Ben Meyercord's Live Picks Sunday, June 29th

Man, sometimes I drop the ball. I just wanted to bring attention to the fact that there is a really awesome and FREE show this Sunday.

Sunday, June 29th

• The Willamette Week's Lounge Series XX is happening tonight. If you don't recall, The Lounge Series happens the last Sunday of every month at the Towne Lounge for FREE. Three bands are chosen by the music editors of the Willamette Week to play the show. The cool thing is that the music editor interviews the artist live in front of the audience (heckles are welcomed). The interviews and performances can later be downloaded via local cut. The absolute coolest thing about this series though, is that it is completely FREE for the audience. This month they have a really good line up featuring Cory Gray (Carcrashlander), Shelly Short, and Adam Shearer (of Weinland). If you have ever seen a Weinland show, then you know that Adam is a very entertaining person when he gets to talking, so I am looking forward to his interview. Again, the show is FREE. The music/interviews start at 9:30 PM.

So yeah, I'm gonna be there.

Ben


Cory Gray (Carcrashlander) plays Sunday Night on the FREE
photo by anna leach

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Ben Meyercords Live Picks Weekend Edtion March 6th - March 9th

Lordy Lordy are there a lot of shows in the next four days. So many that it is slightly painful to me think about. And even more irritating to write about. But alas, I love it. I love shows and going to them and knowing about them and writing about them. So here are those shows I mention earlier:

Thursday, March 6th

We got a couple of local CD release shows today and then some.

• Music Millennium used to have a bunch of in-stores at the NW location, but that location has gone the way of Ozone Records (no longer open). Luckily for all of us on this side of the river, the East side location has picked up the slack. Today they will host a FREE in-store performance by Weinland at 6 PM. I like Wienland and if you like any kind of Americana, you might like them too. Badman Recording Co. liked then so much that they are putting out the bands newest album La Lamentor.
• This will leave you plenty of time to head over to Holocene for another CD release show. This time for Panther who is releasing 14 KT on the Kill Rock Stars label very soon. Sharing the bill are one of my favorites Parenthetical Girls with Mattress rounding out the show. This show is $8. The doors are at 9 PM.
• Or you could go to Kelly's Olympian to see a three tiered local show made up of Chores, Swallows, and Deer or The Doe. Looks like it would be fun to see. The cost of the show is $3. The doors are at 9 PM.

Friday, March 7th

When I was talking about all of the shows, I was specifically referencing Friday. Check out the seven shows I want to go to:

• Berbati's Pan has seen better days, but they will occasionally have a show that I want to see. Friday night is one of those nights. Little Beirut(not related to the regular Beirut), play a show with Derby and Lael Alderman. Basically, last week local cut had one of Little Beirut's songs as a cut of the day. It sounded awesome. Kinda like older Cursive. This is theit CD release show. It costs $7 at the door. The show starts at 9 PM.
• The usually pricey Crystal Ballroom occasionally (with the help of KNRK Alternative Portland 94.7 FM) will have shows for $9.47. They are having on such show on Friday featuring Helio Sequence, The Shaky Hands, and Pseudosix. It is part of the "I Saw Them When" series. So agian $9.47. The music starts at 9PM (doors are at 8 PM).
• Also downtown, Someday Lounge is having an incredible show. Xiu Xiu and Thao & The Get Down Stay Down are playing with CIMTB favorite Dragging an Ox Through Water. Up until recently I have decided to not like Xiu Xiu. I listened to his most recent album, Women as Lovers, and can no longer deny that Xiu Xiu is awesome. It should be amazing.
• In the NW you got The Wherewithals playing with Jared Mees and The Morals at Slabtown. This is a CD release show for The Wherewithals. But threason I mention thos show is because I really like The Morals. Both for their song writing and endlessly entertaining live and sloppy live shows.
• Or, if you like Neil Young (who doesn't?), you could head on over to the Mississippi Studios to catch the Neil Young Tribute show. It features Dolorean, Matt Sheehy, and Mbilly. It should be good times. The show is FREE. The music starts at 8 PM.
• And also, just because I Know Goldie would hate it if I didn't mention it, Black Elk plays tonight at Tonic Lounge. Drunken Ladies and Pacific Ballistic are also playing the show.

Saturday, March 8th

There are some good shows going on this Saturday. These are them:

• Westfold is playing a show with The Taxpayers at The Twilight Room. Westfold is such a good band. The show is FREE so there is no excuse for you not to go. Show starts at 9 PM.
  
• Rotture has a show featuring Extra Life, The Dead Science, Parenthetical Girls, and Dirty Mittens. I really like the Parenthetical Girls I have heard of these other bands but I am not too familiar with their music. The show costs $7. The show starts at 9 PM.
• Also you could go over to The Waypost you can catch Modernstate, Super XX Man, and AAN play for FREE. This show starts at 8 PM.
• Or you could go to a house show in at 5115 NE 36th (between Alberta and Killingsworth). The bands and there corresponding times are as follows: prime meridian 9:30-10pm
  chip brokah/colin jones 9:00-9:30
  a. singley & pants machine 8:30-9pm
  sleepyhead 8:00-8:30
  quiet countries 7:30-8pm
  william holley 7:00-7:30 This looks like a good mix of hip hop, indie-pop, post rock, and other. This is at David's house. Have fun. ps I think Prime Meridian sound pretty sweet (based on their myspace).
  

Sunday, March 9th

I could only find one show on Sunday, but it looks like a good one:

• Mississippi Pizza is having Shoeshine Blue, Leonard Mynx, Audie Darling, and Autopilot is for Lovers. All of these bands are good. I saw the lead singer of Shoeshine Blue last Sunday and was pretty Impressed. The show is probably FREE. It all starts at 9 PM.

So I hope to see you at some of these shows. And as always, if you see me, come say hello.

-Ben


Weinland Play a FREE instore on Thursday at Music Millennium.

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Ben Meyercord's live music picks for Dec. 31st to Jan.6th

So I am back in Portland. Man if feels good to be back. I have am no longer stuck at home waiting for something to do. Let me assure all of you people of Portland, you live in city where things happen. And speaking of things happening, this is how the show situation is looking for this week.

Monday, December 31st

Holy crap! It is the last day of the year and I am sure there will be a ton of parties or get-togethers that you have already committed to, but there are a couple of good shows happening too.

• The Wu Tang Clan is playing! Crazy. I know this is a Portland-centric blog, so let me tie our city in. All of the openers are Portland people. Cool Nutz besides having a bad ass name is reported to be the ambassador of NW hip hop so it is only fitting that he should warm up the stage for the WU. There are the Sandpeople. I checked them out this summer at PDX Pop Now! It was good times if you like hip hop. Then there is the Grant High School graduate Lilla D Mone (D Mone is supposedly a nod to D'Angelo and Nina Simone) who will grace the stage with her mix of modern R&B and Hip Hop. But for real, the Wu Tang Clan a'n't nuttin to fuck with. This may or may not be sold out at the Roseland. I think tickets were going for $40. Doors at 8pm.
• In Old Town there will be 4 venues having simultaneous entertainment. The event is called Old Town Get Down. You may choose to go to each venue individual for $10 like a chump, or you can buy a pass to get you into all the venues for $20 -$25. I personally would only go to the Someday Lounge. Panther, and Copy are playing there and they always put on a fun live show. Satyricon, as per usual, will have a ton of bands that I have never heard (such as Massive Meat Split and Embrace the Kill); Backspace is hosting the music of, among others, Gepetto whose myspace headline colorfully suggests that you, "eat shit and die"; and Ground Control has The Beauty playing a set and several DJs. I believe that all doors are at 8pm with music starting at approximately whenever.
  

Tuesday, January 1st

You will be tired. I know. Luckily there is not that much going on tonight so you can either take it easy or check out these shows:

• The Incubator at the Someday Lounge will be in full effect hosted by Gabriel Darling. You can do whatever for twenty minutes. The possibilities abound. The music is free and starts at 9PM lasting until midnight.
  
• Or you can play two to three songs among other very talented people at Zilla Sake hosted by the lovely Y La Bamba.
• Or you can just observe as the Ash Street Saloon offers up a "mixed social". The website says it will happen every Tuesday and it looks to be free. The The Righteous and Harmonious Fists will be playing along with Orem(the sink) and Critical. It is free so you might as well check it out. Music at 9:15PM.

Wednesday, January 2nd

Believe it or not, I don't know of anything going on for Wednesday. If I am wrong, feel free to comment on the blog and I will add your suggestion. If not get some well earned rest.

Thursday, January 3rd

Here are a couple of shows that are taking place that I wouldn't mind seeing:

• The Ash Street Saloon offer a line up of Lasers All the Time, Ferocious Eagle, Newspapers , and Old Money. I have heard of Ferocious Eagle and Newspapers before, both in a positive light as I recall. At a $5 admission, I think it is worth checking out. Music at 9:30PM.
• Or you could heard over to the Someday Lounge see Green Pajamas, The Soft Tags, and The Brother Egg do their indie-pop thing. $5 admission. Music at 9PM.
• At The Doug Fir Lounge, Day of Lions is playing a show with local favorite (though not my favorite) Boy Eats Drum Machine, and Seattle band Siberian. $8 day of the show. Music starts at 9PM.
  

Friday, January 4th

There are three really good show today. Your decision will be tough. So here are you options:

• Okay. I will be completely honest with you . I am playing a show as Meyercord on this day. It would be awesome if you came. I will be opening for the somewhat jazzy The Murder Trio and the wonderful music of Y La Bamba. The show is to take place at The Chaos Cafe (donations are aprrecitated). Music at 7:30PM
• The Doug Fir Lounge will be having Weinland play along with James Low, and Mike Coykendall. These are all fine musicians/bands in the local roots rock vein. Admission is $7. Music at 9PM.
• Over at The Mississippi Studios, Richie Young (of Loch Lommond) will be playing a set in between Leviethan and IOA (drummer of Point Juncture, WA). The show is part of Mississippi Studios' Free First Friday series. As indicated it will be free. Music starts at 10PM.

Saturday, January 5th

Again some hard decisions to make

• The Someday Lounge will be hosting a benefit show for "Vida para todos" (life for all), a community Music and Arts center in Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic. I only know of one of the bands playing, Please Step Out Of The Vehicle. Drew slum,Toiletooth, and Plank Scale will also be playing. There is a sliding scale cover of $5-10. Music at 9PM.
• Some how, a Portland music festival almost slipped under my radar and will be taking place this weekend. It is called Children of The Revolution 3. I am assuming that this is the third one of these festivals. It is happening at AudioCinema over the course of two days. Saturday features: Fleshtone, Panther, Tara Jane O'Neal, LKN, Starfucker, Chrome Wings, Dragging an Ox Through Water, Worms, Matress, and Death Songs. I believe the price is somewhere between $10 and $15. The music starts at 2PM.
  
• Plus Horse Feathers will be performing twice at The Mississippi Studios. The first show will have MBilly opening and the second show will have The Botticellis open. The first show is $10 at 7PM. The second show is $12 at 10PM.
  

Sunday, January 6th

There is no day of rest for a music fan (except this Wednesday). So here are the shows that I think might be worth checking out. I make no guarantees, but I think they will fun.

• The Ash Street Saloon is having a show of three bands that ride the line between quirky and just plain zany, and one folksy guy. The bands are as follows Late Night Curly, iji, and Math The Band. Iji and Math The Band are touring together (warning these bands are not local), so if you like what you hear there is more incentive in the way of a tour split entitled "Tour de Friends". Also the folksy guy I made allusion to is William Holley. What he has on his myspace page sounds real nice. It will cost you $5. Music starts at 9:30PM.
• Day two of the Children of The Revolution 3 looks to be the noisier of the two day festivities at AudioCinema. If only the fact that Yellow Swans are playing. i saw them at PDX Pop Now! and they were loud. I mean they brought they brought their own sound system in order to be at the very least twice as loud as any other band that played. I stood at the very back of AudioCinema (which is pretty large) and still had to plug my ears (even though they already had ear plugs). The other bands playing are Thrones, SubArachnoid Space, Magick Daggers, Rollerball, Fist Fite, Dagger of the Mind(self proclaimed "bardcore" as in they sing Shakespeare over heavy metal), Rabbits, and Silentist. Again I think that it costs between $10 and $15. Show starts at 2PM.

So I hope everyone has a great new year and I look forward to seeing a whole lot of shows and missing even more of them.

-Ben

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