Up & Coming

Double your pleasure! We are on vacation, folks, so these Up and
Comings take you through the next two weeks. Look for the next exciting
issue of the Mercury to hit the streets January 8, 2009.

THURSDAY 12/25

CHRISTMAS HIPHOP: SLEEP, DESTRO, NIO SUPREME, NIGHTCRAWLERS, DJ
ZONE, SICK AURA, ATLAS

(Tonic Lounge, 3100 NE Sandy) See My, What a Busy Week!

FRIDAY 12/26

THE BREAKOUT: ILLMACULATE, LIV WARFIELD, MYG, SOUL P,
ALPHABET STEW, JAE LAVA, DJ FATBOY

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Illmaculate is a renowned—if not
downright feared—member of the highly competitive emcee battle
world. From Grind Time to Jumpoff.tv,
thousands of YouTube hours are filled with a capella round after round
of surgical-strength disrespect, driven by the promise of worldwide
notoriety and big cash prizes. Conventional wisdom holds that battle
emcees can’t make actual recorded music to save their lives, but Illmac
is a true exception to the rule, lacing killer tracks solo and with his
Sandpeople crew. Fuck the battle, man—he’s trying to win the war.
LARRY MIZELL JR Also see My, What a Busy Week!

FUBAR: DJ JAK, DJ BEATPUSHER, MILGRAM SHOCK, COZMIX VIXEN,
PIPEDREAM

(Branx, 320 SE 2nd) Since Fubar launched six months ago, the night
has been steadily growing as one of the better monthly dance parties in
town, with consistent bookings, supplementary subwoofers, and
interesting visuals. Originally conceived as an
electro-house/dance-punk affair reflective of the tastes of founder
Eric Leisy (AKA Pipedream), the sound has become more diverse over the
short life of the event. Tonight’s lineup is evidence of further
evolution to come, with the recent addition of Tracy York (Cozmix
Vixen) as co-booker. Not surprisingly, for her first night in charge
she has arranged an evening of pure techno with a list of experienced
and skilled producers, including Subsensory labelmate Jak and Oakland’s
Milgram Shock. AVA HEGEDUS

SATURDAY 12/27

ALEATORIC: WYNDEL HUNT, SON OF ROSE, THE OO-RAY, MIKE
JEDLICKA

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) See Music

DEVOTCHKA, NORFOLK & WESTERN, VAGABOND
OPERA

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Denver’s DeVotchKa used to tour
with Dita von Teese, for God’s sake. The four-piece takes on a
lot—Greek, Slavic, bolero, even mariachi—and grimes it up a
bit with American punk and folk. Using a hodgepodge of instruments
including theremin, bouzouki, and sousaphone, the group plays music
that supposedly wasn’t “marketable” enough for Warner Bros. It’s gypsy
punk, with incredibly well-trained players. And the group has a secret
weapon in the croon of vocalist Nick Urata. I picture a roomful of
people watching as tears stream down their faces, whether it be from
sadness, joy, or simply the sheer beauty of it all. MARK LORE Also
see My, What a Busy Week!

THE INTELLIGENCE, EXPERIMENTAL DENTAL SCHOOL, FIST FITE,
THE BLIMP

(Slabtown, 1033 NW 16th) Perhaps you didn’t go home for Christmas.
You’re not alone. Take, for example, this amazing lineup of transplant
Portlanders (with the exception of Eugene’s the Blimp), who, instead of
visiting their families, are spending the holidays with their other
family—that would be you, Portland music scene. Tonight’s massive
affair is—in terminology developed by the boys in White
Fang—total “Gnar Shred.” Experimental Dental School are an
amazingly tight, skronky, and at times soaring duo. Fist Fite are a
proggy hedge maze of D&D keyboard screams. The Intelligence
are just good old-fashioned garage rock. And the Blimp—well, even
if they nab the opening slot they’ll still attack it like headliners,
complete with props, encores, destruction, and a whole mess of complex,
blistering, abrasive, Beefheart-ian free-jazz wail. As the lyrics of
one of their songs go, “All I want is good music with boobs in my
face.” Merry Christmas, motherfuckers! ANDREW R TONRY Also see My,
What a Busy Week!

SUNDAY 12/28

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH, MIMICKING BIRDS

(Rontoms, 600 E Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week! and
Music

BLUE CRANES, ANDREW OLIVER SEXTET

(Mississippi Pizza Pub, 3552 N Mississippi) See My, What a Busy
Week!

MONDAY 12/29

PINK MARTINI, FOGHORN STRINGBAND

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) See My, What a Busy Week!,

RAILROAD EARTH

(Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie) See Destination Fun

TUESDAY 12/30

MONOTONIX, PANTHER, THRONES, DJ SPENCER D

(East End, 203 SE Grand) Do Monotonix make good music? Meh, I don’t
really know. What I do know, however, is that these crazed Israelis are
one of the most amazing—and completely unfuckwithable—live
bands around, destroying audience members with a joyous and raucous
rock swagger that is basically unrivaled. At their Musicfest NW show
this year—easily the highlight of the entire festival—the
trio finished the night by taking it to the streets, with lead singer
Ami Shalev climbing a tree and mooning onlookers while drummer Haggai
Fershtman played a drum solo on top of the crowd. A friend of
mine was vomited on and I got hit in the head by a flying trashcan, yet
we both left the show with giant shit-eating grins—my friend
commented that she’d never been so excited to get puked on before.
Yeah, Monotonix concerts are that good. ROB SIMONSEN

BUCKETHEAD, PORTLAND CELLO PROJECT

(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) If we have learned anything from
Chinese Democracy, it’s that we should let sleeping dogs lie.
The original Guns N’ Roses was a powder keg of delicious
opposition—screeched melody (Axl) and nuclear blues
(Slash)—bursting into anthem. The resultant rainfall of molten
GNR cassettes gave the late-’80s mainstream a devious segue into
grunge, although the memories of robot-rape artwork, swearing on live
national television, and “Your daddy works in porno now that mommy’s
not around” are now, unfortunately, dashed. (Thanks, Axl!) Chinese
Democracy, with Buckethead’s would-be amazing shred, is an
overproduced plastic wreck. In the bridges of Rose’s digitally molested
arrangements, Buckethead offers miniaturized could-have-beens. Jarring
edits undermine his amazingly speedy technique, which motors ’round and
’round the fret board like a shrunken motorcycle of his own invention.
Buckethead actually hasn’t been in GNR since 2004, and with his
inclusion, it’s obvious Rose needs any help he can get. MIKE MEYER
Also see My, What a Busy Week!

WEDNESDAY 12/31

SANDPEOPLE, GRAY MATTERS, SAPIENT, DELMON CREW, OWKWERDS, BO RAT,
ANIMAL PLANET

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) See Music

FOGHORN STRINGBAND, PEBBLE DASH

(White Eagle, 836 N Russell) Foghorn Stringband have become a
ubiquitous fixture in the Portland music scene, purveying authentic
old-timey bluegrass in a way that vitalizes and breathes life into what
could otherwise be a museum piece. They do plenty of upbeat “dance”
music—in other words, rapid square dance strumming—but
their lonesome ballads, with clear-sky melodies and nasal harmonies,
are what truly hit home. Oddly, they’re opening for Pink Martini at the
Crystal Ballroom on December 29, but a cavernous ballroom filled with
fancy-pants Martini fans isn’t exactly the most appropriate venue for
their cozy acoustic music. In fact, I can’t think of any music more
dissimilar to Pink Martini’s preciously whimsical fairy dust than
Foghorn’s muddy-boot plucking. Instead, mosey on over to the White
Eagle for an unpretentious, intimate,
probably-more-than-a-little-drunken hoedown; it’ll be an unforgettable
way to ring in 1909. NED LANNAMANN

LADYTRON, SUGAR SHORT WAVE, RENA JONES, BRYAN ZENTZ, NOAH D., DIG
DUG, ELECTROKID & MORE

(The Station, 2410 N Mississippi) The New Year’s Eve party at 2410
Mississippi is going until eight in the morning and has two separate
rooms of music, yet even with that much time and space to fill, it’s
hard to imagine how they are going to fit in the seemingly endless list
of acts. One room features a barrage of DJs on the house and techno
tip, while the other is overrun with drum ‘n’ bass, breaks, and dubstep
pros. The whopping assemblage of quality local musicians is enough to
make this show worthwhile, but there is also a special gem in the
night’s lineup—a peak-hour DJ set by members of ultra-sexy, dark
electro-pop outfit Ladytron. AVA

NIGHTCLUBBING VS. HOT MESS, EXPLODE INTO COLORS, WHITE
FANG

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Not since the—often rumored, but
never actually confirmed—Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson
pay-per-view one-on-one game have two great things come together like
Nightclubbing and Hot Mess. Will the always-steady Nightclubbing pack
the dance floor, or can the “triple platinum certified bananas dance
party” that is Hot Mess—who party harder than the “Showtime”
Lakers—triumph when the ball drops? I’m not a betting man, but
I’d wager that sound artistes Explode into Colors will steal the show.
With a trio of 7-inches set to drop in the new year (one of which will
bear the Kill Rock Stars logo), expect the world from these ladies, and
even a brand-new secret cover song—but don’t you dare expect to
hear “Auld Lang Syne.” Says bassist/vocalist Claudia Meza, “We go on
pretty early, so it would be silly to ring in the new year with
that festive tune at like 9 pm.” Oh yeah, good point. EZRA
ACE CARAEFF

SUPERSUCKERS, KLEVELAND, GERALD COLLIER

(Dante’s, 1 SW 3rd) How else would one want to spend New Year’s Eve
than with the self-proclaimed “Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the
World”? You can bet the greatest frontman in the world(?!), Eddie
Spaghetti, will come armed with a mustachioed smirk, cowboy hat, cop
glasses, and an arsenal of rock-cliché between-song banter as he
leads his crew through AC/DC-inspired punk anthems. It’s some of the
most fun I’ve ever had at a show. Your to-do list: Sidle up to the bar,
keep the Jack and Cokes coming, fasten earplugs, and give in to the
evil powers of rock ‘n’ roll. The Supersuckers’ music hasn’t changed a
bit in nearly two decades. But when you’re the greatest, you don’t have
to change a damn thing. ML

DANAVA, BURNING LEATHER, DJ BLACKHAWK

(East End, 203 SE Grand) What better way to ring in 2009 than by
pretending 2008 never existed? Danava is artful Portland’s hard rock
escape route—a postmodern maze of brazen guitar runs and
celestial keyboards, with image and tone to match the borrowed good old
days (read: 1970). UnonoU, the band’s latest, almost made this
writer’s year-end top five. It defies reality for the benefit of local
rockers not feeling so utopian, marrying Michael Schenker to Wendy
Carlos in the court of the Crimson King. The troupe’s live show isn’t
always so ceremonial. When it’s on, it’s like spotting Schenker’s UFO
riding the skies above Portland. When it’s off, it’s like falling out
of a UFO. But what’s New Year’s Eve without something to write home
about? MM

STARFUCKER, BLUE HORNS , THE HUGS , ASSEMBLE
THE EMPIRE

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) When Starfucker emerged from the basement
last year and took the stage at PDX Pop Now! and absolutely
killed it, it was over before it started. The crowds got bigger,
the shows got better, and all the accessories of success—record
deal, booking agent, manager—followed in suit. But so did the
backlash; no local band bears the burden of the useless “hipster” tag
like the Starfucker trio does. It’s a contentious label for a group of
infallibly genuine boys, and in fact, an argument could be made that
Starfucker is the polar opposite of hip—or
hipsterism—seeing how their lo-fi dance jams are completely
natural and void of all alleged pretension. Ultimately it’s an empty
insult delivered by those on the outside looking in, left wondering why
their tired artistic expression can’t touch the white hot music being
broken off by the Starfucker three. EAC Also see Destination Fun

FIR BALL: THE BUILDERS AND THE BUTCHERS, NICK JAINA ,
BARK HIDE AND HORN, DJ SAFI

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) With the summer release of the absolutely
fantastic debut full-length National Road, 2008 was supposed to
be Bark Hide and Horn’s breakout year, but around the time of its
release, bassist Peter Valois broke an arm, and not long after,
trumpeter Brian Garvey left town (and the group). The remaining trio
are still one of Portland’s best bands; even though Andy Furgeson’s
songs are based on old National Geographic articles, the band
rocks with a surprising amount of muscle, thanks to Valois’ growling
basslines and Dusty Dybvig’s excellent, powerful drumming. If you
missed National Road the first time around, it’s a diverse,
exceptional album that’s joyous, moody, folky, heavy, funny, and
entirely rewarding; if you’ve escaped Bark Hide and Horn’s tight,
soulful live show until now, either get yourself to the Doug Fir
tonight, or put BHH on your ever-growing list of New Year’s
resolutions. NL Also see My, What a Busy Week!

POISON IDEA, MDC, BURNING LEATHER, EMBRACE THE KILL

(Satyricon, 125 NW 6th) If, during the 1980s, someone suggested that
I would be ringing in 2009 at a Poison Idea show, I’d have told them to
fuck right off. “Poison Idea will be dead by then. And so will I,” I
would declare as the Black Label-induced living room fight ensued.
After a baker’s dozen of such inevitable altercations, here I stand on
the very eve of 2009 eating my words like a lonely trucker eating so
much pussy-for-hire at a rest stop along the freeway near Lodi,
California. The lesson here? Poison Idea is in it for the long run. May
all of your ill-conceived resolutions and drunken decrees be crushed by
the violent forces emanating from the amplifiers of these mighty poison
titans. LANCE CHESS

TWO BEERS VIERS, 6 O’CLOCK SHOT GET-ALONG GANG BAND, SCOTT
MCCAUGHEY, LITTLE SUE, CASEY NEILL, KEVIN & ANITA ROBINSON,
ASHLEIGH FLYNN, JOHN “SPIDER” MOEN, JOHN MCDONALD, ANNALISA
TORNFELT

(LaurelThirst Public House, 2958 NE Glisan) The stage of the
LaurelThirst is about yay big (I’m stretching my arms out horizontally
right now) and I have no clue how the musical Super Friends in Two
Beers Viers plan on filling it with so many performers. I assume a few
of the musicians will be stacked on each other’s shoulders, right?
Regardless of the onstage blocking, this evening’s performance will be
etched deep into your 2008 memories since the already impressive Two
Beers lineup (Laura Viers, members of the Decemberists) will be backed
by the mysterious 6 O’Clock Shot Get-Along folks, plus a revolving door
of openers—from the enigmatic Scott McCaughey (he knows Michael
Stipe; you do not), to the Blue Giant/Viva Voce power couple Kevin and
Anita Robinson—that will make your head spin faster than all
those glasses of bubbly you plan on knocking back as the year ticks
away. EAC Also see Destination Fun

TEMPORAL DISTORTION: REGGIE WATTS, DUNDIGGY, BEN
DARWISH

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) In the simplest terms, Reggie Watts is
a performance artist. No other phrase encapsulates the full range of
Watts’ abilities, yet “performance artist” seems a wan and insufficient
catchall for his varied talents. Watts is a versatile beatboxer with a
prodigious vocal range and peerless improvisational skills. He’s equal
parts musician, comedian, and an unquantifiable something that is
probably genius. Watching him perform is a singularly unnerving
experience, as though the rules of communication as you know them have
been dissolved; as though language is passing through a flux capacitor
on its route from his mouth to your ears. An audacious wit, unfailingly
poised stage presence, and very big hair complete the Watts
package—for my money, this is the place to be on New Year’s.
ALISON HALLETT

RARE MAGIC: BEYONDA, REV. SHINES, LEROY TRENTON

(Leftbank, 240 N Broadway) Ah, Rare Magic! Not since the Renaissance
Faire has a young warlock like myself experienced such a night of
wizardry and role-playing adventures…oh wait, so it’s not like that?
Leave your cloak and 12-sided dice at home, Merlin, since this night of
Rare Magic is a “Soul Council Ball”: basically a classier excursion
into the unhindered bump and grind that you can expect from the thick
soul grooves of real-life turntable wizards Beyonda, Rev. Shines, and
Leroy Trenton. Considering how the fancy Leftbank digs formerly housed
the mysterious Dude Ranch—a legendary club that once featured
Billie Holiday and numerous other jazz giants—tonight’s affair
will be all the more memorable. Oh, and it’s a classy affair, so no Ugg
boots and cut-off jean shorts, okay? EAC

WEEK TWO

THURSDAY 1/1

Today is the day that you find out that, oh no, Sparks and
Champale do not mix.

FRIDAY 1/2

FIREWATER CD RELEASE: KOLVANE, COLIN LAKE & WELLBOTTOM, ALEX
WEED

(Dante’s, 1 SW 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

PAST LIVES, METH TEETH , WHITE FANG , DJ
SPENCER D

(Rotture, 315 SE 3rd) See My, What a Busy Week!

BEN BARNETT, ANDREW JACKSON JIHAD, DAVID J

(The Artistery, 4315 SE Division) See Once More with Feeling

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA

(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE 39th) Tickets for this
Dweezil—definitely not Frank—Zappa show are $100 or $135 for VIP. The mere thought of lining the pockets of Dweezil with
that much coin just blew my mind in a way that no Frank Zappa song ever
could. EAC

BOY GORILLA SHOWCASE: GHOSTIES, EL COMÉ HOMÉ, WHAT
CAN SKULLS TELL US, JORDAN BAGNALL

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) It’s about friendship, mostly. The Boy
Gorilla ensemble might be known for various things—a close-knit
if not incestuous collective of wildly inventive bands and artists;
dependable rotation on the house show circuit—but for the most
part it’s just a bunch of friends making music for each other. If the
outside world is interested in the stark emotionalism of Ghosties, then
more power to them, but you get the feeling that lone ghostie Devin
Gallagher would still be performing the same songs no matter who was
listening. And while perhaps it can feel a little insular at
times—like a twee cult—the simple notion of friendship that
orbits the Boy Gorilla universe is positively inspiring. EAC

SATURDAY 1/3

THE PENNY JAM 2: SLEEP, WORLD’S GREATEST GHOSTS, DIRTY
MITTENS , RYAN DOLLIVER

(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See Music

THE PRIDS , LOOKBOOK, MINT CHICKS

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) Portland’s gray skies are a fitting
backdrop for locals the Prids. Taking a page from Johnny Marr’s
songbook and adding a thin layer of stomp-box fuzz, the band plays sad
songs made for dancing in front of the mirror. Former husband and wife
David Frederickson and Mistina Keith’s vocals quiver and echo over the
top of a razor-sharp rhythm section—it’s beautiful Euro-trash
that isn’t too trashy. Portland-by-way-of New Zealand trio Mint Chicks
join the bill, and don’t be shocked if brothers Ruban and Kody Nielson
take to the rafters at some point during the set. The Chicks just
finished their third full-length on Flying Nun called Screens,
which is due out in early 2009 and will no doubt have plenty of
herky-jerky pop songs that you can sing along to while your left arm
goes numb. ML Also see My, What a Busy Week!

MIC CRENSHAW, ANIMAL FARM, DJ RASCUE, SERGE SEVERE, DJ
WICKED, THE WRIGHT FAMILY

(Ash Street Saloon, 225 SW Ash) Veteran Portland “poet, lyricist,
emcee, educator” Mic Crenshaw has just dropped his solo album
Thinking Out Loud, a stone-solid collection that more than ably
demonstrates Crenshaw’s multitasking versatility. He’s the O.G., house
party-rocking, clever-quipping, justice-seeking, freedom-fighting, sage
spiritualist, but he’s never outside of his comfort zone—which,
when considering the vibrantly bubbling organic rock/funk/synth stew of
thumping production he utilizes, says a lot. Crenshaw is deservedly
considered one of the PDX’s treasures, and hopefully Thinking Out
Loud will serve to further expand his notoriety. LM

BLACK PUSSY, THE WARSHERS, THE DIVINE NAPALM FLOWER
EXPERIMENT, THE WILDE ANGELS

(Twilight Café and Bar, 1420 SE Powell) I do not recommend
Googling “Black Pussy” at work. The results—while
informative—won’t tell you anything about the Portland
retro-rockers whose slobbering music is just about what you’d expect
from the name. It’s loud, dumb, brash, and obnoxious—in a
generally good way, particularly if you exchange sober brain activity
for a couple 40s and whatever else you can get your hands on. Their
degenerate thrashing frequently falls into a void of sticky
psychedelia, like Motörhead on cough syrup, or Slayer covering
Blue Cheer. They’re the kind of band you would hate to have practice
anywhere near where you live. Again, I mean that largely as a good
thing. NL

SUNDAY 1/4

MY HOUSE, YOUR NOISE: THE NEXTDOOR NEIGHBORS, KUSIKIA, PEZ
DEMENTE

(Backspace, 115 NW 5th) See My, What a Busy Week!

MONDAY 1/5

SYMMETRY/SYMMETRY , SLEEPWALK KID

(White Eagle, 836 N Russell) See Destination Fun

TUESDAY 1/6

Nothing at all.

WEDNESDAY 1/7

AMOUR ÉTRANGE: LES ÉTRANGERS, POP ART 4, DISCJOCKEY
FLIGHTRISK

(Someday Lounge, 125 NW 5th) It’s a Frenchy night out, so don your
berets and wash down your baguettes with ample lashings of wine. Pop
Art 4, an ensemble led by Portland jazz drummer Todd Bishop, celebrates
the release of 69 Année Érotique, an album of
instrumental covers of songs by Serge Gainsbourg. There’s lots of
hearty saxophone and splashing cymbals, giving the project a decided
late-night talk show house band vibe, which isn’t particularly French
sounding. So for a bit of that je ne sais quoi, look to Les
Étrangers, who perform covers of French garage tracks from the
’60s. The lustrous voice of Ellen Louise sounds like a more musical,
less robotic Nico, and the rest of the band sounds authentically retro,
with surf guitar leading the way. If toast and kissing are both done
way better in French, why not garage pop? NL

BRAD MACKESON, TANGO ALPHA TANGO, DEEPEST DARKEST

(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) After the Carolines split a couple years
ago, Nathan and Aaron Trueb formed Tango Alpha Tango, while the
remaining members teamed up with Derby’s Nat Johnson to form Deepest
Darkest. Both bands are logical extensions of the Carolines’
unpretentious, melodic pop. Deepest Darkest go for shiny, sheen-y,
radio-friendly, classicist rock, with every note carefully in place and
every timbre in perfect relief. As generic as that could seem, the
songs are mighty fine, and the relaxed, sun-faded vibe is a comfortable
fit. Tango Alpha Tango have a bit more urgency to their sound, and
cultivate a delicate, damaged beauty; the songs are either folkier and
more pointed, or trashier and glammier—more suited for the
bedroom than Deepest Darkest’s convertible-with-the-top-down groove.
It’s a genuine pleasure, and no slight against what came before, that
both bands are better than the Carolines ever were, and sure, it’s not
exactly fair, or necessary, to pit the two against the past or each
other—but when both share the bill, comparisons are inevitable.
Headliner Brad Mackeson celebrates the release of his Nostalgia album, and as its title would suggest, it revisits familiar classic
rock and Americana sounds without rocking any boats or embarking on
roads less traveled. NL