

• The Towne Lounge is having The Morals play on Saturday, just in case you missed them on KPSU the day before (or if you caught them and wanted to see what you were hearing). They are playing with The Rainy States and At The Spine. But there special thing about this show is the super secret guest. I am told that the guest is "big" and very "relevant". I am going to try to make this show. The cover is but $5. The music starts at 9 :30 PM.
• Exit Only, the newest all ages venue, is having a show featuring Southern Belle, Pegasus, Bodhi, and Transformers Kick Your Kids. I have heard many good things about Southern Belle, and I really enjoy the name Transformers Kick Your Kids, so this should be a pretty solid show. This ALL AGES show is FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Wait, I made a mistake. The Coop (3535 N Lombard: formerly Brainstains) is the newest ALL AGES venue. As Saturday marks the first show under the new management. The Taxpayers, Atomic Butter Babies, The Hand That Bleeds, Tibetan Beef Garden, and Monster Sized Monsters are providing the music for the evening. This is also the kick off show for The Taxpayers/Atomic Butter Babies tour. There is a $2-$5 cover for this ALL AGES show. If starts at 7 PM.
• The Artistery has a show with out of towners (who seem to have been in town quite a few times) Lake. Their friends P.E.T.S. (no idea what it stands for) are opening along with the local outfit Upsidedown cat. I really like the sounds of Lake. The show costs $6. The ALL AGES show doors are at 7 PM.
• Castle Grayskull (11 SE 19th), I believe is a house/venue. They are putting on a show featuring Almost Nearly, Craig Salt Peters, Shelby Sifers, Blanket Truth, and a special acoustic performance by Ghosties. The cover of the show is $. The ALL AGES show gets started at 5 PM.
  
• The Doug Fir is having a super fun local line up on Saturday with the likes of Starfucker, Dat'r, and Dykeritz. The show is only $7. The music starts at 9 PM.
• Kelly's Olympian is having Newspapers, Leonard Mynx, Old Money, and Jared Mees & The Grown Children play. The shows at Kelly's are usually $5. The music starts at 10 PM.
• Produce Row is having Barons in Trees playing a show on Saturday too. I have not seen them, but I have a feeling that they are good. This is a FREE show. It all begins at 9 PM.

Sunday, April 6th

I only have one show listed for today:

• It is at Valentine's and it has Fruitface, Gulls, Strategy, American Haircut, and DJ Pete Swanson (half of Yellow Swans). It will be so awesome if your into that sort of thing (good music).

So Sorry for te delay. Have a good week. And if you see me at any of these shows, say hi.

-Ben


Loch Lomond plays Holocene on Wednesday wit Le Loup and The Ruby Sons
Photo from their myspace page