Sunday, August 31, 2008

i really wanted to like playing at Exit Only....

I really think that Exit Only is a great idea. Though not enough of a youngling anymore that I can't go to bar shows, I sure remember the feeling - standing outside the back door of Berbati's to catch a glimpse of the High Llamas because the only all-ages shows were in the punk and hardcore scene that I had no interest in or at house shows I wasn't cool enough to know about - and hey, a warehouse, where bands play all ages shows for cheap? this sounds like a great idea. The location, while it feels remote, really is pretty close in (like a block away from the yellow line max, or two blocks off the Fremont busline) and since it's in a weird industrial area you don't have to worry about fussy neighbors.
Unfortunately, when I played there on Friday with New Century Schoolbook, I discovered that the reality has a number of failings.
Yeah, I expect a warehouse to be sort of stark and dirty, but it's so much this way as to be kind of depressing. Employ a broom, and put something on the walls, even if it's only butcher paper.
Also, on arriving (a bit later than the rest of the band, they usually let me show up late because I have really minimal gear. I was smart to be a flute player.) I found it almost impossible to figure out who, if anyone, was kind of "in charge." There were three guys standing in the entryway who paid just about no attention to me at all while I wandered in looking for my band and making sure I was in the right place.
The PA kind of sucked, and they only had one microphone. Fortunately we were able to borrow a second mic from the Raggedy Anns, (who I unfortunately didn't see, since I had to go answer phones for Tri Met at 9 in the morning the next day)
Now, I can also understand not having a lot of gear. Gear ain't free, after all. But you know, they could have told us ahead of time "Hey, we only have this one amp & head and one mic, you might want to bring some stuff if you need more than that."
Apart from some technical difficulties the show went pretty well, and the audience was into it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm by no means trying to talk shit. I think Exit Only is a great idea in a good space. but they need a wakeup call. If they had a little better organization - someone there to greet band members and tell them what's up who was easy to find (there was a guy there, I just had a devil of a time locating him) maybe invest in a little bit of gear and at least be really up front about what gear they have, and decorate a bit, they could be something really cool. and we all know there's a need for cool all-ages spaces in this town. Go the extra mile, fill that need.
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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 31st

Hello Dear Readers,

Its Sunday. Did you guys see any good shows this week? I have not really been to any shows this week save the one I played on Wednesday. But I might try to catch one today. Lord knows there are enough options. Just look:

Sunday, August 31st

  • Kelly's Olympian is having a show with New Century Schoolbook , Hot Toddies (Oakland), and Pony Village. You may recognize New Century Schoolbook as a band featuring CIMTB's own Amber Dawn. But you should also know them for their indie pop styings as well. They have had a busy week, first playing on Arya Amig's Sound Judgement on Monday, then playing Exit Only on Friday and this show today. Crazy. Anyway, I think you should check out the indie-rock of Pony Village as well. I like indie-rock. Don't you? Hot Toddies, on the other hand, do the the girl pop punk thing...really well (they are doing an ALL AGES in store at Music Millennium at 5PM too, if you are interested). The $5 show starts at 9 PM.
  • Valentine's is having a show with Modernstate, Loud Thomas, and Pony Ghost (not to be confused with Pony Village from the above listing (I think Pony's are the new wolf)). Modernestate writes all kinds of songs so his sets are pretty unpredictable as I recall. Loud Thomas is probably Lou Thomas of of A Weather and Chores fame. I have not seen him play solo (if he is playing solo). Who knows what it will be like. Loud? Pony Ghost is a mystery to me. I can't find any info, besides shows they have played before. The show be FREE and starts sometime after 9 PM.
  • Or you could go to Rontom's where Colt Vista and Doubledutch are playing a double bill. AristeiA played a show with Colt Vista awhile back and I was impressed by their blend of post-rock and electronic elements. Good stuff. I really like what I have heard of the Eskimo & Sons side project, Doubledutch. This would be a good time to see how it works in a live setting. They only list two band members but I hear they enlist more for the live band. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows come up and say "Hi". I promise to return the greeting.

-Ben


Colt Vista play tonight for FREE at Rontoms
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Saturday, August 30, 2008

Record Review: Starfucker

Starfucker: Starfucker


Since an early incarnation of Starfucker played with us a year and a half ago at Towne Lounge, their song "German Love" has been playing non-stop on some microscopic tape player in some out-of-the-way corner of my brain. It's not that the song is "stuck in my head", at least not in the way you usually think of things being stuck in your head. It's just always playing. Very quietly. At any time I can turn up the volume and my world is a little sunnier, a little more filled with bubbles and rainbows. This song, and this band, has been the soundtrack to a lot of the last year of my life.

Last October I went out east to visit friends in New York. When I stepped off the plane in Newark (I know, fucking Jersey) and turned on my phone, I was greeted with a text message informing me that Starfucker was playing that very night at the East River Bar in Williamsburg. It took some cajoling (apparently the East River Bar is known for being a terrible place) but I managed to convince a few friends to come along. It was awesome, of course, and afterwards I bought a stack of 7 song demos for the friends I had dragged out, and one for myself.

"She won't have a thing to do with me" whispers singer Josh Hodges. But the way it comes out, reverb-laden and shiny with high-end, you can't imagine why.

But I didn't intend to write about my history with the band. That just happened. I didn't even really intend to write about the music, which speaks for itself. Although to not mention the incredible work Josh did in recording this in his home studio would be uncivil. And to neglect a nod to Dylan Magierek, who, with a few tasteful additions in mixing at Type Foundry, added unbelievable punch and shimmer (not easy, adding both) would be downright criminal.

But really, I didn't want to write about that. See, really, I wanted to write about the package. I wanted to write about the unbelievably beautiful creamy white vinyl. I wanted to write about the the gaudy, Tron-meets-Saturday-Night-Fever artwork. I wanted to write about the mish-mash of cheese ball fonts on the sleeve, and about the Adobe-Illustrator-For-Dummies gradient rainbow on the reverse.

I wanted to write about these things because this record -- from the surreal, Paint By Numbers cover, to the disco ball label, to the vinyl-only bonus track -- is made for people who love records. Sohale Kevin Darouian has crafted a masterpiece of album art. It's corny as fuck. It's bright. It's alternatingly head-scratching and simple. In other words, it's perfectly Starfucker.
Read More >>

Friday, August 29, 2008

olympia tour diary

As you may or may not know, last night New Century Schoolbook played in Olympia, WA. And here's what it was like :
We drove up in the afternoon (fortunately me, Johnny, Marlin and Zach all had the day off though Steve didn't and had to drive up later) and met up with Johnny's wonderful friend Ian, who was letting us sleep at his (big, fancy and totally awesome) house. We stopped by the fish tale brew pub to have some beer and food and then stopped by Le Voyeur to ask when we should load in. They pretty much said we should do whatever we wanted and so we decided to walk down to the water and come back later.
Later happened, and we met the other bands, Dos Prompt, who were playing their first show (and I hope to hear more of them) Shoebox Scrap, and Jenny Jenkins, who organized the show and was totally friendly and helpful.
Dos Prompt opened, and played some delightful music with the help of laptop, bass guitar, and uke with vocals. My favourite was "This is what it feels like.. when you're masturbating.. on the internet.. to someone masturbating." I almost died laughing.
Shoebox Scrap, from Inland Empire, CA followed with some mellow guitar songs. then we went on. And sorry Portland, I really love you, but in Olympia, when we asked people to slow dance, they DID. So they are better audiences and you all really need to redeem yourselves. Jenny Jenkins closed with some gorgeous vocals and ukelele. All in all the night was quite enjoyable. Everyone in the audience was super nice, including the other performers. However, there is one gauche behavior I must call out - right before Jenny went on, a girl asked Shoebox Scrap's travelling partner if she could please move their merch so "our friend could sit there". Never mind the fact that her friend never came to sit there, it's hella rude to ask a band, who came all the way from California to make music for you for no money, to put their merch away to make room for your friend's butt. (this is totally my opinion, Shoebox didn't say anything. But I feel pretty strongly about it.)
I am proud to say that not counting CD sales, we made a whole five dollars from donations, even though Jenny sent the jar around five or six times, and though it was touch and go for a while, I managed not to get too drunk, bone any groupies, or get in a bike crash while I was in olympia (although I did get in one before I left) and on the way home we met a baby and a cat.

P.S. Dear Portlandites, if you want to show me and the rest of New Century Schoolbook that you can slow dance and be as cool as the folks from the frozen north, or if you just want to hear some good music, we are playing tonight at Exit Only (1121 N Loring) which is an All Ages Show and Sunday at Kelly's Olympian.
<3 Love you
Amber Dawn
Read More >>

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 26th

Hello Dear Readers,

Whats up? Man Last night was super fun. My favorite part was playing Rock Band on Grand St out of the back of a "pimped out" Matrix. I have never played the game before, it seemed very unnatural, but I see the appeal. It was really fun to watch others just completely and utterly fail. I also had a blast with the complementary cell phone lights. I don't know how many people's eye sight I permenantly damaged, but I know it was worth it(shinging bright lights into your friends eyes is hilarious and fun!).

Anyway here are some more show suggestions for you.

Tuesday, August 26th

  • As many of you already know Dramady is playing at Valentine's tonight. What you may not know is that Pelican Ossman and The Bugs are also playing. This will definately be a worth while show. It is FREE but donations will gladly be accepted. The show starts at 9 PM.
  • There is a super cool exclusive show thing happening at Rontoms tonight. Its FREE and actually i guess not all that exclusive. But you do need to RSVP to it to be allowed entrance. Here are some details: "Drambuie and Myopenbar will present the first installation of Lost & Found. Lost & Found was an avant-garde film society established in New York City in 1943 which aimed to create a total multimedia immersion by pairing short films with contemporary musical scores. More than six decades later, Lost & Found mysteriously reappears in Portland and tries to recreate the bygone era's ambitious visions. The evening's program will feature short films by Jan Švankmajer and David Lynch paired with a live performance by a local musical collective A Weather, complimentary Drambuie cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with veggie-friendly options." Sounds good right? The event starts at 7 PM.
  • Or you can go to Pix Patisserie in North Portland to catch some FREE tunes from Super XX Man and Leigh Marble. I have lived in Portland for four years and I still have not seen Super XX Man play. Its ridiculous because I genuinly enjoy the music he makes. I have not really heard much of Leigh Marble but I know that he has played a few shows with Super XX Man which totally puts him on my radar of people to watch. The Show is FREE (and I'm pretty sure ALL AGES) and starts at 8 PM.

So if you see me at any of these shows come up and say "Hi".

-Ben


Super XX Man plays Pix Patisserie on Tonight. For FREE.

p.s. What shows did I miss last week that were to die for?
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Monday, August 25, 2008

Portland Oregon DJ Wanted!



Would you or someone you know like to DJ the dance party I'm throwing for my brother's wedding celebration? It's hard to find DJ's online because you can't listen to their music.

The dance party will be September 12, 2008 (short notice?)

Rush-N-Disco will be there!

contact me at: http://www.myspace.com/saintgoldie
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Ste. Goldie's Music Viewing Goals 8/25/08 - 9/18/08

Tonight 8/25/08 --
Chrome Wings
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 248-1600

Tomorrow 8/26/08 --
Dramady
Valentines
232 SW Ankeny St
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 248-1600

Monday 9/15/08 --
Thousand Points of Light
Rererato
5135 NE 42nd Ave
Portland, OR 97218

Thursday 9/18/08 --
Dykeritz
The Doug Fir
830 E Burnside
Portland, OR 97214

MY LAST BUT NOT LEAST MUSIC VIEWING GOAL
Rent a time machine and travel back to 8/20/08 and see this show:



I found this video at the sweet portland blog GAYCONDO.COM:
keep it on the brownlowe: radiohead auburn, wa 8/20/08
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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 25th

Here are the shows I want to see today.

Monday, August 25th

  • East End is having a show with some of my very favorite local acts Down South Sallie and Y La Bamaba are both playing sets. I have been writing about both of these ladies (though I am to understand they both have bands now) for as long as CIMTB has been around. Admittly I am biased as I play bass in Y La Bamba. But seriously ask other people and they will agree that Y La Bamba is something special. Drew Grow and The Pators' Wiveswill also be playing. I seem to reckognize the name, but I don't really know what he is all about. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

  • The Tube is having a show tonight too. Their's is a little bit heavier though as Nanda Devi will be playing with La Fin Du Monde. I have seen Nanda Devi and it is a sight to see. They are kinda heavy and have some really cool gear. If you like any kind of post-rock or quasi-metal, come them out. The show is at 9 pm.


are all playing sets. You are gambling much at $5. The show music starts at 9:30 PM.
So Let me know what I have missed and if you come out to East End, say "Hi".

-Ben


Nanda Devi Play at The Tube Tonight!
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Shameless Plug

shameless plug smaller


I'll keep this short and sweet as I am very very busy (read = getting stoned & drinking beer and watching old nba games & bad mtv2 shows on veetle). Anyway, in case you missed Dykeritz when we played live @ PDX-POP we've got a couple more shows coming up in the very near future.

Yes indeed. In the spirit of the Fat Boys, we are coming back hard again.

Specifically on

Saturday Sept 6th for MusicFestNW @ the Hawthorne Theater (All Ages) w/ Dirty Mittens, Copy and Dan Deacon

as well as

Thursday September 18th @ the Doug Fir (21+) opening for Starfucker at their CD release with DJ Beyonda getting the party started before we go on.

Yes, I know, I know. I should have been a good blogger and embedded links to the venues and the other bands, but that's what's google is for. Right? Particularly as I am currently way too busy to do so.

Lastly, feel free to comment, but be forewarned that all of my posts, beginning with this one, will require super difficult captchas to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. Don't say I didn't warn you.

worst captchas
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Saturday, August 23, 2008

New Century Schoolbook Super Mini Mini Tour

Hello everyone, this upcoming week I will be playing several shows with New Century Schoolbook.
I refer to it as a super-mini mini tour because we were planning to do Eugene, Portland, Olympia and Seattle, but Seattle and Eugene decided to be super stupid and not book us, so here's the itinerary :
on Monday the 25h, we will be on KPSU (1450 AM) on Arya's Sound Judgement at 10 pm
On Thursday, the 28th, we will be playing at Le Voyeur in Olympia
On Friday, the 29th, we will be playing at Exit Only
and on Sunday, the 31st, we will be playing at Kelly's Olympian with rad Oakland ladies the Hot Toddies.

If you prefer your music in person, check out Chrome Wings, Neighborhood Stars and Eternal Tapestry at Valentines on Monday.

Read More >>

Thursday, August 21, 2008

The Joys Of Modern Technology

Recently I haven't been out and about to any shows or anything like that, and I haven't been playing music all that much myself (though I did play through the first two movements of Widor's Suite in Eb on my flute the other day to bust out of a funk, and New Century Schoolbook has shows coming up end of the month) but I've been in a very thoughtful mood lately, and one of the things I've been thinking about is this...
People in general (ie, people who love music, being the only people who count, right?) are pretty lucky to live in an era right now where it's easy to get a hold of the devices necessary to make some rad music and get it out there where people can hear it. This does have a downside - the accessibility of technology has lead to a glut of bands and it's much rarer now for a rock band to make their living that way.. but anybody with the will and means to save up a couple hundred bucks to get some gear and something to record with can make a CD or post on the magical internets and have their music heard, and that's pretty amazing.
This thought came to me while I was listening to my ipod on the bus - (on random mode, my favourite way to listen to music) and the Modern Lovers' "Important In Your Life" finished, to be followed by "Haircuts In The Sky" by former? (they haven't played for about a year, but are putting out a new album soon) portland band "Noise From The Sky" - composed of some of my best and oldest friends, and I thought about how fortunate it is that I was able to listen to something recorded in my ex-boyfriend's basement. Today, as I was riding home from a late breakfast, I ran into my good friend John Lee and he invited me into his house to listen to some recordings he had made.
I guess if there's a point to this, it's go take advantage of the awesomeness available to you, and make something cool. Take a moment to truly appreciate the rad stuff other people around are making. Put in a good word for your friends' projects. Let's share some love.
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Favorite Portland, Oregon Karaoke

Here is a list of karaoke bars in Portland, Oregon. These are recommendations from CIMTB Readers and Bloggers. Leave a comment and give us your favorite!



Dr. Something says:Singing with Karaoke from Hell (live rock band karaoke) is great! They play at Dante's every Monday, and sometimes other places.

In terms of regular old karaoke, The Galaxy, The Alibi and Chopsticks III are usually a good time.


Kid Tyger says: Chopsicks II Hands Down

Ben Moral Says:
1) Kiknbaque Lounge - I'm probably biased by the proximity and the manager's propensity for free drinks, but I can't help but love the shit out of this place, especially Wednesday and Thursday nights for Karaoke.

2) Yen Ha - Rad little Korean restaurant/bar with Karaoke some nights. I think it's only on the weekends now, but they used to do Thursdays. I haven't been there in a little while, but the last few times I went, the bartender did one of the greatest renditions of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak" I've ever heard.

3) The Alibi - Karaoke every night, but less crowded than Chopsticks 2, closer than Chopsticks 3, less crappy than Galaxy. Also, buckets of beers, free food on Saturdays.


Karaoke from Hell at Dante's
1 SW 3rd Ave
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 226-6630

The Galaxy
909 E Burnside St
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 234-5003‎

Chopsticks II
2651 E Burnside St
Portland, OR 97214-1755
Phone: (503) 234-6171

The Alibi
4024 N Interstate Ave
Portland, OR 97227
(503) 287-5335‎

Chopsticks III
535 NE Columbia Blvd
Portland, OR 97211
(503) 283-3900‎

Kiknbaque
3536 NE M L King Blvd
Portland, OR 97212
(503) 282-1833‎

Yen Ha
6820 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland, OR 97213
(503) 287-3698‎
(503) 288-3773‎
Read More >>

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

CIMTB Team Building/Bonding

If anyone cares, this blog post isn't about Portland indie music. It's about love.
See more funny videos at Funny or Die

Love,
Ste. Goldie
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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Cab Ride to the Border: A Memoir

Portland, Oregon's working class has a contempt for the upper social class like no other I've seen. The poor, poor dears if they only knew what it felt like to get cramps from holding fists full of cash! If those Little Beiruties spent a day in my Jimmy Choo's they wouldn't be so quick to judge. It literally took me hours to find a condo in the Pearl. HOURS!

Just the other night when the Harry Swindells-Schnitzer and I were leaving the Weiden Kennedy Champagne-A-Thon fundraiser for The School of The Americas, I felt a strange sensation. Was it that time of the year? My insides where shivering like one of those Street Roots volunteers. I clutched my tiny waist as we got into the strangest looking limo. It was short, with only four doors. Was this the new hummer I had heard about? No. That's not it. The interior was not leather. The smell reminded me of mother... Channel Numba 5 served up straight in an ashtray. I leaned over to Harry to ask him if we had any of that crushed aspirin he's so fond of shoving up his nose when he blurted out, "Let's make a run for the border!"

"Good lord Harry! Canada? This time of night? What on earth would we do in Canada?" Pamplemoose season was not for another month or so. Oh, how I missed scatter shot and gin parties up north. One year Uncle Jeff Gianola and I bagged a nice 4 point Pamplemoose. I haven't had that much fun since babysitting for Neil Goldschimdt!

"Kendell! Making a run for the border is a little trick I picked up from the kids at The Lakewood Center for the Arts. After a night of drinking they get in their parents Bentley's and drive to the nearest Taco Bell and order food through the window of the car!"

"Taco what?" What on earth was Mr. Swindells-Schnitzer talking about? I was feeling empty. Had I not drunk 4 bottles of champagne? Normally that does the trick but tonight was different.

"Taco Bell you drunk bitch! Taco Bell!" He kept shouting and pointing. The limo driver turned around and looked me right in the face. I hadn't seen the eyes of a limo driver in years!

"I don't make 'runs to the border.' It stinks up the cab." Cab? What was all of this gibberish I was hearing tonight.

"Darling Harry, I feel queer and all this eye contact from the limo driver is making me uncomfortable." I said, holding my stomach. "I think I am hungry."

"That settles it. Driver! Take us to Taco Bell at once!" barked Harry.

"Couldn't we go to Four Seasons or something?," the city was starting to look blurrier than usual.

The limo driver turned around and looked me in the face again. She must have left her manners at home along side her drivers cap! "Lady, this is Portland, Oregon. It's not my job to cart your sorry drunk ass around and take orders from your gigolo. You want to go to Taco Bell, suit yourself. You are what you eat, corporate, mad-cow, soul-sucking scum!"

I will end this story here because I can't quite rememba what happened next. I tend to black out just when things get interesting. Harry must have gone home on his own. There were yellow wrappers and what seemed a million little pieces of lettuce everywhere...


Kendall Cassadine-Shaprio
photo by Annie Leibowitz for Vanity Fair


Read other stories from The Pearl District
Read More >>

Monday, August 18, 2008

Keeping Tabs on our beautiful blogger Gabriel Darling!

This blog post isn't about Portland indie music. It's about one of CIMTB's bloggers. Yeah she doesn't blog all of the time BUT I adore her!




This is a video promoting a future dance tour
produced by lizziemoves multimedia group.

More info at: www. lizziemoves. org
presented by Lizzie Karr + friends (Gabriel Darling)

Tuesday, August 26th!!!
8-10PM
@
Someday Lounge
125 NW 5th
Portland, OR

$7-$15 sliding scale
5% pf proceeds to Central Asia Institutue

ALSO!!!


Tomorrow (Tuesday the 19th) is Incubator.
Incubator is a kick ass, baaaad ass OPEN MIC!
@
Someday Lounge
125 NW 5th
Portland, OR
9pm til 11pm-ish
If you want to try out some of your "stuff"
and have a great sounding place to "do it" at,
with a wonderful sound guy,
you should totally come and check it out!

Read More >>

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Where is your favorite Portland/Vancouver place to do Karaoke?


image from Nataliedee.com

Ben Moral, CIMTB's newest blogger, reminded me that I want to put together a list of Karaoke places.

give me your faves and then I'll make a list of all of them.

The next time the Mayor of Funtown come's around we won't sweat it if we have temporary memory loss and can't think of where it take him! Yay! Then I can consult our list. It will be like a letter to the future...

If you want you can label them as fun, cheap, crowded, laid back if you want... or whatevers.
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Friday, August 15, 2008

That One Time I Got Drunk (PARTY NEXT FRIDAY!)

After repeated electronic hassling, Goldie the eternally generous was foolish kind enough to give me a set of keys to CIMTB. I promised to blog about "that one time I got really drunk" and "awesome stuff I find on CD Baby". That's an awful lot to cover, so for this, my first post, I will focus exclusively on "that one time I got drunk."

In fact, the most recent time I got drunk was just last night. It was really fun. I got so drunk because I drank so many beers (seriously, a lot of beers.)

What made this time really drunk special and famous was that I did the drunk at the Kiknbaque Lounge (MLK and Fremont), which is, in addition to being the closest bar to my house, the awesomest bar in the universe (they post their incident logs on their MySpace blog. Read them. They're funnier than a vanful of horny rat dogs).


Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Kiknbaque, my main man Curtis hosts Karaoke. It's wild. Best Karaoke night in town. Curtis tears the shit out of "Sherry Baby". Dude is probably 300 pounds and has the falsetto of an 11 year old boy. It's unreal.

Turns out they're having some trouble though. As my buddy Jason Simms described in his Oregonian piece last month, the police and the OLCC have been giving them a lot of grief about "rowdy" patrons and frequent fights. Fewer and fewer people have been coming in as the staff struggles to conform to the stricter and stricter regime of early closing and noise control. Dale Acelar, the manager, told me that the Karaoke night was enough to keep them going for a while, but that they are looking down the barrel of closure right now.

Incidentally, we had a really really good time. The Kiknbaque Lounge might not be the hippest place in town. They don't have flashy adds in the Mercury, and you're not likely to spot any local celebs bellying up to the modest bar. But it's honest, and it's real, and it's the closest bar to my house goddamn it. It needs to be saved.

The upshot is this: 20 kids singing badly and drinking all night helped, but won't really do much in the long run, or even in the near term to keep them from going under. So we're having a party!

Next Friday, August 22nd, come down to the Kiknbaque Lounge for a totally banging night of sweet soul music and to be determined drink specials. DJs Jimbo and Scott will be spinning silky smooth soul sounds all night long, and you won't have to wait 2 hours for a drink like at some other soul nights. 9pm til the booze runs dry!

PS: I promise to actually blog about music really soon!
Read More >>

hot hot heat in the 503

Read More >>

Thursday, August 14, 2008

The Upsidedown Music Video and Tour Dates


Watch this video in High Definition @ http://www.theupsidedown.com/

The Upsidedown is playing Portlands crazy ass music festival:

MUSIC FEST NW
Saturday, September 6
Beat The World Records Showcase
@ East End
203 SE Grand Ave
Wristband or $6.00 at the door

9pm Monstrous
10pm Logan Lynn
11pm Hazelwood Hotel
12am the Upsidedown

The Dandy Warhols/The Upsidedown Fall Tour
Sep 09
- Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue*
Sep 10
- Madison, WI @ Barrymore*
Sep 12
- Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater*
Sep 13
- Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus*
Sep 14
- Montreal, QC @ Club Soda*
Sep 16
- Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre*
Sep 17
- New York, NY @ Terminal 5*
Sep 20
- Philadelphia, PA @ TLA*
Sep 22
- Washington, DC @ 930 Club*
Sep 23
- Atlanta, GA @ The Center Stage Theater*
Sep 26
- Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall*
Sep 27
- Denver, CO @ Gothic Theater*
Sep 28
- Aspen, CO @ Belly Up*

Oct 01 - San Diego, CA @ Belly Up*
Oct 03 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern #
Oct 04 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield
Oct 05 - Portland, OR @ The Roseland Theater (No Pre-Sale)


I found the tourdates from Worlds Fair News
Check out what Worlds Fair News has to say about The Upsidedown:
Human Destination, The New Album From The Upsidedown, Hits Digital Stores Today
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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.
  • 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.

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
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Tuesday, August 12, 2008

The Upsidedown: I am not a dick!



A current band from Portland, Oregon that has a Wikipedia entry is RARE!

RARE!!! Do you hear me? I said RARE!!!

The Upsidedown album, Human Destination, is available today on iTunes. I'm gonna buy it. Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Steinfink for the giftcard!


Sarah Jane from The Upsidedown
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Monday, August 11, 2008

Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 11th to August 14th

Hello Dear Readers,

I ended up going to one show last week. It was amazing. I went to go see Eskimo & Sons on the rooftop of the Hotel Deluxe parking lot on Thursday. Let me tell you this. What I have heard of their recording does not come close to what they are doing live these days. I think they only have two more shows before hiatus time begins, so be sure to catch a live set while you can. They're music perfectly arranged in a manner that makes my heart fill up and start to float out of my chest (I realize how stupid I sound, but it's true). Then they screened the classic film Flight of the Navigator. While many people left right afterwards to go try and catch what they could of the White Fang, World's Greatest Ghost, and Finn Riggins show at the Artistery, I had to stay. a) because I paid $7 and I was going to get my moneys worth and b)I loved the movie growing up. I had to see if it was totally dumb or not. To my surprise, it held up alright. Anyway there are some really good shows this week. Check it.


Monday, August 11th

I was worried that I would not have anything to list for tonight, but then I saw a little bulletin on myspace.
  • The bulletin was from Laura Gibson and stated this: "hey folks. We just set up a last minute show at the funky church...tomorrow (Monday, August 11th): Ritchie Young of Loch Lomond, David Dondero (awesome, very influential singer songwriter) and myself. The Funky Church is one of the most amazing places to play or hear songs. it starts at 8 pm...feel free to bring a bottle of wine or some snacks to share (I'll try and make some cookies)$5 suggested donation (no worries if you are broke). The Funky Church 2456 Tamarck Ave (off division near the New Seasons August 11th, 8 pm Laura Gibson, David Dondero and Ritchie Young. spread the word thanks!" Consider the word spread.

Tuesday, August 12th

We got some cool stuff for you on Tuesday too.

  • Valentine's is having a show with Sad Horse, Harsh Sunshine,and Problems?. Itshould be a night of weird-ish to not as weird-ish rock music. I know that Sad Horse play lound and hard and complex. So if you like that combination, check it out. Its FREE. The show starts at 9 PM.

  • The Crown Room is having Meyercord(me) playa set of songs. Meyercord has been described by the Willamette Week as "somber folk". This is also a last minute show. I will have my friend David Kyle playing guitar with me as a sort of preview of what Meyercord is going to sound like on the upcoming tour. It will most likely be an intimate set (I mean you won't have to bring a condom or anything, but you never know). I am not sure if there is a cover or not (there shouldn't be). The show will probably start at 9 PM.

    Wednesday, August 13th
  • Holocene is having a show with Ohioan, Modernstate, The Steven Lasobras, and Bird Costumes. Both Ohion and Moderstate are know n for having very diverse catalogs of music ranging from solo acts to full on rock bands. It will be interesting to see what they each doing because you never know what it will be like. I hear that Bird Costumes does some sort of drone thing and that the Steven Lasobras does some sort of "Gothic-looping" thing. The show is $5 and starts at 9 PM

    Thursday, 14th
There are a couple of really good ones for Thursday.

  • For instance there is the Y La Bamaba / Meyercord Tour Kick off show at The Coop. There
    will also be sets by Songs for Mom(San Francisco) and Popitilopitus. I am really excited about playing this place. I have never been. It seems like it is the epitome of all that is fun in Portland. Come find out if it can live up to the impossible expectations I have built up. I mean its ALL AGES and only $4.

  • The Chaos Cafe is having a cery good show too. Theirs features John Vecchiarelli, Galveston, and Justin Power. This is some very good folk-ish music I suggest that you check it out. If that is indeed "your thing". I beleive this ALL AGES show is FREE. But bring some cash as these musician types often have things to sell. The show starts at 8 PM.

  • Towne Lounge is having a show with electronic group, Jatun, and two Brooklyn bands Fulton Lights and Jeff London. It is a diverse show. The cool thing is that Jeff London used to live here in Portland (he's even on Hush). I guess its a sort of nice visit. The show is $5 and the music starts at 9:30 PM.

    So if you see me at any of these, please come up to me and say "Hi". I promise to return the greeting as best I see fit.

    Have a good week.

    -Ben


    What are you looking at? Y La Bamba has their tour kick off show at The Coop on Thursday.
    Picture by At Dusk Greg
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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Double Cha




Just heard about some crazy new technology accessible via your cell phone courtesy of Dave Depper who originally caught it on End Hits.

Basically you text any question you can think of to the number 242-242 and you get an almost instant response.

So in lieu of watching SNL tonight, due to Olympics coverage I decided to give it a try.

Despite my initial desire to really test the boundaries of the system (What's a good drug dealer that delivers in Portland? Under what conditions will a genie grant "More wishes" as a wish request? How successful, in tangible terms, was Justin Timberlake in his quest to bring sexy back? etc.) I decided to start out a bit more basic. The results are as follows:

Text 1: What's a good show to go to @ musicfest nw that will be dance friendly?

Response: Mogwai looks great!!!

Verdict: Mad props on the quick response, but I really don't see Mogwai as a very dance-oriented band. Famous and very well-known internationally? Check. Mogwai as dance party starting band? Personally I don't see it. I thought that the Dan Deacon show would be a more appropriate response. You be the judge.

Text 2: What's a good venue to play in vancouver, wa?

Response: Adrianna Hill Grand Ballroom 918 SW Yamhill, 2nd Floor

Verdict: WTF?!. Fail.

Text 3: What's a good venue to play in vancouver, wa. Not portland, or.

Response: A major venue is The Ampitheater at Clark County, in Ridgefield, WA

Verdict: Gave them a 2nd chance, but still, Fail.

Text 4: What would be a funny youtube video that i could post on my blog?

Response: Check out the 'grape lady falls' video.

Verdict: I know that humor is subjective so I won't judge them too harshly on this one, Particularly since they responded almost immediately. That said I didn't think it was nearly funny enough to actually post.

Text 5: What's a good new summer hip-hop mixtape?

Response: The Preview by DJ Drama is supposed to be heat rocks.

Verdict: Finally. Some real info I can actually use! Extra credit for using the term "heat rocks". A+

So, all in all, it's hit or miss. Better than a magic 8-ball but not as informative as a simple google search through a laptop/iphone/et cet. That said, I can see it coming in handy if you're trying to settle a bet at the bar or some obscure bit of minutiae escapes you at the bus stop.

If you do end up trying it, feel free to leave examples of your exchanges in the comments.
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Thursday, August 7, 2008

Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 8th to August 10th

Hello Dear Readers,

This week I did no see any of the shows I listed. Lets see if I can make up for it this weekend.

Friday, August 8th

There is a lot of good shows happening, but as it turns out I am working until 1:30, exactly when most shows end. Shows like these, for instance.

  • The Doug Fir is having a show with up and coming locals Weinland and A Weather who have put out two of my favorite local records this year (La Lamentor and Cove respectively). I can't believe I am going to miss this show. Plus to put salt on the wound, one of my guilty pleasures Son, Ambulance is playing too. Sigh, I guess I can view this as me just saving my $10. The show starts at 9 PM.
  • Weinland collaborators, Portland Cello Project are having their official CD release show for their debut self titled album at Aladdin Theater. I have seen them a couple times and it is really something to be hold to have classical music rub shoulders with local contemporary music as well as covering top 40 stuff. If you did not see them at PDX Pop, then you missed out of=n a rousing rendition of Britney Spear's "Toxic" played by the project, and sung by local electro popster Gingerbread Patriots' John Brophy. There is nobody specifically mentioned to make appearances, but you never know who will show up. The show is $13 in advance and $15 at the door. The ALL AGES show starts at 8 PM.
  • The Edward Scissor House ( 4937 NE 6th, Portland , OR) is having a great show with Southern Belle and The Worthless Children. There will probably other bands too. But even if there isn't these two will do the job if you want to have a good time. There is no cover listed, and the show starts at 9 PM.
  • Satyricon is having a rock show or rather a RAWK show with Wolves in the Thrown Room (Olympia), Danava, and The Better To See Me With. This show will be more rock than most can handle. It will cost $10. The ALL AGES show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, August 9th

I have three shows to list and they are soooo good. Go to any of these and thank me later.

  • The Coop is having a CD release party for the new Stumpclub Compilation featuring Experimental Dental School, Reporter, and Teeath (all of which are on the CD). It looks like an incredible line up , right? And even better, all of the proceeds of the compilation go towards the new ALL AGES venue that Stumpclub is planning. This is the second Stumpclub compilation and it looks ridiculously good. It features All Girl Summer Fun Band, Hockey, Teeath, Reporter, Experimental Dental School, Westfold, Copy, Magic Johnson, 31 Knots, The Hand That Bleeds, Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Childhood Friends, David Evan, Ghost to Falco, Dirty Mittens, Panther, Golden Bears, Reverse Dotty and the Candy Cane Shivs (possibly more?). If that is not the best local comp that has ever existed, I will gladly give you the $8 it takes to enter this show and get the CD. If you just want to see the show (you are crazy), then you just need to part with $5. The show starts at 8 PM.
  • The Chaos Cafe is having a very diverse and very awesome show featuring AristeiA, David Evan, My Paper Camera (Boise), and The Box and the Bucket. Seriously, I think we got a good sampling of diferent kinds of music here: instrumental post-rock, indie-rock, power pop, and weird acoustic based music. The best part is that the show is FREE. The ALL AGES show starts at 8 PM.
  • The Know is having a really cool night of math rock with the likes of David Kyle, The Americas (Santa Rosa), and Rooftops (Bellingham). I have to say that I enjoy David Kyle's mix of traditional guitar mathy numbers and his use of various Eastern instruments that I forget the names of single time I ask him (seriously, I don't know why I ask). I had the chance to see America's play last Sunday and was blown away by their music. Really cool stuff. I have heard good things about Rooftops. This is also a FREE show. It starts at 9 PM.

Sunday, August 10th

Here are some good ones.

  • The Coop is having a good show on Sunday (do they have any other kind?) with Da Bears (San Diego), Patterns, Deer or the Doe, and James Rabbit (Santa Cruz). All of these peoples make exceptionally good and varied indie pop. I really mean it I know that I have written about patterns before. I still haven't seen them, but here might be the perfect chance. The ALL AGES show is $4 and starts at 8 PM.
  • The other one I am interested in is being held at Dunes. I am not going to lie, the two local bands that are opening are unfamiliar to me. But there is a kick ass band from Seattle playing which is why I am listing the show. I saw X-Ray Press (Seattlea) last Sunday and was stunned by their very well executed math rock stylings. Harsh Sunshine, the first local act, seem to play energetic but some what sloppy and fun pop rock (with an emphasis on the rock part). The Winebirds, the other local act, play pop rock that leans more towards the pop side of things. It should be an interesting juxtaposition between traditional pop music and the deliberate mutation of pop music that is math rock. The show is FREE. The doors are at 9 PM.

So I hope to see you t some of these shows. If you see me, then feel free to come up to me and say "Hi". If not then, maybe next week?

-Ben


David Kyle doing what David Kyle does. He will be playing the Know on Saturday.
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Monday, August 4, 2008

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.

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
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Sunday, August 3, 2008

Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for August 3rd

Hello Dear Readers,

There have been so many shows this week. Last Night I saw Eliot Rose and Gatos (to be fair I only caught some of Gatos). Both were pretty cool. Eliot Rose devised a couple monologues for the aspiring musician. One about how to start the show (at the start of the show). One about how to deal with needing to tune (when he needed to tune). And a final one about how to get the audience to dance (when he wanted us to dance). They were all written on pieces of paper and various members of the band would trade off who read them. They were all clever and filled with humor. It took the performance to the next level.

Any way, I want to just let you know there are even more shows today that you should know about. So with out Further ado:

Sunday, August 3rd

Here are the shows:

  • Exit Only is having a kick ass show involving AristeiA (featuring yours truly on bass), Carcrashlander, Experimental Dental School, Pegasus, and The Americas. This is what I like to call a second chance show as all three bands played in the last few days. So if you missed them, her is your second chance. Plus this one is ALL AGES. So if you could not see these bands because you are under 21, here is your second chance. AristeiA play majestic quasi-heavy instrumental post-rock music. Carcrashlander plays music that sometimes is "sad bastard music" and is sometimes full on rock music, usually within the same song. If you missed Experimental Dental School's set at PDX Pop lat week end you missed out. The duo play quirky jagged yet very catchy songs that played in air tight manor. Pegasus' myspace says they play surf. They are liars. Luckily they also are a good band. Regarding The Americas, The Mercury said (I have not seen or heard them) they play "a witchy brew of odd-timed punk rock and experimental noise". It sounds like a show that should not be missed. The show costs very little money ($5) and starts at 8 PM.
  • Rontoms is having a show with Blind Pilot. This is also a second chance show as This band played on Friday, and last weekend were one of the highlights of PDX Pop. Hopefully they have their excellent backing band with them. The band is sometimes only two principal members Israel on guitar/vocal duties and Ryan on drums. I don't know anything about this show, but it is listed on Blind Pilot's myspace. Previous Rontoms shows have been FREE and start sometime after 9 PM.
  • Valentine's is having a show with Valet, Barn Owl (SanFrancisco), Scott Goodwin, Pete Swanson (of the band Yellow Swans), and DJ Spencer D. I have really good things about Valet but have never seen her play. From what I understand it is ambient, sometimes psychedelic, music. I don't know much about the other bands but I assume they are ambient-ish as well. The show is FREE and starts after 9 PM.

So if you see me at the Exit only show, say "Hi." If you go to any of the others, have a good time.

-Ben


Experimental Dental School to play Exit Only. Look at the pretty amps!
photo by Koalcanth
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Friday, August 1, 2008

My favorite song is "Smell Yo Dick". Thank you Rush-N-Disco!

Why didn't anyone tell me about this song? Thank god Rush-N-Disco came through!


inspired by Riskay's song Smell Yo Dick

I had a blast last night at the Rush-N-Disco/Fleshtones show at the unmarked building at 1200 SW Morrison. I ran in to a couple of friends, whom I had not seen since last years Sean Gothman's going away party, Martha and Crazy Sarah!

The show was sponsored by Camel Cigarettes. They did not allow outside photography or video because of some legal issues involving taking pictures of Camel logos (huh?) so I didn't get my own footage!

While I was standing in line to get cigarettes I asked Martha 'Soooo, have you listened to The Widespread Reign of?' and she was all 'didn't we hear it 2 years ago?'. And then the guy who was checking our ID's turns out to be a part of The Great Northwest! He was all 'Who the hell are you?'. And then we laughed...

There was free food and drinks (including Rockstar Ben, you could have stopped by for a quick second...) and they had FREE FOOD. The food was really good. DJ Solomon played great uptempo songs like a remix of that Supreme's song that goes "Baby, baby, baby, where did our love go...". The remix went a little something like: Baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby baby... Loved it!!!!

Is it gross that I truly enjoyed myself at the expense of Camel? Did I sell my soul for a good time? -- Ste. Goldie

PS -- I didn't smoke. I've been smoke free for 4 months!!!

Here's a picture of Sarah from last years PDX Pop Now!
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