BENEFIT FOR SINCERE BRUTALITY
(Blackbird, 3728 NE Sandy)
The zine biz putting folks into debt? Who'da thunk it? Not for DAMN sure Sincere Brutality's James Squeaky, who's now $2000 in the hole from his first two print issues. This show is one in a series planned to raise cash for James' third ish, including Electric Beer, Other Men My Age, Thee Exile Revenger, and something called "Pantyslope"--who sing songs about their wild and crazy panty raid days back at good old Haaarvard. (I dunno, grasping at straws here.) But, seriously, let's get down to brass tacks: What will YOU get for your admission price? James says he plans to make the next issue a whole lot bigger and include a buttload more interviews. (And if you throw in a couple crisp singles, I'm sure he'll give you a pretty HOTT table dance.) ADAM GNADE
SOLO DOS EN TIJUANA
(Green Room, 2280 NW Thurman)
Tonight Spigot's "Scrapheap Soiree" features the local Solo Dos, which is actually a Venezuelan transplant named Jorge. He lives upstairs in a crooked house, writing billions of gorgeous songs about well, mostly love. Some of them are in Spanish, and he shows off his finger picking amid swarms of dissonance and the occasional dabble of horns. It's not wimpy or sad, but wry and cheerfully alienated. MARJORIE SKINNER
THE DISKORDS
(Meow Meow, 520 SE Pine)
They play unrefined, often obnoxious punk with droning vocals reminiscent of an orbital belt sander. And yet, when was the last time you witnessed 14-year-olds loving their music so much, and rocking as hard as these guys. Love it or hate it, you have to admire the energy behind it; take it or leave it, you will probably get caught up in it, even if you wish you weren't. JUSTIN WESCOAT SANDERS
JUNIORS GANG, THE HUNCHES
(Ash Street, 225 SW Ash)
I saw Juniors Gang once at some bar when they played with a friend's band, Let it Ride. Both bands played one hell of a show--a show filled with emotion and feeling, very reminiscent of an old Elton John or Shirley Bassey concert, but in a punk rock kinda way. And I know it is not polite to talk about a band that is not even on the same bill as this Juniors Gang show at the Ash Street, but I did it anyway. I am a rebel journalist that is willing to push the limits of this stifling business known as Rock Criticism. Yes, I know, that's a pretty bold statement, but it's about time someone screws with the status quo, don't you think. Now that's a good band, Status Quo, their album Piledriver is truly a work of art. CHRIS REED
CANDYE KANE
(Duff's Garage, 1635 SE 7th)
Candaye Cane is the Bob Pollard of blues. See, whereas Pollard's press always dry-humps the "He likes beer, and he used to be a teacher ... who likes beer!" angle, Cane's reviews go bonkers on "She was a plus-size porn star!" Sure, them's some pretty sinsational topics, but I'm gonna go out on a limb here with a new review theme: her horrid music. From Dan Aykroyd-core Chicago blues to 159th generation rockabilly, Cane's gutbucket of American roots music conjures up one lasting image: 40-something white people dancing in pairs. Like, drunk. And in shorts. The horror! AG
FRIDAY 2/14
BIKE PARADE
(starts at Peninsula Park, N Albina & Ainsworth, 2 pm)
It's a Valentine's Day Bike Parade, so line some lawn chairs along the street, or attach some parade-like accoutrement to your bike and join in. JULIANNE SHEPHERD
THE BLUE FLOWERS CD RELEASE, ROY TINSEL, LARRY YES
(Nocturnal, 1800 W Burnside)
Just when you thought Larry Yes was the only boy in the world who could stretch out the silly-putty diction of a single word for an entire chorus, along comes Ivy Greene--who does all that and sings songs about umbrellas, too. Their collaboration, The Blue Flowers, has Portland's flower-power troubadour and his San Franciscan lady-doppelganger making cracked-pepper folk drenched in barefoot sunlight, hydrangeas, and twinkly vocal trills. The CD they release tonight, anhammock, is wrapped in butterfly paper and contains crystal clear, feel good, half-skewed folk of the "omniscient love" type. Definitely not the show to attend if you feel like shoving a jackknife in someone's heart for V-Day--but if you run through wheatfields on a regular basis, the hugs will likely flow like wine. HUGZ! JS
INTERPOL, CALLA
(Berbati's, 231 SW Ankeny)
Although their last show was about as much fun as being punched in the neck (albeit by a very well-dressed NY hipster), Interpol is still the band responsible for Turn on the Bright Lights, which was hands-down the best record to be released all of last year. Throw in the fact that the band is still relatively new and it was their first mass-distributed album, and it's pretty safe to say that Interpol will be around for a very long time. Too bad this show is sold out, and on Valentine's Day to boot. Man, you must feel really unloved for not having tickets. CARMELO MARTINEZ
FETISH MASQUERADE BALL:
(Roseland, NW 6th & Davis)
Get your masques, your fetishes and some balls, and come on down to the Fetish Masquerade Ball! Perhaps you like to sniff feet, yes? Perhaps you can't get it on without a costume made of warm leatherette! Perhaps you are a TOTAL AND UTTER FREAKAZOID!! I don't know you; I won't make judgements, lest I be judged. I will surmise, however, that the best "act" on this bill will undoubtedly be Atlanta, GA's glamazon darlings the Impotent Sea Snakes. Their 2001 effort, Everything in Excess, features gothy handcuff-rock hits like "Let Go O' My Thang," "For The Love of Chains," and "You're My Vampire." Could it get any more intimate than that, REALLY? If they don't make you cum all over that sweetie in the lobster costume across the ballroom floor, perhaps Apocalypstick will--for the moniker alone. Have fun, and please go to therapy. JOAN HILLER
THE GOOD LIFE, RILO KILEY, MAYDAY
(Meow Meow) See MWBW pg 18
ZION I, SIREN'S ECHO, MADGESDIQ, More
(Fez, 316 SW 11th)
This is the monster truck rally of hiphop shows, only, instead of a lot of aggro people inhaling the exhaust, there will be a lot of nice people inhaling the cheeb. Tonight's star attraction is the Bay Area duo Zion I, featuring Zion, who is possibly one of the calmest, most easy-riding rappers on the West Coast, though he's not hippie-style spacey--just really level. Finding his inner focus through tight flow and Amp Live's drum and bassy beats (with help here ant there from Madlib and Planet Asia), Zion is "deluxe, eon flux-uate what I pronunciate/ cold verses be lookin' out but y'all people got months to wait." Tonight, they'll release their second full-length album, Deep Water Slang, which features guests Aceyalone and Mystic, among others. JS
DUTCH FLAT, THE LIGHTS, TRUTH & DARE
(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th)
Tonight, the Dutch Flat's guitar rock and drum wizardry bids us adieu--which in this town, means they're probably breaking up for five minutes until some drunk person says, "Wow, I loved the Dutch Flat, that sucks," and they scramble to book another show the same week. It's a shame, though, their melancholic constructions, that build into angry rock implosions, seems like just the stuff jaded Portlanders would relate to. KATIE SHIMER
JAPANTHER, HEADPHONE, JONNY X & THE GROADIES, SOUR GRAPES
(Fast Forward, 6616 NE MLK)
The special occasion: Nate B.'s six-year anniversary of being in the Groadies. Even though that is a bit suspect--haven't the Groadies had six-year anniversaries like, nine times already?--you can't really question a band whose entire thesis is the electrocution of party grind. Noise-mangled duo Japanther joins us from NYC after a near-death experience, and Sour Grapes get the party started right with acoustic sass and more esoteric abbrevs than you can ever know. Bring your R.S. for the mass V.G.I. (R.S. = Rosetta Stone, V.G.I. = Valley Girl Intelligentsia). It's wick kill, y. N.T.S.! JS
VAGABOND OPERA, TAARKA
(Mississippi Ballroom, 833 N Shaver)
Here's an odd, elegant way to spend Valentine's Day. The Vagabond Opera resurrects the sounds of the Old World of gypsies and tramps, a clutch of wandersome buskers assembled with an arsenal of accordion, oboe, violin, viola. Of course "arsenal" is meant figuratively, as the theme for tonight is "Make Love, Not War." Joining them are Taarka, who mix up a variety of world music with jazz. MS
JUANITA FAMILY, AL FOUL & THE SHAKES
(Delta Café, 4607 SE Woodstock)
A pink, heart-shaped box of chocolate. A bouquet of roses. Jewelry. All feminine items commonly purchased for today's holiday. This is fine and appropriate, but it may leave the male lovers of our community feeling a bit alienated. Which is why I am pleased to announce the newest edition to America's family of holidays; March 8th is STEAK AND BLOWJOB DAY. For those of us not completely ready to wait until March, a trip to the Delta tonight might satiate your desires. Portland's Juanita Family will be happy to buy you dinner, and later, massage lotion into your dry, aching feet with their brand of country music lovin'; while Al Foul and the Shakes crass rockabilly surely won't expect return oral sex on this special day. Juanita Family=steak. Al Foul=blowjob. JOE FAUSTIN KELLY
SATURDAY 2/15
CROOKED FINGERS, MARY LOU LORD, THE DECEMBERISTS, MODERNSTATE
(Blackbird)
The new issue of Chunklet--aka America's funniest music fanzine--offers a lengthy list of bands specific dollar amounts to simply break up (and put Chunklet's editors out of their misery). Many Portland bands made the $10 per member cut, including The Standard, 31 Knots, Last of the Juanitas, Kissing Book, Glass Candy, and tonight's performers, Decemberists. Locals fetching a higher price included Fireballs of Freedom, Quasi, and Sarah Dougher ($200), Shins ($1000), and Sleater-Kinney and Steve Malkmus ($2500 each, plus one copy of the Merzbox. HA!). Crooked Fingers was on the $500 list, but I would gladly buy the Chunklet fellows out to ensure the band's longevity. As always, Eric Bachmann's boozy sandpaper vocals, with swampy upright bass, guitar and banjo, and cache of excellent covers, bust open the most hardened heart to expose the vulnerable bar rag in us all. And, if we're talking dollar amounts here, I'll throw down at least $5 to see Crooked Fingers and fellow cover aficionado, Mary Lou Lord, do their own version of "Islands in the Stream." JS
RHETT MILLER
(Borders, 708 SW 3rd)
Hey Rhett, while you're laying down the alt-contemporary tunes this afternoon at Borders, can you pick me up a couple things? I'd love one of those Chicken Soup for the Soul books, maybe the new Dr. Phil advice-a-day calendar--and while you're at it, swing by the music section and pick up a copy of Old 97's Wreck Your Life. Sound familiar? Hot damn, it sure should, since you used to be in that band. Man, you guys kicked so much ass back then. If you don't mind me asking, how did you go from being in such a great band to playing solo shows at Borders and opening for that one guy from Crowded House? Oh really? Yeah, I guess I would do the same thing for all that corporate money. Good call. CM
BEN KWELLER, BRENDAN BENSON & THE WELLFED BOYS, AUDIO LEARNING CENTER
(B Complex, 320 SE 2nd)
Shit-hot power pop from Detroit master Brendan Benson can be found on his highly recommended, self-produced album Lapalco, but this show is headlined by another wonder--Texan Ben Kweller, whose album Sha Sha proves that people younger than you are not only likely to be more attractive than you, but also to make better pop music. (Whether or not the title is a "Der Kommisar" reference remains to be seen.) SEAN NELSON
REPARATIONS, GEMINI, BLESSED LOVE, THE BLACK NOTES, DJ OG ONE
(Fez)
In addition to being an important hiphop activist in Portland--his next project involves starting a record label with Helensview High School called Uprize--David Parks drums in live hiphop/soul group Reparations. Tonight, join them for a Black History Month celebration. JS
FLYING LUTTENBACHERS, THE INTIMA, CHEVRON, SPOOKY DANCE BAND, STRATEGY, DJ MAXAMILLION
(Nocturnal)
Ever hear the rumor that main Luttenbacher Weasel Walter is actually Pauly "the Weasel" Shore's latest persona? Rest assured, it's total B.S. According to a statement from Walter's attorney: "Mr. Walter is in NO WAY associated with he of the homoerotic cutoff jeans, lumberjack boots, and luscious Curly Sue mane. Shore is finishing up his bio-pic, You'll Never Weez In This Town Again, while Mr. Walter continues to make music." However, the verdict's still out on which one is more "artfully inaccessible"--the Lutte's murderous free jazz skronk or Pauly's "Hey Buuuuddy." AG
SUNDAY 2/16
ONEIDA, USAISAMONSTER
(Blackbird)
Brooklyn's Oneida is one of those great, style-boundaries-under-a-jackhammer bands, the kind that you start out with an "avant" descriptor and then throw in a little "art rock," "psychedelic," "synth-pop," and "noise" along the way. They recently released a split EP with their freakish sonic siblings the Liars, called Atheists, Reconsider, that is the punk prog record of 2002. Personally, though, I love 2000's Come on Everybody Let's Rock, which sounds, at moments, like Thin Lizzy reinterpreted by Drunk Horse, with excellent lyrics like, "Don't waste your breath. If your ass can't cash it, don't write a check." JM
THE MISS U'S
(Ararat, 111 NE MLK)
The Miss U's are a kinetic, splashy Rolling Stones cover band, and the singer, if you squint, looks like he actually could be Mick Jagger's cousin. Anyhow, he's got the clothes and the hips and of course, the songs. Aside from the fact that they rarely play, this show is rad because it's at an Armenian/Russian bakery disco. So you can pretend that you're in Europe, watching the Stones, and that bakeries and discos have something in common! MS
JACKIE, ROCK'N'ROLL SOLDIERS
(Bush Gardens, 900 SW Morrison)
Jackie is interested in your mind, really. The Portland rockers, who rose a year ago from the ashes of make-out enthusiasts the Starve, have been progressing steadily out of the bedroom and into the study (with a long stop in the garage, of course), gilding their visceral guitar assault with a little New Wave intellectualism. Travis Bonilla's vocals, though still raw, are becoming more polished, and Jen Fang's Farfisa counters Kip Berman's muscular riffs to smooth out the overall sound. Don't get me wrong, Jackie is hot, stylish, and can still go all night, baby--but now they'll give you a ride to the library in the morning. ANNA BOND
MONDAY 2/17
SAGE FRANCIS, GRUVIS MALT
(B Complex)
On his new EP, Makeshift Patriot, longtime Providence emcee Sage Francis (of Non-Prophets) resumes the might of his first proper studio album, Personal Journals. The EP's title track, originally released as a free MP3, was recorded during the hysteria of the month following 9/11, and scathingly critiques the blind patriotism of the vengeful bomb 'em all attitude that was so pervasive at the time, when a dissenter was un-American and the sensationalist media bathed in tragedy-injected ratings. "Makeshift patriot the flag shop is out of stock/ I hang myself at half-mast," the chorus rings. Incidentally, if you are one of the few remaining doubters of hiphop, then I trust that Sage will be your John the Baptist. KEVIN O'CONNOR
ANALOG HEAT, MAGIC MAGICIANS, LES AUTRES
(Blackbird)
Seattle/Portland rockers the Magic Magicians combine the quick vocal assaults of John Atkins (764-Hero) and restrained drum beats of Black Heart Procession's Joe Plummer. The result is a guitar-pop cocktail that won't leave you gagging on too much sugar. Analog Heat includes one of Portland's sexiest people, according to our sex survey results. Hint: it's not Wm. Steven Humphrey. Panther? KS
TOBY KEITH
(Rose Garden)
Sometimes I really hate being an American. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my right to bitch about this country and not have an Islam-endorsed beard, but nothing makes me more depressed then the fact that I share citizenship with jackasses like Toby Keith. One part country beefcake, the other flag-waving Nashville Nugent, Keith's mega-hit "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)" was the knee-jerking tune all right-wing country fans were itching for after 9/11. I can't for this fantastic WWIII to start up, so Keith can be shipped over to entertain "our boys" at USO shows in Iraq. Then, let's pray to Allah for a stray missile. CM
TUESDAY 2/18
DJ KRUSH, SUPERSOUL, AMS, DJ MUG FROSTY
(B Complex)
See Music pg 20
WEDNESDAY 2/19
DEAD PREZ, KILLER MIKE, YOUNGBLOODZ
(Fez)
See Music pg 20
RAINER MARIA, MATES OF STATE
(Meow Meow)
For Mates of State (Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel), married life is sweet, but their ebullient, captivating indie-pop is hardly saccharine. A musical adaptation of all the paradoxes inherent in any romantic relationship, it's simple yet complex, playful yet serious, straightforward yet ambiguous. But at the end of the day, it's cohesive, powerful, and joyous. Share the love, man. MICHAEL ALAN GOLDBERG
STARANTULA, NASTY ON, DIESTO, THREE INCHES OF BLOOD
(Blackbird)
There's doing metal because it's funny and ironic, and then there's playing in a metal band that is so overblown, heavy, and serious that it becomes funny and ironic. A new breed of quality bands--Witchery, Blind Guardian, Boulder, and the Lord Weird Slough Feg are paving this terrain with lava and blood. Three Inches of Blood. Starantula blur the lines between metal-wavo weirdness and plain old drunken fun. Nu-garagers Nasty On come from Canada to steal our women while watching themselves in the mirror. Local heavy purists Diesto will simply show up and crush. NATHAN CARSON
