Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 4th to August 7th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last week was super fun. I went to and or played shows/music everynight of the week. I am soooo tired. So week I might take it easy. But then again, I might not.

Monday, August 4th

I few shows that I would totally be down to see.

• The Towne Lounge is having a show with Dash!, Orem The Sink, and Tom Blood. All of these bands/people seem to be related to each other or friends of one another. That usually makes for a really fun show. I first heard of Dash! in the Tender Loving Empire store where I learned that the guy behind Dash!, Jordan Dylstra, also plays viola in Jared Mees and the Grown Children. Jordan is also the VP of Marriage Records who put out Tom Blood's book of poetry, The Sky Position. Jordan is also a part of The Prescott Family which appears to be a collective of artists who live around Prescott (I guessing here). Orem The Sink is also part of this group. So, it all ties together. The show is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.

• Valentine's is having a show with AAN, and Galveston and Friends. I have wanted to see AAN's experimental pop music for some time. I have not heard of Galveston before, but I am glad I have now. I tend to really enjoy hushed folky stuff. Who knows who the Friends are? Between the two of them they have some pretty talented friends, so I think that this show is definitely worth checking out. The FREE show is at 9 PM.

Tuesday, August 5th

I will admit there is nothing that I am dying to see on Tuesday, but...

• Berbati's is having a show with Grown Up Noise (Boston), Eliza Jayne, and Sean Wagner. I am only familiar with Eliza Jayne. Those guys are some good people. They don't play out very often either. Perhaps they have new material? The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

• Also there is the open mic at Zilla's Sake. This event is hosted by Y La Bamba and often has very talented people performing. Plus I hear that the sake is good and I know that the sushi is good. Come on out if you think you can handle it. This is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Wednesday, August 6th

There are some good shows happening on Wednesday.

• Roadside Attraction is having a show with Wooden Indian Burial Ground, Auto Pilot is for Lovers, and St. Frankie Lee. Every band I just listed would be worth seeing even if everybody else was terrible. But since they are all at that status, this should be a great show. I really enjoyed Wooden Indian Burial Ground's set at PDX Pop. I bought their CD and have been enjoying it. I suggest that you do the same. I have not actually seen Auto Pilot, but I like what I have heard. And I really enjoy the energy that comes from anytime St. Frankie Lee plays their country tinged songs. I think that this ALL AGES show is FREE.

• Someday Lounge is having a show featuring Tu Fawning, Pink Widower, and Evolutionary Jass band. Tu Fawning, which has Corrina Repp and Joe Haege of 31 Knots joined by Liza Rietz and Toussaint Perrault, played a frustrationg set at PDX Pop. It was most likely not anything to do with the band, but the sound was just terrible (I suppose thats what happens when you are the first outside band). I want to hear what they sound like with good sound. And of course, Evlolutionary Jass Band is just really really good. The show is $6. The show starts at 9 PM.

• Rererato is having an interesting show with the likes of Millions of Brazillians, and Rainbow and the Kittens. I am listing this because I like Raindow and the Kittens. I have twice seen them play surprise sets at PDX Pop. It will be interesting to see how they translate into an actual venue of sorts. My guess is that it will be awesome. I really like how popy and crazy things get during their perfomances. And beleive you me, they put on a performance. They have as;; kinds of costumes and singers and... well you just have to see it. This show is probably $4. It is ALL AGES and starts at 7 PM.

Thursday, August 7th

There are many great shows on Thursday. Which will you choose?

• Hotel Deluxe is having its movie night where a local band plays on the rooftop of their parking lot and then they screen a movie. It is a brilliant idea and I give them props for it. I also want to give them props for the line up they currated for this Thursday. Eskimo & Sons will be playing one of their last shows (the last show?) before they go on Hiatus. If they consistently play as well as they did at PDX Pop, then you will defenitly want to check out this perfomrance. And get this, they are showing Flight of the Navigator (one of my favorite childhood movies). This ALL AGES event is $7. The music starts at 8 PM.

• The Artistery is having a ridiculously good show on Thursday as well. Finn Riggins (Hailey,ID), White Fang, and World's Greatest Ghosts will all be playing sets. I am not all that familiar with Finn Riggins, but I do know that Tender Loving Empire puts out her records. I also know that they don't mess around with people who aren't not great. I saw both White Fang and World's Greatest Ghosts at PDX Pop and was really blown away by both. I know that I had written about them before, but it was my first time to see them. I was particularly fond of WGG and their kinda Wolf Parade-ish combination of guitars and Keyboards. The ALL AGES show costs $5 and starts at 8 PM (doors at 7:30).

• Holocene is having Gepetto, Guidance Counselor, Hello Demascus, Uncle Dude, and Chantarelles play a Stumptown Coffee Roasters Showcase. My guess is that all the performers involved sling Stumptown Coffee. Gepetto seems to be holding sown the hip-hop, Guidance Counselor (who played an awesome set at PDX Pop) has got the dancey stuff covered, and Hello Damasus is playing the folk rock set (their song on the 2006 PDX Pop Now comp, "Randy" is superb). Of course, they had to also throw in a couple bands or performers that I can find no information about to add some mystery. The best thing about this show is that it is FREE. So you better come early before it gets too crowded. The show starts at 9 PM.

• The Tonic Lounge is having a show with Root Beer and French Fry, Glass Elevator (Olympia), and Pink Snowflakes. I like what I have heard of Root Beer & French Fry. Plus the other day my friend said he saw them play at Valentine's and said that they were really good. Don't know anything about Glass Evelator, but I know that Pink Snowflake is an awesome experience for pyschedelic rock outs (if I remember 2007's PDX Pop correctly). This show costs $7. The music starts at 9:30 PM.

• Thursday is the first night of Micropalooza, a two day chiptune festival being held at Ground Kontrol. This will featuring chip music, music created using simple micro chips like the kind that old video games used to use. I think that a lot of this kind of music is cool. I am unsure if I could take tow days of it, but whatevs. Today will feature DJ Moonchild (starting and spinning in between sets), Kids Get Hit By Buses (Everett, WA), Fighter X (Everett, WA) , Wyatt Gurp (San Francisco, CA), Harbour (San Francisco, CA), Trash80 (San Diego, CA), Starpause (San Francisco, CA), Two Playa Game (Sacramento, CA), Square Wail (Seattle, WA), and Covox (Stockholm, Sweden). The wrist band that will get you into both days of the festival are $15 and can be puchased at Ground Kontrol. Todays events start at 5 PM and last until 2 AM.
  

So that is the weekday edition of my Music Picks. I hope you make out to some of these. And if you see me, please come and say "Hi".

-Ben


Guidance Counselor plays Holocene on Thursday. For FREE!
photo by Seth Kaufman