Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for Friday, October 15th

Hello Dear Readers,

Every year when it starts to get a little colder at night I have a mini freak out. It is during this temperature change that I find myself going to less and less shows. Then I have a conversation with myself that goes like this, "Why don't you want to go to the show? I bet is because you are getting old...Gramps!". Then I reassure myself that it is just because I am just a wuss when it comes to any weather that is not between 65 and 85 degrees. Anyway there is a lot happening today (including a FREE acoustic Superchunk in-store at the Downtown Jackpot Records at 3 PM). These are the Portland centric shows that caught my eye:

Doug Fir is having a show with The Ascetic Junkies, Jared Mees & The Grown Children, and The Angry Orts. The Ascetic Junkies are releasing an album tonight. They call it...Blank. I have not heard much of it, but what I have heard I like. This pop band is cool because they grew organically (that is how we grow things here in Portland) into their own sound. They are quick to point out that they are not a folk/bluegrass band. I believe that maybe at one point they were? They have some of the same instrumentation, but the sound is different. The music are centered around songwriters Kali Giaritta and Matt Harmon lyrics which they have actually linked to from their myspace. Jared Mees and company just got back from a West coast tour with buddies Monarques. It has been my experience that when you see a band that has just come back from tour, they are always amazing. This is a band that I always thought had a great live show already. They always exude positive energy. The Angry Orts also bring the energy that is required to have a fun show. The show is $10 and starts at 9 PM

The Knife Shop is having a show with Wax Fingers, No Kind Of Rider, and Empty Space Orchestra. Wax Fingers have been on my radar for a while. I received their album a little over a month ago and I was very impressed. There is no getting around it, their music is just cool. There are some obvious influences in there, but nothing sounds too derivative. It sounds fresh and vibrant. No Kind of Rider are a band that I have been meaning to catch live for some time. They have an new album out called Danger. The album title is very close the the song on the album called Daaanger. The three a's let you know it is serious. The music itself has always seemed a bit dark. It is indie rock along the lines of something big like Muse or something. The show is $5 and starts at 10 PM.

The Portland Art Museum is having something called Shine a Light where PSU's Art & Social Practice currate a non tradition museum experience. You know how people are always sticklers about not touching the art. These are not those people. There will be several exhibits and performance pieces (I have heard that two naked guys are going to wrestle just like in the olden days). In addition to all this, there will be musical performances by Guidance Counselor, Wampire, and Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside. There is a pdf will all kinds of information right here. The event is $12 (FREE to members of the Museum) and lasts from 6 PM to Midnight.

TaborSpace is having a show with Wayne Horvitz & Sweeter Than The Day (Seattle) and Blue Cranes. You guys know I am a fool for Blue Cranes. Well it turns out that they are collectively a fool for Wayne Horvitz. So much so that they covered a version of Wayne's Love Love Love and put it on their recently released stellar album, Observatories. Wayne is a piano man. Sweeter Than The Day is a group is fairly new. He apparently hasn't fronted a band in a while. Looks to be very interesting. The show is $12 and starts at 7:30 PM.

Mudai Lounge is having a show with Pony Village, The Horde & The Harem (Seattle), and Future Historians. I really like Pony Village. I am pretty sure that if you are a fan of indie type musics, that you will like Pony Village too. I have not seen Future Historians but they have graced my posts before. They find themselves on good bills. The show is FREE and starts at 9 PM.

If you see me at any of these shows please say, "Hi". It is a sure fire way for me to think you are cool.

-Ben


Blue Cranes covering Wayne Horvitz's Love Love Love. I bet they get to Wayne to join in tonight at TaborSpace.