Crappy Indie Music -- The Blog!: Ben Meyercord's Live Music for June 21st to June 23rd

Friday, June 20th

I know that most of you are probably gonna want to go to the Snoop Dog/ Warren G show with Tha Dogg Pound. But for those of us want to support the local scene (ie don't have enough money to go to that show), here are some more affordable shows.

Backspace is having a show that will make every audience member shake their ass. Copy, PDX's 8-bit dance music master will be playing a set along with an electro-art-rock set by Panther. These guys must be bro's cause it seems like they are always playing together. DJ Hostile Tapeover will be bring his cassettes tapes to play to. He's like a DJ but uses tapes instead of records (TJ?). This ALL AGES show is $5 and will start at 8 PM.

Or if you want a little more Hip Hop for your dance off, then you should head over to Holocene where they are having an event entitled "Snap!". It features Colin Jones a masterful Suka-Free MC, H.R. Paperstacks, Hoop Dreams, DJ Hannukah Miracle, and DJ Freaky Outty (a Home Movies reference). The cover is only $3 for this joint. The doors are at 9 PM.

There is a very solid local show happening at Wonder Ballroomom featuring Viva Voce's new project Blue Giant. Blue Giant has both members of Viva Voce (Kevin and Anita Roinson), Evan Railton (ex-Swords Project), and Seth Lorinczi moved to Portland from San Fran a few years back and our friendship began before the boxes were taped up. His musical pedigree is unmatched (The Quails, Crime in Choir, Golden Bears). I listened to what they have online and liked the psychedelic country tunes that I heard. The best part is that the rest of the line up is great too. The Shaky Hands have always put on an energetic show. And Lackthereorf (Danny Siem of Menomena) will be playing as well. I have never seen him but I have a couple albums which have some songs I would love to see live. The show is $10 in advance and $12 at the door and includes a copy of Blue Giant's EP. This ALL AGES show starts at 8 PM.

Someday Lounge is having a show with Rifle, The Lark, and Blue Horns. All of these PDX bands are of the rock variety but tend to all have a pop edge sometimes with a psychedelic tinge. The best part of this show is that is FREE. The show starts at 9 PM.

Friday also marks the beginning of The Summer of Luv Festival. This night will feature Pegasus, Chrome Wings, Exploding Interiors, and Don Hellions. It is happening at Good Neighbor Pizza. This looks like it will be several days worth of fun. There isn't a cover listed for this assumed ALL AGES event. The time is listed as evening.

Saturday, June 21st

There are a bunch of shows on Saturday that I won't be attending because I am playing a show in Bellvue Washington. Please see these for me:

Dante's usually doesn't do it for me. While I have seen some good shows there, they seem few and far between. Saturday they are having what might be one of those good ones. Blind Pilot a acoustic based pop band (I realize that it is really easy to be a really crappy acoustic pop band but they seemed to avoid this) is playing with the new wave-ish Hockey (who recently got a nice write up in The Mercury), and Andy Combs and the Moth. A diverse show to be sure but a real solid one. The show is $6. The music starts at 9:30 PM.

Kelly's Olympian is having a show featuring The Triumphant Returns (Spokane, WA), The Neat(they calim to be Jangle as Fuck), and the reason I am listing the show, The Brightest Comet. I really like my Brightest Comet. Led by Andi Camp, they make music that reminds me of female fronted 90's guitar indie rock. It does the job. Plus it has John of We're From Japan on guitar. Sweet. The shows here are generally $5. This one starts at 10 PM.

Mississippi Pizza is the best place that I can think to get a really good slice of pizza whilst listening to a good relatively unknown and yet surprisingly good local band at the same time. On Saturday they are having CIMTB readers, Dr. Something & The Popin' Fresh Love Engines play with Audie Darling. I have written about both of them before and have yet to see them. Dr Fresh and crew make zany accordion laced folk story songs. Check out "Robot Lover on their Myspace. Its crazy. Audie generally plays sparse and sad folkish songs. I wish I could see them. It is an ALL AGES FREE show that starts at 6 PM.

Saturday's installment of The Summer of Luv Festival is happening at Dekum Manor. All Day. There is a breakfast and a dinner break. Bodhi, Eleventeen, Slow Fires, Alphabetix, Wooden Indian Burial Ground all play in the afternoon. Holy Smokes, Magic Johnson, The Unit Breed, Please Step Out Of The Vehicle will play in the evening. I am pretty sure this is FREE and ALL AGES.

Did you know that Portland has it very own Weezer tribute band? Well, we do and its called Say It Ain't Weezer. They are playing at Berbati's on Saturday with Portland's only All Male Go-Go's tribute band, We Got The Meat. The is $7. The music starts at 9:30 PM.

Sunday, June 22nd

Here is what is happening on Sunday.

Valentine's, as always, has a good show going on Sunday. Dirty Mittens, Hornet Leg, Grass Window, and Play/Start. I saw The Dirty Mittens play at Holocene and was pretty impressed with their take on pop music. It is FREE. The show starts 9 PM.

Mississippi Pizza is having Autopilot is For Lovers, Welsh Rabbit, and Wester Daywick. I have seen Autopilot and liked it. Maybe you should see them too. The show is $5. The show starts 8 PM.

The Old Church is having Retta Christie, David Evan, and Dave Frishberg play an ALL AGES show on Sunday. You guys know I like me some David Evan music. Especially when he plays with his new band. It is a CD release show for Retta. The show costs $10 in advance and $15 at the door. The show starts 6:30 PM.

The final installment of The Summer of Luv Festival features Atlases, The Russians, Drip Drip Drop, Shake Speake and Never Fall For A Dinosaur. The evening portion features Dark Skies, The Caldonias, and Purple Rhinestone Eagle. Again there is a breakfast and a dinner break. This time it is at Ego Svm Papa (6426 N Vancouver). I think is FREE and ALL AGES.

I hope you guys make it out to some of the shows. If I make it to any of them come up and say hi.

-Ben