WED MAY 14
Harry and the Potters w/Break Up Flowers; Lola’s Room, 1332 W Burnside
The last time I saw Harry and the Potters was in the summer of 2011, on a tour that coincided with the theatrical release of The Deathly Hallows: Part 2. It was a big deal. I skipped an important family event just to go, but it was a generational event I felt I couldn’t miss—the Harry Potter books, and eventually the movies, shaped my childhood. And even though Harry and the Potters never broke up (although they haven’t released a proper album since 2006’s Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love), there was a melancholic air of certitude that this was the last time these songs would be relevant. Turns out we were wrong—wizard rock is one of the Harry Potter Universe’s most enduring byproducts. It’s superfandom at its purest and most adorable. I haven’t reread Deathly Hallows since it was published, but Live at the New York Public Library is one of my favorite party-trick records. Solid pop-songwriting will always be relevant—Harry Potter-centric or not.
FRI MAY 16
Living Eyes w/No Limbs, Pressing On, Inversion; Laughing Horse Books, 12 NE 10th
Living Eyes is a smart, terse, hardcore “supergroup” from Oakland featuring both current and previous members of Ceremony, Punch, Loma Prieta, and more. What are the chances that their name is a reference to one of my favorite Bee Gees songs?
Agalloch w/Lasher Keen, Sedan; Star Theater, 13 NW 6th
Read our article on Agalloch.
MON MAY 19
The Suicide Notes w/the Bugs; Lola’s Room, 1332 W Burnside
The Suicide Notes are masters of pastiche. They have a song called “Beach Song,” which says it all, and their infectious yet gracelessly straightforward “Suicide Note” is a brilliant Ramones send-up. But the group really hits its stride with black sheep “Boy,” a great ’60s-ish rocker that sounds vintage without adhering to a restrictive template.