Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Saturday, December 12th

Hello Dear Readers,

Last Night AristeiA played with Westfold who were great, but who I want to write about was the opening band, My Dads. They were actually pretty cool. They were an instrumental rock band that made heavy use of a Rhodes (and other keyboards) and trumpet along with the usual rock line up of two guitars bass and drums. I thought with the music was well thought out and executed. There were only two things that I thought held them back. 1) too much "chorus" effect. This is an effect that I personally just can't get down with. 2) too much tlaking inbetween songs. For an Instrumental band, they sure were talking a whole lot. Mostly making bad jokes. Granted a whole lot of people were not there at the time, so they were probably just trying to have fun. Even a small audience can only take so much. But there music was pretty good. I would like to see them again. Anyways, here are the shows that look good to me tonight:

Saturday, December 12th

Berbati's is having Nurses, aan, and Typhoon play a show. This is a ridiculously good line up. This is the one I will go to. The line up are all on my absolute favorite list of current Portland bands. I love all of these bands so much. Wether it be Nurses minamal, weird and yet insanely catchy pop, or the dark and beautiful music that is calculated to pull your heart strings music from aan, or the epic tidal wave of music created by Typhoon, there is nothing not to love about this show. TheALL AGES event is $8 and starts at 8 PM.

Slabtown is having Rock N Shop with No Go Know, Boy Eats Drum Machine, Illmaculate, The Ax, The Mean Jeans, The Pity Fucks, Winterhaven, and Graves. This is a cool event with local labels and music selling people get together to sell you their records/cds on the cheap for your holiday/personal shopping. The vendors confirmed thus far: "Green Noise, Skywriting, This Heart Will Burn Right Out, Hovercraft, Magic Marker, Tender Loving Empire, In Music We Trust, The Union, Someone Clothing, Taxidermy, Bladen County, XO Publicity, PDX Pop Now, Felony Fidelity, North Pole Records, Gnar Tapes & Shit, Sohitek, Greyday
Cravedog, People In A Postition To Know, KPSU". And there are all of those bands that I mentioned. The show is FREE and starts at 3 PM.

Mississippi Studios is having a show with J. Tillman (Seattle?), Pearly Gate Music (Seattle), and Al James. J. Tillman's music is good folk music that wou;dn't sound out of place along side the other band he plays with, Fleet Foxes. Seriously, I know it doesn't hurt that Fleet Foxes are pretty big, but he deserves to big on his own. I find his soothing music somewhere between Damian Jurado and Iron & Wine. Pearly Gate Music sounds very fine. I couldn't find much info about the band, but I read that they may have signed to Barsuk. That's cool. Cause they put out good records. What I heard reminded me kinda of the folkier moments of Chad VanGaalen. Al James sounds like a stripped down version of Dolorean. Because umm... that is what it is. So if you liek to hear a man and his guitar making Americana check this out. The show is $12 and starts at 9 PM.

East End is having a show with Woven Bones (Austin), Bohdi, and BloodBiker. Woven Bones plays hip sounding grimey garage rock. Bohdi plays music that is both reminiscent of garage and glam music. It has catchy grooves and memorable keyboard lines and hooky choruses. What's not to like? The show is $7 and starts at 9 PM?

The Waypost is having a show with Ali Wesly, Helen Chaya, and Shoeshine Blue. Ali Welsy is a well kept secret in Portland. I believe she plays with a few bands around town, but her songs are pretty good too. They remind me of the late 90's female singer songwriter greats. I love her voice and its warm simplicity that stays afloat her acoustic pop. Helen Chaya also makes acoustic pop her voice is less warm and more chilly it is good and has a a slight rasp. Her songs seemed informed by Red House Painters and sure enough they are name checked in her song "Red Bird". Shoeshine Blue, I have written about several times before. His literate Blues/indie-folk feel is always backed by a lovely band of some form or another. His complete band includes a stand up bass, two trumpet players, two female back up singers (who also play flutes), and a drummer. The ALL AGES show is FREE and starts at 7 PM.

Expansion Mansion is having a show with Reporter, Jeffrey Jerusalem, Sex Life, and DJ Maxx Bass. This will most assuredly be a dance party for the ages. All ages. Snap! Anyway I have written about all of these bands and all I have to say is if you want to see a super fun group of dance bands for free, now is your chance. The show is ALL AGES and, as I mention before, FREE and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at these shows please say, "Hi". Or else face the truth that you are anti-social and alone.

-Ben


Typhoon plays Berbati's as part of an unbeatable lineup tonight.