Arts and Culture Calendar
Thursday, May 27
Hint Hint, Detatchment Kit, Recall-Seven, Wet Confetti
Berbati’s Pan
$8, 21+
The ambient and paranoid electro-punk of Hint Hint will surelybring a smile to your face and movement to the lower extremities ofyour body, just like a good band should.
Nocturnal
7:30 p.m.
$10
I’ve been told millions of times that Sparta is good, with wordslike “smart” and “rocking” being used todescribe their brand of what I always assumed was the same oldboring post-hardcore angular guitar stuff. I could be wrong,though, and $10 isn’t all that much to pay to find out. Just takeearplugs and cigarettes in case I’m right.
“Perfume and Cosmetics in Ancient Egypt”
Smith Center 294
7:30 p.m.
Tell me you went to the Egypt lecture I wrote about last week.If you did, then here’s a follow-up for you. In thisslide-accompanied lecture, learn all about how ancient Egyptianscovered up their bad skin and offensive body odors, but without theaid of a bunch of chemicals. You’ll even get to sample some ancientincense replicas.
The Roots, Jean Gray, Skillz, Martin Luther
Roseland Theater
9 p.m.
$25
Pay a bunch of money to see the man who single-handedly changedthe course of European religious and sociopolitical history. Hewill be performing slam poetry loosely based on his list ofcomplaints with the Catholic church and his belief in good acts andthe prejudice he suffered as a result.
The Decemberists, The Long Winters
Aladdin Theater
7 p.m.
$12
While The Decemberist’s penchant for Victorian wordplay andbizarre, pseudo-English imagery gets them the most press (see thisTuesday’s Portland Tribune for a bad example), the fact is thatbespectacled Colin Maloy can craft a damn fine pop song. Throwingtraditionals like acoustic guitar, bass and piano in with some moreBrian Wilson-esque elements such as banjo and accordion, TheDecembrists are probably the only band around that can make a songcalled “The Chimbley Sweep” into a rocking ball of sexualinnuendo and desperate guitar twang. You’ll be missing out if youdon’t attend.
Sondre Lerche, Charlotte Martin
Dante’s
10 p.m.
$11, $13 door, 21+
Sondre Lerche hails from Norway and brings a suitcase full offolky, poppy, singer-songwriter goodness with him. 21-year oldLerche has been performing since the age of 14 and has had the timeand practice to work up some pretty reputable guitar skills aswell.
Quiet Countries, Big Bang Cirkus, Anbot Rodroid, Drats!!
Fez Ballroom
9:30 p.m.
$5
Wade through pretentious hipsters at the Fez to see the looping,heavy beats and evil mathematic guitar dissonance of QuietCountries. You’ll also get to see some wild performance art fromBig Bang Cirkus.
Kennedy School Prom
Kennedy School
7 p.m.
$10, 21+
Head over to the Kennedy School for their ’80s-themed prom. Notonly is it cheaper than a real prom by about 50 bucks, but it’sactually OK to smoke and drink there. Don’t worry about having tosneak cigarettes and HRD in like I did at prom, only to stay for 15minutes and spend the rest of the night with the toilet as yourdate. You can even win a prize if your ’80s-wear is tubular-er thaneveryone else’s.
Mirah, Liarbird, Tara Jane O’Neil
Meow Meow
9 p.m.
$5
Even though I saw her at a commons area at Reed College with badsound and fell asleep beforehand, I can’t say enough good thingsabout Mirah. She reminded me of a much more optimistic ElliottSmith, which is of course a good thing. And her voice is enough toinspire crushes left and right.
Friday, May 28
Cart, The Muddy River Nightmare Band, The Barnacles
Disjecta, 116 N.E. Russell
9:30 p.m.
$5
Cart’s new album is coming up this June and I recommend that youbuy it. I heard it last weekend and it sounds ridiculously good.You should also go see them play at Disjecta, since they’ll bejoined by the raucous rock of The Muddy River NightmareBand.
Cat Power, Dolorean – Vanguard Pick
Aladdin Theater
8 p.m.
$16
Cat Power’s Chan Marshall: overrated waifish- indie-rockguitarist or raw-voiced purveyor of lovingly-crafted modern folk?Maybe a little of both, but definitely more of the latter (Seepreview this issue).
Morris Tepper, Destroyer, Frog Eyes
Berbati’s Pan
$10, 21+
Moris Tepper, of Captain Beefheart guitar fame, joins the subtleglam (?) of Destroyer for a rock blowout at Berbati’s. They havereally good hummus there, so you should head out a little early toget your garbanzo bean on before the show.
Hell’s Belles, The Hitch, Mos Generator
Dante’s
10 p.m.
$12, $15 door, 21+
Everyone loves AC/DC, so what’s to stop you from seeing thisall-girl AC/DC cover band in the absence of the original? It’s waycheaper, and you can get a lot closer, too. The Hitch are noslouches either, and bring a generous serving of metalized heavyrock and roll to the table. If ever there was a concert to booze itup at, this is it.
Nocturnal
7 p.m,
$12
Zao’s latest album, called The Funeral of God, is a conceptdealing with a God who, due to humanity’s rejection, decides tosimply die. Dark and fierce metal backs up this potentiallyponderous and pretentious parable, making sure that there’s atleast some shredding to justify its existence. Give me Yob anyday.
Saturday, May 29
Anne Adams, The Vulturines, The Tuftees, Sean Brooks
Billy Ray’s
9 p.m.
Free show. Get your indie pop fix for the weekend.
Kieskagato, Junior Private Detective, Blitzen Trapper
Nocturnal
8 p.m.
$5
Everything from King Crimson to Miles Davis blends together inKieskagato, who know the value of a good melody driving your rocksong. Junior Private Detective plays arty emo-pop rock that’s kindof proggy, too, if that makes any sense. It does to me.
Desert City Soundtrack, Woke Up Falling, The Kite EatingTree
Tonic Lounge
21+
Woke Up Falling is partying this Saturday to celebrate therelease of their new record, with support from Suicide Girls, PBR,the Mercury and Desert City Soundtrack. If I had friends from outof town that wanted to get a feel for the Portland scene, I wouldtell them to go to this show.
Emberghost, Core 13, Lunacrative, Faded, Inked IN Blood,Somber
Meow Meow
6:30 p.m.
$8
I saw Emberghost once, and you couldn’t pay me $8 to go see themagain. They sucked more than any other band I’ve ever seen. Theyhad a fog machine that they turned OFF before they started playingtheir hackneyed whine music that they claimed was supposed to soundlike the Smashing Pumpkins. It didn’t. It sounded more like areally shitty band.
Sunday, May 30
Tortoise, Beans, The Eternals
Roseland Theater
8 p.m.
$14
The Mercury brings you some ill-ass hip-hop courtesy of thecerebral Beans, plus a melding of guitar, bass, xylophone andvaried electronic devices by Tortoise, who let lots of rock ‘n’roll sneak into their whirling electronic compositions.
Monday, May 31
“The Triplets of Belleville”
Olympic Club Hotel & Theater
6 p.m., 8 p.m.
$3
If you missed the critically acclaimed animated tale of agrandmother’s search for her kidnapped grandson, with the aid ofher dog and an elderly trio of singers from back in the day, now’sthe chance. It’s only 3 bucks.
Wednesday, June 2
The Honda Civic Tour with Dashboard Confessional, Thrice, TheGet Up Kids, Val Emmich
Portland Expo Center, 2060 N. Marine Drive
5:30 p.m.
$23
The Honda Civic Tour? I doubt that any of these bands aretouring in a Honda Civic. Regardless, don’t miss your opportunityto see the shining stars of crappy radio-emo, especially the wankerwho started it all, Chris Carabba. Bring your most antagonisticpunker friends, to beat up the tearful high schoolers.
