Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 6th to March 8th

Hello Dear Readers,

What is up? I'll be honest. I feel kinda spent. I am tired now, but I am looking forward to this weekend. There are some pretty incredible shows happening. Many of which are at the newly re-openend Mississippi Studios. I went there on Wednesday and was really impressed by the venue. I see myself going to a lot of show there. Hooray for a venue that is close to me! Any ways here is what is up.

Friday, March 6th

These shows are all really good. I would suggest you go to all of them, but that would be stupid. Just pick one.

• Rotture is having a show with Japanther, Explode into Colors, Fist Fite and DJ Solomon. Here is another chance for you to see a band I have been meaning to see for a while. I saw Fist Fite and enjoyed them despite me initial reaction to there sound. People tend to like Japanther. The show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.

• Kelly's Olympian is having a show for Oregon Food Bank Benefit with musical guests: We're from Japan!, AristeiA and Krist Kreuger (of Southerly). Sometimes I try not to be biased, but then there are times when it defies logic for me to even try. I play bass in AristeiA and I love it. We have new songs to play and we are very proud and excited to be playing them. Also if you have not seen We're From Japan! you are missing out. They make instrumental post-rock music that is both epic and easy to y'know dance around to. Krist Kreuger on the other hand is, if he is playing under his name, probably going to be doing the singer songwriter thing. And boy is he a songwriter. He does a song a week that is featured on the OPB Music Blog The show is $5-10 and starts 9 PM.

• Hello Loneliness! is going to play a folk set as part an art opening for Joseph Demaree at Monochrome Gallery. I still haven't seen this band, but loved lead singer, Justin Fowler's last project Wooden Indian Burial Ground. If you are at all familiar with that band, then you will know that a folk set is by no means a stretch. I am not the only one interested in seeing this band. This week Willamette Week wrote this about the band. The opening starts at 7 PM. The music will be at 8 PM.

• Crystal Ballroom is having a show with Spoon and Everest (LA). Spoon is not technically a Portland band, but the lead singer lives here. And he has for a couple years now. I don't think he is going anywhere. Anyway, I think Spoon are one of the best bands that came out of the 90's "indie rock" scene. They continue to put out good records at a very respectable rate. I don't know nothing about Everest. The ALL AGES show is at a pricey $20-22 and starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, March 7th

Hot damn! There are even more good to great shows on Saturday.

• Backspace is having a show with The Last Slice of Butter (Seattle), The Black Black Black, Southern Belle, and Inside Voices. The Black Black Black has Boy Gorilla ties. A label that usually puts out some really good music. In fact, this is the release show for a split 7 " between The Last Slice of Butter and The Black Black Black that is out on Boy Gorilla. I still have not seen Southern Belle, though I know some people who have assured me that they are good. The ALL AGES show is $5 and starts 8 PM.

• The Artistery is having a show with Why I Must Be Careful, Planets and Some Weird Sin. Why Must I Be Careful are two dudes. One dude freaks out on a Fender Rhodes piano, the other freaks out on a drum kit. It sounds kinda like jazz, but kinda like two people freaking out (which it is). Planets somewhat remind me of old Hella. Which is to sauy it sounds awesome and kinda crazy. Some Weird Sin sound to me like a band that grew up on Nine Inch Nails and drone. I guess what I am saying is they are experimental. The ALL AGES show is $6 and starts at 8 PM.

• Hungry Tiger Too is having a show with Trick Sensei and New Century Schoolbook. I know people who know people in Trick Sensi. There were some members that were in the late "surf rock" band, The Mello Outs (fronted by Westfold drummer Dustin Mills). New Century Schoolbook is the awesome indie-pop out fit that contains CIMTB blogger Amber Dawn. I have seen them and can personally vouch for them and their ability to make you tap your foot and bob you head, in a overall general good time. The show is at 10 PM.

• Doug Fir is having a show with Efterklang and Peter Broderick. Efterklang is a really good group of musicians. They are so good that seduced one of Portland's best musicians, Peter Broderick to join them in their native land of Denmark. But not on Saturday night. Saturday night he is ours again. If you have not heard his latest, Home, you are missing out. Where Peter's solo output in the past has been largely instrumental and pretty with piano and string heavy arrangements, Home is all vocal and guitars. It is also pretty though. The show is $10-12 and starts at 9 PM.

• East End is having a show with Everest, Lotus Isle, Highway and Day of Lions. Everest is the band that played with Spoon on Friday night. I still don't know much about them. Day of Lions, however I do know a thing or two about. It is a female fronted group that makes very good indie-americana. I saw Highway once and thought they were pretty good. I may be remembering this all wrong, but I think I remember the dude kinda sounding like the guy in The National. The show is $8 and starts to 9 PM.

• Aladdin is having a show with M. Ward and Port O'Brien. In regard to M. Ward there are two kinds of music fans. The kind that already bought tickets to this first of three SOLD OUT shows. And those who did not and now, like me, are kinda bummed. The show starts at $20 and starts at 8 PM.

• Mississippi Studios continues its re-opening by having show with Portland Cello Project, Thao, Justin Power, Tu Fawning, Justin Kagan, Tahoe Jackson and Adam Shearer (of Weinland). Check the links. These are some really good acts. The show are two shows a matinee and a late showing. They are both $15-17. They start at 7 PM and 10 PM respectively.

• Holocene is having a show called Writers Block (it is really a Oregon Food Bank Benefitshow) that will feature these fine folks: Jesse & Josh (of Oh Captain My Captain, Chris Robley, Nat & Dave (of the band Derby, Amy Seeley, Johnny Clay (lead singer of The Dimes, Bryan Free, Henry, Chris & Jules (of the band Jonah, Lael Alderman, Ehren Ebbage (Eugene), Nathan Trueb (of Tango Alpha Tango, Kelli Schaefer, Eric Nordby (of the band Norman) and Karizma (who will be making it a dance party once all the bands are done playing). Holy Crap is that a lot of bands. The high lights for me being Kelli Schaefer and the stripped down Oh Captain fellas. I have had the pleasure of playing a couple of shows with Kelli and she is so good every time. I have also had the pleasure of playing a show when The Oh Captain My Captain guys played all acoustic like. It was REALLY good. The show is $7 at the door. Unless you bring a donation of a canned good. Then it is only $5. The show starts at 8 PM.

Sunday, March 8th

Some days it is just dumb how many good shows can happen on one day in Portland. Today might be one of them.

• Portland Cello Project, Thao, Justin Power, Gideon Freudmann and Adam Shearer (of Weinland. PCP is the most bad ass cello band out right now. I love what they do it is like a seeing the world in cello colored glasses. That is to say, they cover many songs from all over the place and give them the cello treatment. It sounds so good. The special ALL AGES show is $15 and starts at the very early hour of 2 PM.

• Matt Sheehy and Y la Bamba. Again I play in Y La Bamba, so I cannot lie. I am biased. I am biased and I love it. We are currently in the midst of recording a full length album. We have re-arraged a lot of our material and are very much looking forward to showing it off. And, I am also very excited to see Matt Sheehy's full band. Something that I have yet to witness. I am sure it will be great. The show is $8 and starts at 9 PM.

• Backspace is hosting a show that was originally scheduled to happen at the recently shut down ALL AGES venue The Hush. It is a very good one too. Azenda Booth (Calgary, Canada), The Old Beleivers, and Bone Arrow will all be playing. I had not heard of Azenda Booth but you can download an ep of their's for FREE here. It sounds cool to me. Plus The Old Believers are super good. And I have heard that Bone Arrow is not to be missed.

• Someday Lounge is having a show with Boy Eats Drum Machine, Atole and Jack Conte (San Francisco). Can you dance? I bet that if you go to this show, you can get a nice fellow show goer to show you how. The show is $6 and starts at 9 PM.

• Valentine's is with Galveston, False Migration and Sam Cooper. I think that Sam Cooper is awesome. Both in his music playing ability and his songwriting. I like the hushed numbers that Galveston has on his myspace page. I have heard about False Migration, but could not find any info online. At this point it is all word of mouth. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM..

• Aladdin is having a show with M. Ward and Port O'Brien. The show starts at $20 and starts at 8 PM. But of course, you already knew that didn't you?

• Worksound is having a show with Pwrfl Power (Seatte etc...), Grey Anne and Root Beer & French Fry. Why is it that I seem physically unable to see Root Beer and French Fry play a show? It is stupid. I want to see them. I have played a show with both Pwrfl Power and Grey Anne before and love both of what they are offeing to the world via their music. I think that actually to the words of both of them will only enhance your experience that much more (I mean their music is also really good). The ALL AGES show is $7 and starts at 9 PM.

So that is what is good in the world of Portland Shows. Please let me know if I forgot to list something essential. Please say "Hi" to me if you see me. And please, for the love of all that is good, have a great weekend.

-Ben


This an example of what the Portland Cello Project will do several times this weekend at Mississippi Studios.