Ben Meyercord's live music picks for Feb. 12th to Feb. 17th

I saw some music last week. I didn't however get to see Talkdemonic, Starfucker, and Tu Fawning at the Doug Fir. Apparently I was not the only person excited to see them, because it sold out. I was kind of disappointed. Hopefully a lesson was learned.

Also for some strange reason I actually had to work at my job on Sunday and Monday. This never happens. The result of this injustice is that my live picks will actually start on Tuesday this week. So anyway, these are some shows happening in the next six days

Tuesday, Feb 12th

There are a couple of free gigs that are going on in town and one thats not.

• Every Tuesday at Zilla Sake on Alberta, there is an open mic. Every Tuesday I attend. I have my reasons. I will now narrow them down to three. It is hosted by Y La Bamba which means I get to see her play twice. The people are really great. The curry at Zilla is top notch. Plus I usually play it as Meyercord. The sign up is at 7:30; the music starts at 8 PM.
• Or if you happen to be down town, you should check out whats happening at Valentine's. The Morals are playing with Train to Nowhere and Randy from Junkface. I always enjoy The Morals live sets (there are no set lists and two drunken guys singing real loud, in a good way). The show is FREE. It starts at 9 PM.
• Or if you like spending money(who doesn't?), you can head over to the Doug Fir where Baby Dee will be playing with Holocombe Waller. Baby Dee is a trans gendered musician from Cleveland. Holocombe Waller is a local who blurs the lines between theater and performing musician. It should be noted that both out on quite a show. The cost is $10. The show starts at 9PM.

Wednesday, Feb. 13th

Here are some things that I might consider going to if I get out of practice early enough:

• The Satyricon, which all though it is all ages is usually pretty lame, is actually having a decent show on Wednesday. Though I am not too familiar with any of them I have heard of The Beauty who are playing with Imaginary Airship, Air Fortress, and Dot Matrix. I have also heard of Imaginary Airship. I read that Dot Matrix is kinda like Opera. Should be interesting. The show is $6. The show starts at 8PM.
• Or if you want to get your groove on, 8-bits of it any way, you can go to the Holocene. Portland based record label Audio Dregs is presenting "8-bit Disco" which features a documentary on chip music music, 8-bit Generation, and performances by Laromlab, Robotcowboy, DJ E*Rock (one of Audio Dregs founders), and B*Retta. All of this for $5. The event starts at 9 PM.
• Or if you like to eat pizza whilst you listen to people bearing their existence, you can check out Y La Bamba at Mississippi Pizza. She is playing with Andy Combs and the Moth. I highly recommend you check out Y La Bamba. The show is probably by donation. Music starts at 9 PM.
  

Thursday, Feb. 14th

Thursday is Valentine's day. There are three ways to view this holiday. Valentine's Day is a time to be with that girl or guy non-gender-specific significant other and appreciate them for all that they are for you. Or how you don't have a girl or guy or non-gender-specific significant other and how much you long for that and how your life sucks with out it. Or lastly, how Valentine's is such a joke and how you can't believe how much people buy into the BS that Hallmark has created. Regardless of you views I hope you enjoy your day.

• Also I am playing a small show as Meyercord at CIMTB contributer Gabriel Darling's practice space along with David Evan and Myrrh Larsen. It should be fun. This comes direct from her myspace:
  

  anti-Valentine’s day singer/songerwriter show on 2/14 pour moi
  Current mood: fabulous

  Semler Building, Suite 411, PDX....
  SW 3rd between SW Yamhill and SW Morrison....
  near Borders...
  
  well, Myrrh Larsen, David Evan, and Benjamin Meyercord have confirmed for the Thursday, let's not celebrate coupledom and anti-Valentine's day singer/songwriter mellowness starting at 8PM!!!
  
  FYI, the elevator does not run after 6PM, so, please be aware that you must be able to climb up AND down 4 flights of stairs...
  additionally, you need to e-mail me for specific directions: gabriel.darling@gmail.com
  (cause I will have to escort you upstairs --- i'm not gonna give you the access codes!) :.P
  but please feel welcome to flash me! hahahaha
  
  you are more than welcome to bring a guest or guests..
  think we need to be done around 10:45PM with the loud cranking noise fest....
  BYOB... of course, a few tasty snackin's might be provided...
  
  Please come celebrate romance, anti-romance, or all the profanities rolled into 1!!!!

  Currently listening : The Fashion Focus By Starflyer 59 Release date: By 06 October, 1998

Friday, Feb. 15th

So much going on Friday. I cannot decide. I will just provide you the list of shows. Perhaps you can decide for me?

• Dante's is having a ROCK show featuring Blue Cheer, Danava, and Red Fang. All three bands look like they "bring it". I bet Brandon of AristeiA wishes he was going to this.
• Maybe country is more your thing. Maybe you like Johnny Cash. I know I do. Well, Ash Street is having a Johnny Cash Tribute night featuring Joshua James & the Runaway Trains, Kate Mann, and Myrrh Larsen. I am not familiar with most of the acts but I know that Myrrh always has interesting interpretations of songs (I believe that he currently has one of Row Row Row Your Boat on his myspace page). It costs $7. Music starts at 9:30 PM.
  
• Perhaps you want to help out and attend a benefit show. The Someday Lounge is hosting a benefit show for Ethos Music Center called Cover Your Hearts. This what Someday has to say about Ethos, "Ethos Music is an organization that was established as a direct response to the budget cuts in public schools which limited music education for children. The Ethos mission is that every child has the right to learn and make music. Through Ethos, music education is available on a sliding scale so any child can participate." Sounds pretty good to me. The Charmparticles, Climber, Oh Darling, Curious Jones, Dr. Theopolis, Tango Alpha Tango, Castle, Jonah, Derby, and UHF are playing the show. Tickets are $7-$8. The show starts at 9 PM.
• Or if you just want to kick it Nopo Style. You can check out the show thats going on at The Waypost. Paige Crater, Saw Whet, Allison Milham, and Dave are playing. I don't know anything about these people except that I really enjoyed what I heard of Saw Whet on her myspace page. The show is FREE. It starts at 8 PM.
• If you are in NW Portland, you night swing by Slabtown cause Pay The Coyote, Ezra Carey, and Obscure Opus are playing. The first two bands listed I know of indirectly through Westfold (pay the Coyote is a top froend, and Ezra is playing a show with them on the 29th) so they are probably good. The show costs $5. The show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, Feb. 16th

Locally it is a slow night. You might be tempted to check out Pinback at The Wonder Ballroom, or Bone Thugs at the Roseland though. I however, will probably go the local and cheap route:

• The Twilight Cafe (1420 SE Powell Blvd) is hosting Magic Johnson (not the basketball player), Pegasus, We Quit, and Dragging an Ox Through Water. As you may be aware we here at CIMTB love us some Draging an Ox so go out and see what we are talking about. The show is FREE. Music starts at 9 PM (?).

Sunday, Feb. 17th

Not a whole lot going on this night either but...

• Valentine's is having a pretty sweet show. It will feature Aan, Church, and Saw Whet (in case you missed her on Friday). All band are good. The show is FREE which makes it all good. The show starts at 9 PM.

Come out to some of these shows. Support your local bands. Saw hi to me if you see me. And have a good week.

-Ben


Y La Bamba host of the Zilla Open Mic performs on Wednesday at Mississippi Pizza. Be There!

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Ben Meyercord Live Music Picks for Jan. 14th to Jan. 20th

I am proud of myself. I actually made it out to some shows last week. A whopping 4 out of the 12 shows I had listed. Do the math, (thats a third of the shows I listed, just in case you didn't want to do the math). I plan to do even better this week. And believe you me there some good shows to catch this week.

Check it out:

Monday, Jan. 14th

• The Someday Lounge will be having a show which features Seattle's Pwrfl Power and two of Portland's up and comers Mattress and Ah Holly Fam'ly. I believe that this show got a write up in the Mercury so I won't get into too much detail, but I will say this. I have been meaning to catch Ah Holly Family for what seems to be forever. Hopefully I will on Monday. It costs $5. Show at 9PM

Tuesday, Jan. 15th

• The only thing I can full heartedly recommend is the Zilla Sake Open Mic. Again this happens every single Tuesday and is hosted by the amazing Y La Bamba. I try to play this as Meyercord every week. Other cool people play this every week. The quality of this thing is actually quite surprising. Sign up at 7:30. This free music extravaganza starts at 8PM.

Wednesday, Jan. 16th

Apparently the nights that are most likely to have shows that I want to see always fall on the days that I am least likely to see them (ie band practice days: Wednesday and Saturday). This may be a good thing though since there always seems to be some difficult decisions to be made.

• You could to the cheap thing and see folk legend Michael Hurley play a free set at the Laurel Thirst Public House. Free. 9PM.
• Or you could go to the show I am most likely to attend at The Hawthorne Theater. Normally I don't like this venue, but this looks like a pretty good line up. You got your Jared Mees & The Grown Up Children (I have still haven't seen them yet), Jon Garcia's new band form Castle, Minmae, and personal friend o' mine Stephanie Casey as Fall of Snow (check her write up in the Mercury). Show is $8. ALL AGES so show time is 8PM.
• The Holocene also is having an good show as well. They have locals Modernstate, and Ghost to Falco (think Dragging an Ox Through Water but less folky). Plus they have (sometimes member of Xiu Xiu, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, The Dead Science, etc...) Jherek Bischoff's new project, Ribbons. Show costs $6. Music at 9PM.
• Or you can see my other friends, Elliot King and Down South Sallie play at Mississippi Pizza. While they are both pretty young and pretty goofy. They are also both pretty talented. If I were not going to the Hawthorne Theater this is where I would go. Show is Free. Music starts at 9PM.

Thursday, Jan. 17th

• The Holocene's music label, Holocene Music, has put out some pretty good local records in the past year or so. This night they are planning the premiere of a couple of good local music videos for their label's own The Shaky Hands and Swan Island in the form of a screening. Both bands will also perform live sets as well as DJ sets. And the best part is free. Show starts at 9PM.

Friday, Jan. 18th

I know that Dan Decon is playing an awesome show at the Holocene tonight but if you want to keep it local or at least among friends of Portland, than look at this:

• At Zilla Sake, I will perform as Meyercord along with Clifford Libby(Tony ofWestfold) and his Philly brethren: The Sweetheart Parade, Mike Cades, and Laura Walsh. Donations will be accepted for the traveling artists. Show starts promptly at 8:30PM.

Saturday, Jan. 19th

You know how earlier I made mention of all the shows being on Wednesdays and Saturdays,; well check this out. There are no less than six shows that I will list for this Saturday. Crazy.

• The first show I want to list because it sounds like alot of fun. I am unsure as to how "good" it will be, but it will most likely be a good time. I am talking about Fist of Dishonor's show at Dante's. Fist of Dishonor, of course being the local Ninja band sensation, will be performing with Cocktail Cabaret and Hello Lobster. This will cost you $5. Show starts at 9PM.
• Kelly's Olympian will be having a show featuring The Harvey Girls, Cars and Trains (who I have mentioned in this blog before but have yet to see), and Autotopia. All of these acts sound look like they would be interesting to see. There is no listed cost of this show. Show starts at 9PM.
• The Doug Fir Lounge is having the always awesome live, ochestrated folk-pop of Loch Lomond. Matt Sheehy and Johanna Kunin. Show costs $8. Music starts at 9PM.
• The Artistery is having a good show this night as well. Mirah is playing. This is exciting because it seems like she has only played a handful of shows in the last several years. Bryce Panic, Arrington de Dionyso, and Rebecca Pearcy,who are all interconnected in ways too complicated to list here, will open the show. The show is $12. ALL AGES so show will start at 8PM.
• Mississippi Pizza is having two shows tonight. Both are worth checking out. Alan Singley will be having an ALL AGES early show. He has a new record coming out pretty soon so he will probably be busting out some new tunes. Don't know if there is a cover. Music at 6PM.
• The second show at Mississippi Pizza will feature Loch Berlin, TheFriendly Skies, and Wooden Indian Burial Ground. An interesting line up for sure. I saw The Friendly Skies play las Monday and it was awesome. I am unsure if there is a cover. Music starts at 9PM.

Sunday, Jan. 20th

Sunday is my Birthday! There are also no recommended shows by me!

So go out to shows this week. Come say hi to me if you do. I will be the guy near the front who looks like this:


Meyercord will be playing Zilla Sake on Friday.

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Wednesday December 12th, 2007: AristeiA, Jon Garcia and Charmparticle @ The Doug Fir

3 wonderful local bands play this Wednesday night at The Doug Fir!


Aristeia Photo by Ste. Goldie


Jon Garcia soon to be known as Castle Photo by Micha Usher


Charmparticles Photo by ? (got it off their myspace)

All three bands are from Portland, Oregon. If you are looking for a place to hang out this Wednesday night come to the Doug Fir. You will get a chance to hear beautiful music and engage with people who love music and who's hearts beat to the rhythm of their own sweet sounds. Are you a rock band photographer? Take some digital photo's of the show and have them published here!

This Wednesday December 12th, 2007
Doug Fir
830 E Burnside
Portland, Oregon 97214
Doors open at 8pm
Show starts at 9pm
$6 at the door

ALSO:

Vote for your favorite Northwest Releases of 2007 at threeimaginarygirls.com

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