Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 15th to August 17th

Hello Dear Readers,


Do you ever wish that you didn't have to work. I wish that sometimes. But I don't stop there. I wish that all shows were free and I wouldn't be tired at them and I could afford all of the albums that I want to buy at the shows and that I didn't feel self conscious when I wear band t-shirts. But this will never happen. Good shows, on the other hand, happen all the time. Take this weekend for example:


Friday, August 15th



I count five shows that are ready to kick your ass.

• Do you like post-rock, or instrumental rock or quasi-heavy to heavy music? If you answered yes to any of these questions then I highly recommend that you go to Camp Rainbow (604 N Beech St Portland, OR 97212). Giants, AristeiA, Nada Devi, Trifina Trifosa, and Body or Brain (NAPA, CA) will all be playing sets. This is a house show. There is something special about seeing bands with big sounds in small spaces. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but I can tell you that you should see for yourself (and then leave a comment about it here). The show cover is a donation basis for the touring bands. The show starts at 8 PM.
  

• There is a M.A.R.C. benefit show at Liberty Hall! M.A.R.C. is the totally awesome Music Art Resource Collective. You can go to there website for more information. Purple Rhinestone Eagle and The Taxpayers will be playing sets as well as others (although aI don't know who). The show is a Come Dressed Like A Superhero show. This is an excerpt for a myspace bulletin The Taxpayers posted. "Here's how it's gonna go down. You're gonna dress up in your best superhero or super villain regalia and come down to liberty hall. THEN, we're gonna make some more costumes while we're there for the douche bags that didn't come dressed in one. THEN, we're all gonna dance to the PUNK ROCK! THEN, we're all gonna go fight crime!" Sounds like fun. I bet that this is on a donation basis so bring some cash. The ALL AGES event starts at 8 PM.

• East End is having a show with Bad Dudes (LA), Experimental Dental School, and Fist Fite. I don't know anything about Bad Dudes , but I know that Experimental Dental School is where it is at, assuming you like Deer Hoofy type music. Fist Fite is a band that I was not expecting to like, but after seeing them live it turns out that i do like them. They are loudish, but there is something about them (I can't quite put my finger on what) that makes them good. There was no cover listed anywhere so it might be FREE. The show should start sometime after 9 PM.

• The Artistery is having a screening of Authority Party and other films with music provided by Doubledutch. You may have heard of them because of their connections to Eskimo and Sons and Typhoon, but I'm pretty sure that you would have heard of them soon without those connections because they are good. Check out their album that The whole event is presented by the Pacific Kino Garden a group that organizes screenings of films around the Portland area. The ALL AGES event is $5 and starts at 8 PM.

• The Hush (14 Nw 3Rd, Portland, OR above the tube) is having a show with Reporter, The Last Slice of Butter (Seattle), The Black Black Black, and Wampire. This will be a lively show that most people will have trouble standing still. All of the bands are rock of various kinds. The ALL AGES show is only $3-$5.

• Alberta Street Pub is having a show with Caught in Motion and Super XX Man. I don't know anything about Caught in Motion, but I do really like Super XX Man. He mostly writes adorable songs, but I hear that he new album is going to be a bit darker. So I don't know, it might be a downer, but probably not. The show is FREE and starts at 6:30 PM.

Saturday, August 16th

Today I leave on tour so I will be unable to attend any of these shows, but you should totally go to them for me.

• As many of you know local band The Prids recently had a van accident resulting in very high medical bills. What you may not know is that there is a benefit show for them on Saturday at The Know. It will feature We're From Japan!, Reverse Dotty and the Candy Cane Shivs, and Bumtech. Basically I think We're from Japan! is one of the best bands in Portland, so you should be going to this show anyway. The show is $5 and starts at 8 PM.

• Holocene is having an all local showcase for the CD release of Bark Hide and Horn's new album, National Road. Hey Lover and Dirty Mittens make up the rest of the bill. It should be a show of pure Portland indie rock fun. I have seen both Bark Hide and Horn and Dirty Mittens and enjoyed myself (seriously, check their music pages to see what I am talking about). Who knows, maybe I would enjoy Hey Lover as well. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM.

• The Artistery is having a show with Adrian Orange, Small Sur (Baltimore), and Johanna Kunin. Adrian Orange has played under the name Thanksgiving and various incarnations of his own name. But I am really interested in Johann Kunin. I came across her myspace a while back and was very impressed by what I heard. Plus Small Sur is good (i believe his record is related to Tender Loving Empire somehow). The ALL AGES is $6 and starts at 8 PM.

• The Wonder Ballroom is having an interesting show on Saturday night. It is The Cure Vs. Talking Heads night with local bands Caves, Xploding Boys (Cure cover band), Boy Eats Drum Machine, and Dat'r. Check out this crazy mashup/cover thing that BEDM did in promotion for this show. It will cost $7 (plus service charge, lame). The show looks like it starts at 8 PM.

Sunday, August 17th

There are a couple of really good ones on Sunday.

• The one that kills me to be missing is the Grey Anne, Brittain Ashford (Brooklyn), and Lael Alderman show at Someday. I have had the pleasure of Playing with both Grey Anne and Brittain. I think Grey Anne has some of the most well arranged songs ever. She just signed to local label Greyday Records, so you should go out and congratulate her. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

• The other show is at Valentine's and features Death Songs, The Mumblers, and Painted Cakes Death Songs is a side project of The Shakey Hands
  It should be good. And its FREE. The show starts at 9 PM.(Oakland).

So those are the kick ass/and or shows of interest for this weekend. I hope you enjoy. And if you see me on Friday, come up and say "Hi".

-Ben


We're From Japan! plays on Saturday to help out The Prids at The Know. Sweet.
Photo by JASON QUIGLEY