Y La Bamba is making a new record. We need your help!

Hello Dear Readers,

I wanted to let all of you guys know that Y La Bamba (the band that I play bass and sing in) is going to be recording a new full length album in the coming weeks. I totally feel like I am using this blog for my own gain doing this(because I am), but I wanted to let you know that to help fund the album, we jumped on the Kickstarter bandwagon. As with the other kickstarter campaigns, it's not like you are donating you money to get nothing but graditude in return. We gots all sorts of incentives that you get in return for your money donations. Check our Kickstarter page to see them all. Also check out the video our friend Ben Fee (of the Bar Bar Sessions fame) made for us.

-Ben

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Kid Tyger's Photo/Video Journalism: PDX Pop Now! kick off at City Hall.

This is what it looked like when I first got there.

Seriously. Kind of looks familiar. Y La Bamba had just finished their soundcheck and I believe the drummer had to re-park his vehicle prior to the full set starting, so I decided to roll down the block for a quick beer and some air-conditioning as a brief respite from the heat.

Indeed.

*drinks ipa faster than normally would so as not to miss Y La Bamba*

By the time I rushed back to City Hall Y La Bamba was already playing, but according to a friend I ran into it was only the beginning of their 2nd song of the set. I perched upon the stone railing. That is - stood up on the thing you see both in the first picture of this post as well as the first picture in Goldie's previous post, to get a higher vantage shot of the crowd and possibly a good way to catch the entire stage on video.

Wackenhut wasn't having it.

Seriously, I did not make this up! Q: Where do you work? A: Wackenhut!

This lady in particular Was. Not. Feeling. Me. The feeling was mutual. In retrospect I place some blame on myself. These security people were just trying to do their job and get through a day of work without any hassles like everybody else. I am usually a very peaceful and understanding person although I sometimes have beef with authority figures that use their position of power to enforce, in my humble opinion, meaningless rules. That kind of sounds like a weird Facebook quiz result, "You are usually a peaceful and understanding person, although you sometimes have beef with authority figures that use their position of power to enforce, in your humble opinion, meaningless rules." Whatever though, I've since learned from my younger days that the judicial branch of government doesn't quite see eye to eye with me on that. So my older wiser self said, you got to get. That. Dirt off your shoulder. Take a walk around the block, cool off, and make sure you don't miss getting some Y La Bamba video footage. And luckily I didn't.

Kinda bummed I missed more of the set than I wanted to, and wasn't able to get the full band on video. But also glad to get up even closer than I would've otherwise and get what I got. Also for the rest of the night I wasn't as uptight about capturing as much as possible like I usually do. Briefly had a conversation with my boy Michael Mannheimer upon leaving about this. It was too nice of a day and a vibe to stress getting footage at the expense of having a good time. So instead I hung with some homies I hadn't seen in awhile and still managed to get some decent video. Here's a little PJ, WA....



Good friends, or at least good acquaintances with this whole crew from way back. Helped them put out their first EP back in the day and my boy Skyler Norwood is, even though someone I don't see very often these days, a dear dear friend from way back who has helped me and Lucky Madison out in innumerable ways. So, good to catch their set and they seemed pretty tight and a little more "rock" than I'd seen them in the past after recently coming off the tour with the Thermals.

Lastly was YACHT who I was psyched to see, and I think most people there were too. As evidenced by the masses swarming the stage as soon as they appeared. Although, I'm not gonna lie, there was definitely a small but strong contingent of people I talked to who were passive-aggressively dismissing them because of their live set-up including new technology rather than just old school instruments.

To which I officially call bullshit on right here and now. "That's not REAL music". Give me a break. That's what the Sinatra lovers said about Elvis/Beatles. That's what the Baby-Boomers said about Hip-Hop. That's what 80's Satriani-worshipping guitar shop assholes said about The Ramones. That's what the Washington Post says about non-classical music virtuosos. I know from experience that running DI's and dealing with backing tracks live is twice as hard as plugging into amps and just rocking out. But I'll save that diatribe for another time. Particularly since some of the lyrics of this YACHT song I caught on video is as succinct response to the naysayers as any I could have come up with on my own....



"No I won't be your slave. No matter how much I'm paid. Your darkness will catch up with you and you will not escape. No I don't want to fight [wackenhut]. 'Cause you're not worth my time. And you can only put up with so much [stuff] in this life."


Looking forward to the PDX-POP Now Fest next weekend. Holla back surgery.

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PDX-POP @ City Hall

In case you missed it, the PDX-POP kickoff at City Hall was a blast. I'm currently uploading videos and will have a full report posted tomorrow, but in the meantime here are some pictures I took. First the Glisan bus poetry and the rest at the actual event....

Oddly didn't snap any YACHT photos as I was strictly capturing video by the time they came on. So full report tomorrow with video of all three bands. And the full story behind why this security guard was not exactly my best friend.

I can't speak to the "enhut" part, but she was Wack indeed. All in all a great time was had nonetheless. Soon......

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Y La Bamba newz: We are making a record!

Hey folks,

I am just excited to no end that one of the bands I play in, Y La Bamba is recording a record. It is tentatively titled Lupon. We got Chris Funk (of The Decemberists) producing and Mike Anzalone engineering (he did work for The Builders and The Butchers and Oh Captain My Captain). Local Cut recently did a piece on us. There are some pictures by Jason Quigley on that post. But there a lot more at Jason's blog.

-Ben

p.s. there is now a Y La Bamba blog too.


Photo by Jason Quigley

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 31st to April 6th

Dear Readers Sunday Night was awesome. I had such a good time and was so amped that I didn't sleep until 3 AM. Which was fine except that I had to wake up at 6:30 AM. This amount of sleep made it very difficult to concentrate my thoughts most of Monday. Do much so that I did not the post out on time. Sorry. Below is the post including shows on Monday that you may or may not have seen:


Monday, March 31st

This is what is going down:

• The show I would like to see the most is going down at Someday Lounge. We're From Japan! is playing with fellow Zankyo Label-mates You May Die in the Desert (Seattle) and Colt Vista. We're From Japan! has a new album recorded and will be playing songs from it. No word on whether it will be for sale at shows, but I know one way you can find out. The show is $5. The show starts at 9 PM.
• The show that I would consider going to though I generally would never go to the venue is Starfucker and Atole at the Tube. DJ Nate C will also be DJ-ing as well. The Tube is small and crowded, but Star Fucker and Atole are both pretty great. There is a $3 cover. The music starts at 9:30.
• As per usual, Valentine's has a good show lined up. Tonight they will be host to Hornet Leg, Las Artificiales (members of New Bloods and Magic Johnson), and I Copy Your Copy. I know that I have seen the name Hornet Leg before. I know I have seen I Copy Your Copy before. They made cute boy/girl vocals music if I remember correctly. This is a FREE show. The show starts at 9 PM.
  
• There is also a free Bluegrass show at The World Famous Kenton Club featuring Podunk. This show is at 8 PM.

Tuesday, April 1st

I know that most of you will be at 311 at the Roseland but...

• There is the Tuesday open mic at Zilla Sake. This is hosted by the very talented Y La Bamba. The music starts at 8 PM.
• Someday Lounge is also having an open stage event on Tuesday as well. There biweekly event, The Incubator, hosted by CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling.
• A lot of people seem to like Little Wings. You can decide if you like them by going to Mississippi Studios. They are sharing the stage with Lee Baggett and some mysterious "special guests". There is a $8-$10 cover. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Just down the street and a few hours earlier, you can see Gregory Miles Harris , Matthew Gilligan, and Tony Suitcase play at Mississippi Pizza. They all play quirky pop songs. Gregory will have the distinguished honor of opening for Daniel Johnston when he plays in town next month. The show is ALL AGES and FREE. The music starts at 6 PM.
  
• If you are inSE, you could stop by the Chaos Cafe for what will probably a night of blues and bluegrass influenced song. Ali Ippolito, Jay Cobb, Mimi Naja, and Fruition are all playing. It is FREE and ALL ages. Plus Chaos has a delicious menu. Show starts at 8 PM.

Wednesday, April 2nd

I am going to list four shows. They are all very good. Which ever you choose, you can't go wrong.

• One show I have been very excited about since I first saw it listed about a month ago. Loch Lomond is headling a show featuring some of my favorite newer musical discoveries The Ruby Suns and Le Loup at Holocene. The Ruby Suns (New Zealand) just put out a record on Subpop. Le Loup (D.C.) put out a record last year on Subpop sub label Hardly Art. I really love both of these records. And it is really great to see Loch Lomond headline such a good lineup as I really like them as well. I am really excited. Can you tell? The show is $7. The doors are at 9 PM.
• One of the other good show with good people is happening at Chaos Cafe. Alix Sun, Like Deities, and Y La Bamba will be playing music (probably with each other and separately). I am sure that it will be good. I am also sure that it is FREE. The show gets under ay at 8 PM.
• Someday Lounge looks like it has a very interesting show in Wednesday as well. It is the CD release for Colin Jones. Check out the description form the Someday Lounge webstite: This is the release show for Colin Jones' Dancebook Vol.2 (CD & book). Colin Jones is best known as the rapper for Portland based hip hop duo Brokaw, but he broke out of the hip hop realm last spring with his debut solo release Dancebook Vol. 1 on Diss Company Records. More electro / dance / pop than hip hop, the Dancebook series continuesnow with 9 new songs, 2 new videos and a full color storybook created by Colin and a few close friends. Like volume 1, Colin Jones' Dancebook Vol 2 is a limited run of 100 copies. The live set currently features Armatronix on effects,backing vocals and hype duties. Expect a loud and energetic multimedia and multi-genre show. Sounds cool, right? Plus Paperbacks (Ryan of Starfucker), Guidance Counselor, Sixteen Switches, and Staley play. All of this for $6. The doors are at 9 PM.
  
• The Artistery is having a cool show too. This one involves Evangelista, on tour, and Ghost to Falco. I think Ghost to Flaco makes very interesting and cool music. Evangeslista , does the same. There for this should be an interesting and cool show, right? The lead singer for Evangelista is Carla Bozulich (of Thee Geraldine Fibbers), who I saw put on quite a show with A Silver Mount Zion a while back. The cover for this show is $6. The doors are at 7 PM.

Thursday, April 3rd

Some interesting things are happening of Thursday:

• The Doug Fir is putting on a show featuring Holcombe Waller & The Healers and The Golden Bears. Holcombe Waller and co. are known to be very dramatic. Like he is working on on putting on a touring theater show sort of dramatic. It is also the CD release show for the Golden Bears. Plus out of town folkster Tom Brosseau will be playing some songs. The show has a $10 cover. The music starts at 9 PM.
• The Towne Lounge has a line up full of local fun. Check out Tenslon Fort, Timecat, Laz-D, and New Finesse. I basically don't know much about any of these bands but I enjoyed the ad that New Finesse put here. The show is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• E*Rock will be DJing at Tiga as part of an art reception for Charlie Salas-Humara of Panther fame. This event is FREE.
• Backspace is having a show on Thursday too. They are having the indie-pop of Swallows, Kusikia (Tacoma), and Chores. It should be fun. It cost $5. It is ALL AGES and starts at 9PM.
• There is also a show happening at Dekum Manor. Love Menu will be playing with June Madrona (Olympia), and Purrbot. The show probably is on a donation basis for the Touring band. The show starts at 8 PM.

Friday, April 4th

There are several very good shows tonight:

• First thing you can do is tune into KPSU at 1450 AM on you radio or online here. You see, The Morals are playing on the radio for your listening pleasure. Do this between the hours of 6 PM and 7 PM. It is good, and FREE, times.
• Why stop the free times there? You shouldn't. You can go to Chaos Cafe and see one of the best live bands in Portland, Westfold, play. They are sharing the bill with Hughdowner, and Ah Holly Fam'ly. This FREE show starts at 9 PM.
• One of my favorite new non-Portland area bands, Pattern is Movement, is coming and playing Friday night at The Know. Local William Holley, also very good, is opening. Pattern is Movement make catchy kinda mathy pop songs, while William Holley does a Will Oldham-esque thing. There is no indication of whether there is a cover. I think the show starts at 8 PM.
• Mississippi Studios is having a show with The Old Believers, and Shane Tutmarc & The Traveling Mercies. This should be a good and folky night of music. The cover is $8-$10. The show starts at 7 PM.
• Kelly's Olympian has started getting decent shows lately. Friday night they have The Brilliant Channel, Eux Autres, and The Village Green. It would be well worth your cover (though it is not listed anywhere). The show is scheduled to last from 6 PM to 10 PM. We shall see about that.
• At the Doug Fir, that show that happened at The Artistery on Wednesday, Evangelista and Ghost to Falco, is playing at a bigger venue. Also American Music Club is playing. The cover is $12. The show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, April 5th

Saturday is the night of a thousand shows (several of them kick ass):

• The Towne Lounge is having The Morals play on Saturday, just in case you missed them on KPSU the day before (or if you caught them and wanted to see what you were hearing). They are playing with The Rainy States and At The Spine. But there special thing about this show is the super secret guest. I am told that the guest is "big" and very "relevant". I am going to try to make this show. The cover is but $5. The music starts at 9 :30 PM.
• Exit Only, the newest all ages venue, is having a show featuring Southern Belle, Pegasus, Bodhi, and Transformers Kick Your Kids. I have heard many good things about Southern Belle, and I really enjoy the name Transformers Kick Your Kids, so this should be a pretty solid show. This ALL AGES show is FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Wait, I made a mistake. The Coop (3535 N Lombard: formerly Brainstains) is the newest ALL AGES venue. As Saturday marks the first show under the new management. The Taxpayers, Atomic Butter Babies, The Hand That Bleeds, Tibetan Beef Garden, and Monster Sized Monsters are providing the music for the evening. This is also the kick off show for The Taxpayers/Atomic Butter Babies tour. There is a $2-$5 cover for this ALL AGES show. If starts at 7 PM.
• The Artistery has a show with out of towners (who seem to have been in town quite a few times) Lake. Their friends P.E.T.S. (no idea what it stands for) are opening along with the local outfit Upsidedown cat. I really like the sounds of Lake. The show costs $6. The ALL AGES show doors are at 7 PM.
• Castle Grayskull (11 SE 19th), I believe is a house/venue. They are putting on a show featuring Almost Nearly, Craig Salt Peters, Shelby Sifers, Blanket Truth, and a special acoustic performance by Ghosties. The cover of the show is $. The ALL AGES show gets started at 5 PM.
  
• The Doug Fir is having a super fun local line up on Saturday with the likes of Starfucker, Dat'r, and Dykeritz. The show is only $7. The music starts at 9 PM.
• Kelly's Olympian is having Newspapers, Leonard Mynx, Old Money, and Jared Mees & The Grown Children play. The shows at Kelly's are usually $5. The music starts at 10 PM.
• Produce Row is having Barons in Trees playing a show on Saturday too. I have not seen them, but I have a feeling that they are good. This is a FREE show. It all begins at 9 PM.

Sunday, April 6th

I only have one show listed for today:

• It is at Valentine's and it has Fruitface, Gulls, Strategy, American Haircut, and DJ Pete Swanson (half of Yellow Swans). It will be so awesome if your into that sort of thing (good music).

So Sorry for te delay. Have a good week. And if you see me at any of these shows, say hi.

-Ben


Loch Lomond plays Holocene on Wednesday wit Le Loup and The Ruby Sons
Photo from their myspace page

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 24-30

Hey everybody,

Did you have a good weekend? So did I. Shows everynight. But then again, there are always shows everynight, which is why I do this crazy blog-post-thing. Check out the Awesome for this week:

Monday, March 24th

Okay, I might have gotten a little ahead of myself. There aren't any local shows that I can fully recommend. Not that all the local shows are bad for Monday, its just that I don't know them. So maybe you can check out Jens Lekman at Berbatis. Or better yet The Phosphorescent, Bon Iver, and White Hinterland show at Holocene. That show has a person who used to live in Portland, White Hinterland (She has cd out on local label Hush under her birth name, Casey Dienel). Anyways:

• You can usually count on good music to be seen at Valentine's on Monday nights. This evening they will have Noel and Rush-N-Disco do their thing. I just checked out Noels thing. It is lo-fi goofy white boy rap. Rush-N-Disco do something pretty unique in that they reenact clips of tv shows etc... from their child hood (it is kind of like performance art, kind of). You can see you tube videos of them on their myspace page. Did I mention they are brother and sister. Well, they are. This show is FREE and starts sometime after 9 PM.

Tuesday, March 25th

There are some shows going down. This is the info:

• The big show tonight is the band that just got huge over the past year, Vampire Weekend(NY). What makes this show special is that Portland's own Yacht is opening and set to tour opening up for the band on several dates. Who knows, he may be the next Vampire Weekend. Maybe hes already huge and I don't know it. Its so hard to tell who if a local musicians are big unless they are on MTV and add members from The Smiths to their line up. Anyways, this show is at Doug Fir. It costs $12 and chances are that it will sell out. If you want to go buy your ticket now. The music starts at 9 PM.
• You also got a sweet show at Mississippi Studios on Tuesday. Musee Mecanique will be opening for These United States (D.C.). Musee Mecanique is awesome and about to go on tour until May so catch them now while you can. The show is $8-$10. The music starts at 10 PM.
• Or there is always good times at the Zilla Sake open mic held every Tuesday. It is hosted by the very talented Y La Bamba. This is FREE. The music starts at 8 PM.

Wednesday, March 26th

Due to a bandmate going out of town, I am free to do whatever I want on Wednesday. I will not be attending the I am think maybe one or two of the following:

• The first thing listed for Wednesday is not actually a show you can see, but you can hear it. I know this sounds lame, but check it out. You also don't have to pay for it either. So it kind of evens out. I am of course babbling about Y La Bamba playing on KPSU Portland State University's radio station. I think that there is also a interview taking place so it should be pretty interesting. You can listen on 1450 AM or online at the above link. Things get started at 6 PM sharp.
  
• If you are in the 'Couve there is a show taking place at Pistols Skate Shop (2305 E 5 St, Vancouver, WA) . If you want to watch Lewd Acts (CA), I quit, Brain Eaters, and Building Failure, then get a Lincoln ready (that is $5) and stop by around 7 PM. It is an ALL AGES punk/hardcore show.
• If you want to go to a underage punk show in Portland, then hows about checking out the new ALL AGES venue in North Portland called Exit Only. Altlases, Batman Vs. Predator (CA), and Tyrants will be playing. I know nothing about these bands but with a name like Batman Vs. Predator how could you possibly go wrong. The show might cost money? Show starts at 8 PM.
• Perhaps you don't want to go to North Portland (its okay, I understand). Maybe you should check out Towne Lounge. Trespassers William (Seattle) is playing a bill with Tractor Operator, and The Coast (Toronto). Its all good stuff. This one will only cost you $6. The Music starts at 9 :30 PM.
• Or if you are in the SE, by all means check out Rotture. They are having The Beauty, Brother Sister, Megadome, and Pipedream play. Four bands, $6; not bad. The music starts some time after 9 PM.

Thursday, March 27th

This is whats up with Thursday:

• David Evan and his New Band (awesome band) are playing with Raised by Television, Betacrack, CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling and special Guests (Myrhh?) at Kelly's Olympian. How can you make this awesome show more awesome? How about charging $3 thanks to PRA. Ridiculous, I know. The show starts at 9 PM.
• Or go to Holocene where Love Menu will play with The Maybe Happening, Church, and Paper Brain. I really like Church (a sentence I never thought I would type). Anyways, the show will cost a little more than the David Evan show, but just barely at $4. The doors are at 9 PM.
• Or if $3 to $4 is too much for your wallet, then I suggest you check out the Kenton Club on Thursday. There is a FREE Drats!!! and Cicada Omega show. The show starts at 9 PM.

Friday, March 28th

You can go see Jose Gonzales play at the Aladdin or you can go see Bruce Springsteen at the Rose Garden Arena for like A Gazillion dollars ($100), but I think that maybe you're probably more into local stuff:

• Slabtown is having a show consisting of The Slow Poisoner, The Department of Motor Vehicles, Andy Combs and the Moth, and Here Comes a Big Black Cloud. I have seen Andy Combs and the Moth and Here Comes a Big Black Cloud. Both are super fun to see live. The show is only $5. It starts at 9 PM.
• Or you can go to the Towne Lounge and see Newspapers, The Attachments (CA), and Lasers All the Time. Lasers All the Time are releasing an ep. The other bands are super poppy on a good way. The show is $5 at the door. The music starts at 9:30 PM.
• Or you could go see one of my favorite Portland bands, Weinland, at Mississippi Studios. Telegraph Canyon (TX) opens the show. Weinland put together really well arranged Americana tunes. Well worth seeing. The show costs $10-$12. The show starts at 10 PM.

Saturday, March 29th

There are shows and then there are SHOWS:

• The SHOW in I was referencing above is at the Ivy House (117 Ne Ivy St, Portland, OR) and it is all day ordeal. It is also a benefit for SMYRL (sex​​ual​​ minority you​​th resource center). You can read about it at A Modern Woman on the Move here. It will feature the music of The Vonneguts, The Taxpayers, Hey Tiger, Hugh Downer, and more. It will also be an art opening and a Risk Tournament. There a requested donation of $5-$10. The thing will last 2 PM to Midnight.
  
• You could probably see some of the benefit and then check out other things like Sudden Anthem and Beliss (featuring sometime members of Pink Martini). They are playing at Chaos Cafe. This means is ALL AGES and FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• Or you could go to The Waypost to hear Leonard Mynx, Shoeshine Blue, and Julie Rose play a set. Why not? Its FREE. The show starts at 8 PM.
• But then again you could always head over to East End and catch Birds of Avalon (N.C.), Old Growth, and Hungry Ghosts play. That is if you like rock. This show has a cover.

Sunday, March 30th

This Sunday is all about FREE and awesome music:

• Okay, I will be the first to admit that I am being biased, but I thing that the show at Towne Lounge on Sunday is the "show of the week". It is the WWeek sponsored Lounge Series XVIII. It will feature Meyercord, Per Se, and Laura Gibson. There will be three individual interviews and performances of all of the artists which will later be podcast via localcut. I cannot tell you how excited I am to play with these ladies. And its FREE. The event starts at 9:30 PM sharp.
• The other FREE show is really good too. It goes down at Valentine's and features Jeff Brown (of The Evolutionary Jass Band), Plankton Wat, and Bob Jones. FREE! This starts at 9 PM.

So there you have it many shows for many nights. As always, say hi to me if you see me at any of these shows. Have a great week.

-Ben


Laura Gibson plays for FREE at Towne Lounge on Sunday
photo by Jason Quigley

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music Picks for March 17-23

Hey folks,

A lot of good shows are happening this week. For real. Check it out:

Monday, March 17th

Its Saint Patrick's Day. You will probably be drinking green beer (I'm going to try and find some green root beer) and that will be that. But if you want some music check these places out:

• Holocene is having two non local bands play, Beach House and Papercuts. I am super stoked to see both of them. I am really excited that local band, Au, is opening though. First of all it will be good exposure to local talent. Second of all I get to list this show for the blog. And third, and probably most important of all, Au is really cool. Everyone wins! The Show is $10 at the door. The doors open at 9 PM.
  
• Of course Valentines has some fresh Portland talent to expose you to as well. This time it is in the form of Sabertooth, recent signees to locally based Arena Rock Recording Company label,Tractor Operator and Split Rail Fense. The show is FREE. It will begin sometime after 9 PM.

Tuesday, March 18th

You have options. Many many options.

• Usually I personally head straight to Zilla Sake on Tuesday and I call it a night. They have a brillant Open Mic hosted by the brilliant Y La Bamba. It starts at 8 PM.
• There is also the open stage event called The Incubator at Someday Lounge hosted by CIMTB contributor Gabriel Darling. This FREE event usually starts around 9 PM.
• But there are actually some shows that are happening on Tuesday. Like at Valentines who is having four bands who you probably have never heard of playing for free. The great thing about the shows at Valentines is that even though you have never heard of the bands you usually leave thinking "Why have I ever heard of ____. They are so good." Tonight Everybody, JP Jenkins Sean Ongely, Alas Alak Alaska, and Whitman will be playing sets. The show is, again, FREE. The music will start sometime after 9 PM.
  
• Or you could go to the Doug Fir who is hosting an all local bill celebrating the release of the new Day of Lions record, "Come Down From the Mountain", out on Yucon Records. They will be playing with Eskimo & Sons, who I have wanted to see for a while, and Dolorean, always a good show. The show cost $7. The show starts promptly at 9 PM.
• Holocene has some local bands, System and Station and The Rainy States, opening up for the former Dismemberment Plan singer Travis Morrison. Travis solo is no D Plan show, but one never knows what can happen at a System and Station show. The show is $8. The music will start sometime after 9 PM.

Wednesday, March 19

A couple things are cooking on Wednesday. Like this:

• At Moxies Soda Shop, made famous by We're From Japan!, is having another show for those of you in the Vancouver area. This time around you got two Portland bands on tour, Whitman and Alas Alak Alaska along with three bands from the 'Couve: The Shivas, Raw Tofu and Talking Backwards. The show is a low $5. Things get started at 6:30 ALL AGES.
  
• Someday Lounge has something interesting happening as well. Check this out straight from the Someday web page: An All-Arts Extravaganza/CD Release Party for: BARONS IN TREES, feat. LESLIE KERNOCHAN of vagabond opera, vaudevillian clown JUSTIN ROSE, painter SEAN SAMUEL KELLY, film artist LUKE NORBY of the Video Girl Friday, and incendiary dancer Amy Hatfield —9pm, Barons in Trees invites local artists to perform their artwork as a response to the Barons' music while video captures the collaboration and projects it for the audience in real time. Sounds pretty cool to me. The show costs $7. The doors are at 9 PM.
  

Thursday, March 20th

Its pay day. Do you want to celebrate by going to a show? Heres what is happening:

• There are early shows. One of the early shows is at Mississippi Studios. This being Point Juncture, WA opening for some band called El Olio Wolof (looks like they will be playing a few shows with Nick Jaina in CA). Looks like it will be a pretty cool show. The thing will cost you $8-$10. It starts at 8 PM.
• The other early show is going down at The Know. It is loud rawk from A Gatherin' Storm and, assuming this is the right band, the electro rawk of A Pack of wolves. The show is FREE and starts at 8 PM.

Friday, March 21st

It is the day after payday! Want to continue the celebration? I mean I guess you could see Grand Archives at Dante's, but that wouldn't local. Here is what is happening in the way of local shows:

• You can save some of that hard earned cash, by attending CD Baby's 10th anniversary show at the East End with AristeiA and Seti. This is awesome because it is a) FREE, b) AristeiA makes its official comeback show, and c) you can celebrate a company that helps all sorts of independent musicians release their records on good terms without the aid of a record label. Yay! And seriously, AristeiA is awesome. FREE. The show will start sometime after 9 PM.
• There is also a really cool event happening at Audiocinema. It is being billed, "The Church of The New Mustachio". It features short films by the sketch comedy collective know only as Los Mustachios. It will also feature "Hymns" or music by The Taxpayers, Raised by Television, and Autopilot is for Lovers. This too is FREE. And it is ALL AGES, so it starts at 7 PM.
• The Hush (the place you always hear about above the Tube at 14th NW 3rd) is having a show on Friday as well. They are having Church, Museum, Almost Nearly, and Electric Blanket (I am unsure if this is the right band link). I have only seen Church, but they were really good. The show did not have any cover listed. But it did say that it is ALL AGES and starts at 8 PM.
• The Twilight Cafe and Bar is having a show featuring Here Comes a Big Black Cloud an experience to behold. They are playing with Purple Rhinestone Eagle, Reptilian Civilian, and The Taxpayers (they have a busy night). The show is FREE. It starts at 9 PM.
• The Someday Lounge is also having a show that has Portland Bands. The Velvet Teen is playing a show with Crosstide (Portland), Aloha (Awesome), and Carcrashlander (Portland and Awesome). It is worth it to see Aloha and Carcrashlander alone. Plus I have heard good things about The Velvet Teen. The show is $8 in advance and $10 at the door. The show starts at 9 PM.

Saturday, March 22nd

There are some shows, on Saturday. All kinds of shows. For instance:

• Berbati's Pan is hosting a heavy music festival , March into Darkness, all weekend. Saturday is day two and the only one I am interested in. I am not going to lie, this is not the sort of show I normally attend, but I will be there. Local band Agalloch, whom I have never heard of before, is headlining. The reason I am going is Red Sparrows and Russian Circles. Both excellent bands that make heavy music enjoyable for people who people who might not like usually enjoy heavy music. Grayceon from San Fran will also play. The show will cost $10 in Advance, $14 at the door, or you can buy $25 for a three day pass for the whole festival. The doors are at 8 PM.
• The funny thing is, on the other end of the spectrum is, the show I would normally go to is the Headlights, and Evangelicals show at The Towne Lounge with local act Southerly headlining the night. It is some pretty poppy stuff (Headlights at least). This show is $6 at the door. The music starts at 9:30.
• But back to the not as poppy stuff, over at Slabtown the band Air War is playing a show with Microtia, and Childlike Empress. From what I remember all are kinda heavy. I really like how Air War describes themselves.
• Perhaps a house show is what you crave? The line up at Dekum Manor is pretty good on Saturday. You have Reporter, Fist Fite, Thunder! Thunder! Thunder!, and World's Greatest Ghosts. This is a super fun place to see a show. This is a FREE show (there might be donations?) and it is ALL AGES. It all starts at 8 PM.
• Hot shows not your thing, how about hockey rinks? Head out to the Mt. Hood Sports Arena for the "Protect Our Precious Fluids 150 Minute Festival". The poster boasts a light show and "films?". The Hand That Bleeds and Party Killer are set to play. I have been wondering if Party Killer is a band or not I kept seeing their sticker everywhere. The event will cost you $5. It is ALL AGES and starts at 5 PM.
• Or you could just go to a solid three local band bill featuring Ferocious Eagle, Reverse Dotty and the Candy Cane Shivs, and Junkface at the Tonic Lounge. This show is $5. The music starts at 9:30 PM.

Sunday, March 23rd

I only saw one show. Please comment if there is a show that you think I missed.

• The Artistery is having some folks visit from Olympia to open for local act Kelli Schaefer. Specifically they are having Polka Dot Dot Dot and Ben Kamen. I have wanted to see Polk Dot Dot Dot since I first heard them many moons ago. This show costs $6. The show is ALL AGES Doors are at 7:30 PM; the music starts at 8 PM.

So please go out and support your local musicians. And as always, come say hi to me if you see me at any of these fine shows.

-Ben


Point Juncture, WA plays Mississippi Studios on Thursday.
Photo from their myspace page

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Ben Meyercord's Live Music picks for March 10-16

So my bi-weekly version was met with only one response, so I will give the reader what she wants. One full week of local shows coming right up:

Monday, March 10th

There are a couple of freebies that are going down tonight. Why don't you check them out?

• Valentine's is having Graves playing with Lake (Olympia), and Swimming. Graves is good easy listening/indie-pop. So come by and get your breezy groove on. I have seen Lake play with the Graves before and they were better than good. The show is FREE. The show is set to begin at 9 PM.
• The Hippodrome Circus Arts Center (yeah, you heard me) is having a show featuring the music of Glass Candy, DJ Beyonda, Caves, E*Rock, and Reggie Watts. I am very curious about this venue. I am unsure if any circus stuff will be going down. The show is to benefit the Tap Project, the UN sponsored effort for world wide clean drinking water. You can read what PDX Food Press wrote about the event here. It is FREE (not sure how it benefits at this price but oh, well). It starts at starts at 9 PM.

Tuesday, March 11th

Looks like you got some options for Tuesday. Look:

• You always have the option of checking out the open mic at Zilla Sake. It happens every Tuesday and is usually hosted by Y La Bamba, but...
• It is Y La Bamba's Birthday! She is having a little get together at her place. Music perhaps? Contact her via myspace for more details.
• The Tonic Lounge is having a show featuring The Days, Pacific Ocean Fire (UK), and The Morals. I know nothing of the two bands that are not The Morals. But I do know I like me some The Morals. The show will probably cost something (my guess would be money). The show probably starts at 9 PM.
• At the Chaos Cafe there are some names that I know I have blogged about before including Ali Wesley, Jack Elder, Leonard Mynx, Audie Darling (no relation to CMITB contributor Gabriel Darling), and Shoeshine Blue. All of the musicians are top friends with each other. This a) made it easier to do all of the links and b) means that this will be a fun show because shows where friends share the bill are the most fun to attend. I think this is all acoustic music related to Folk,Country and Blues. There is a lot of music and it looks to be FREE. The Music starts at 8 PM.
• Rotture is having its reoccurring event that is Joe Preston's Mancampus. Today National Sunday Law(LA) will be playing it along with Nanda Devi. Should be awesome. If you're into this sort of thing. The show costs $6. Music starts at 9 PM.

Wednesday, March 12th

I only got a few to list here:

• If you want to hear good songs and good voices, you should check out the Rotture. Y La Bamba has gathered some friends in Andy Combs and the Moth and Meyercord (Me!). It should be a good night. The price weighs in at $5. The show will get under way at 9 PM.
• Or you could go to Holocene where a bunch of local bands that I have never heard of are playing. These bands are Ley Lines, Air War, and Crook & Nanny. The reason I list this show is because Air War looks like they might be good. The show will be $5. Things will start happening at 9 PM.

Thursday, March 13th

There are quite a few shows to choose from on Thursday.

• At The Tonic Lounge you will a line up very similar to the line up that played Rotture on Tuesday. Face Pilot will be playing with National Sunday Law (LA) and Nanda Devi. This show does not have a listed cover. The show will start at 9:30 PM.
• Doug Fir has one of my favorite Orchestral indie-pop bands The Online Romance playing in between Kieskagato and Newspapers. The Online Romance , highly recommended. The show costs $6. The music starts promptly at 9 PM.
• Or you could go to The Mississippi Studios to catch Run On Sentence play with Death Songs (Shaky Hands side project alert!). I haven't seen either bands but I like what I see from their respective myspace pages. The show will cost $7-$8. The music will start around 8 PM.
• Or if funny and free is your cup of tea. Then check out the Drats!!! playing with Rollerball and Lickity at Holocene. The show is FREE. It begins at 9 PM.
• Or if you want to play Street Fighter II while digging the tunes of some of Portland's finest go check out Ground Kontrol. Pegasus will be playing with The Friendly Skies and Loch Berlin. It only costs $3. The music will start at 9 PM.

Friday, March 14th

There are shows on Friday. Here they are:

• The Know will be hosting Jakob Adler, and Paperbacks. The only reason I am listing this show is because Jakob listed some pretty good influences on his Portland Mercury ad. The show, like most shows at The Know, is FREE. Things start at 8 PM.
• The Tonic Lounge has a show featuring Kleveland, Thee Loyal Bastards, and The Decliners. Basically I like the Country Rawk that is Thee Loyal Bastards (ex- I can lick any Sonofabitch in the House). This will cost an unlisted amount of money (probably cheap). The show begins at 9:30 PM.
• Or you can go to Rererato at 42nd between Sumner and Alberta. Cause they are a great all ages/art/music venue space. On Friday they are having +Cnctd, Moderstate, and The Paper Ballet. There is a suggested donation of $4. The show will start at 8 PM and is ALL AGES.
• Also, remember that Coffee House in Downtown Vancouver that was Blogged about a while back. Yes, The Grind. A friend of mine, Jon Hecox, wrote me to say that he was playing there on Friday. He found out about the venue via this very Blog. Yay! The show is free and starts at 7 PM.
  

Saturday, March 15th

A Couple of shows for a couple if dollars (realistically $5):

• Kelly's Olympian is having The Friendly Skies play on Saturday with The Wagon(San Diego), Boldbird(Tuscon), The Angry Orts, and Post Harbor(Seattle). So, if you missed the Skies on Thursday here is your chance. The show will probably cost $5. With five bands and starting at 10PM, this will be a long night if you choose this route.
• The alternative is to get all dance-like at Someday Lounge where Starfucker is playing with Copy, and DJ Linoleum, and DJ BJ. This also costs $5 and starts at 10 PM.

Sunday, March 16th

There are a grip of show on Sunday:

• Two of the shows are BRO benefit shows. One is at Someday Lounge and has Alan Singley and Pants Machine, Oh Captain My Captain, Swim Swam Swum, The Vonneguts, Palo Verde, and Gregory Miles Harris. The admission price is $7 to $12 depending on how much you love Basic Rights. The Show starts at 7 PM.
  
• The other benefit is at Backspace and features Here Comes a Big Black Cloud, Hey Lover, World's Greatest Ghosts, Sleepyhead, Dirty Mittens, and Almost Nearly. Again, the admission price is $7 to $12 depending on how much you love Basic Rights. The show starts at 7 PM and is ALL AGES.
  
• Valentine's has a show consisting of Ohioan, Sonny Fields and Inside Voices. I usually trust the music that Valentine's books. The show is FREE. Things get started sometime after 9 PM.
• Or Holocene has a ridiculously good show involving Tara Jane O' Neal, Dragging an Ox Through Water, and Dirty Mittens (not sure if they are doing both the BRO benefit and this show).
  

So there you have it. Another long post. Enjoy your shows. And say hi if you see me at one of these.

-Ben


Here Comes a Big Black Cloud plays Backspace on Sunday. ALL AGES to support Basic Rights Oregon.
Photo by At Dusk Greg

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Ben Meyercords Live Music Picks for March 3 - March 5

So, it has been pointed out to me that my weekly live music posts are long. Like Dickens's novel-long. There fore I have decided to cut it in half. Or as much in half as you can cut seven days. I will now list Monday through Wednesday as one post and Thursday though Sunday as another. A weekday edition and a weekend edition, if you will. So with out further ado, here is the Weekday Edition:

Monday, March 3rd

Usually Valentine's has something goin on on Mondays, but their music calender ended on Friday and has not been updated but it might be worth stopping by. But if you want some confirmed shows check these out:

• March Fourth Marching Band is continuing their five year anniversary at the Crystal Ballroom. This will be a dance party. And I don't mean a bunch of hipster kids spazzing out while flailing their arms like crazy. I mean. there probably some of that too/. But I am talking about everyone moving. You will have your modern dancers, hippie swayers, normal people head bobbing, and probably so much more. If the Fourth don't supply enough of a party for you, your dancing needs will be covered by not one but two DJs (DJ Jooro and DJ Globalruckus)Plus Balkan Beat Box will make their first Portland appearance ever. Let me answer your next question. Balkan Beat Box, according to Wikipedia (get ready for a lot of wiki-links), "establish their own unique sound by fusing the musical styles of Jewish, Mediterranean and Balkan traditions as well as the cultural influences of their home turf of New York City with some hints of electronica." All of this for $14. This is ALL AGES, so the doors are at 8 PM.
• Or you could just go to the tube and catch a very hip Portland band, Chromatics, play for FREE. This will go down at 11 PM.

Tuesday, March 4th

Much is happening on Tuesday. Can you handle it?

• March Fourth Marching Band (get it March 4th...March Fourth, ha) wraps up its three day Fifth Year Anniversary at the Crystal Ballroom with Gamelan X, Nanda, and Kazuma. Let me some this show up for you. Marching band, Stilts, Fire breathers, World Dance music, Acrobats, "Kung Fu acro-fighting", and more. It is $14 for this ALL AGES show. The doors are at 8 PM.
• Gabriel Darling has The Incubator back in full effect at Someday Lounge. It is an open stage for you to incubate all sorts of creativity. Worth checking out. This FREE event starts at 9 PM.
• Zilla Sake has an open mic every Tuesday hosted by amazing songstress Y La Bamba. Worth Checking out. The music starts at 8:30.
  
• The Doug Fir is having Tilly and The Wall tap dancing through town on Tuesday. Seriously, they don't have a drummer. Instead they have a super cute lead tap dancer with two other super cute girls who sing and play instruments and will occasionally tap as well (and there is a dude playing guitar). They are on tour with fellow Omaha natives Capgun Coup. You may be asking why I am I listing this show. To that I would say that Team Love label mates and local Portland band, A Weather, is opening (officially making it a local show). The show is $12. The music starts promptly at 9 PM.
• Rotture is hosting a regular event they call "Mancampus". This time around they have Mahjong (Chicago), Alan Singley & Pants Machine, Loose Control, and Old Time Relijun. Looks like a pretty good mixed bag of bands here. All for $7. The music starts at 9 PM.

Wednesday, March 5th

There are several shows today that have a possibility of being good. I will be the first to admit that all of the following shows feature bands whose music I do not know too well. You could call this your Wednesday Night crap shoot of shows:

• The Roseland Grill will be hosting Malbec (LA), Charmparticles, and Adrian H and the Wounds. I have never heard of Malbec, but AristeiA played with Charmparticles they were pretty good. Adrian H and the Wounds played a benefit show with Meyercord about a month back (this doesn't mean much). By going to this show, you stand to loose $8-$10. Show time is at 8 PM.
• Rotture is having a show with Pwrfl Power(Seattle) and Capillary Action(Philly) along with locals We Quit. I have read interesting things about Pwrfl Power and We Quit. I know nothing of Capillary Action. You stand to loose only $7 on this one. Show time is at 9 PM.
• Holocene is having a show featuring Gil Mantera's Party Dream (Ohio) and locals The Fast Computers and Gejius. I like Gejius and know that he puts on a fun show. I know nothing of the other two except that I once saw The Fast Computers name on the Kelly's Olympian Marque and thought to myself, "I have a fast computer". Not enough information to judge a band. So you stand to loose $7.
• Mississippi Pizza is having a show with Dr. Something & The Poppin' Fresh Love Engines (reaching new highs of ridiculous band names) and The Ocean Floor. I feel like I have been meaning to see The Ocean Floor for some time. Anyway, as with most early Mississippi Show it is FREE, ALL AGES and at 6 PM. Not a whole lot to loose.

So even in this shortened version of my live music picks, I seem to have written quite the post. Oh well. Let me know what you think of the new format. And say hello to me if you see me a any of these shows.

-Ben


Dr. Something & The Poppin' Fresh Love Engines playing while dressed as Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem @ the Rererato photo taken directly from their myspace page
They play @ Mississippi Pizza on Wednesday

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