Lovin’ and Listenin’
Wednesday, July 20
Weird War
Doug Fir, 830 E. Burnside St.
$8, 21+
Ian Svenonius is one of those people that despite his Midas tendencies never gets his propers. Nation of Ulysses and the Make-Up are two of the best bands of our generation, and Weird War is no exception. Lighter than Nation, and less dancy than the Make-Up, Weird War still rings with Svenonius’ sexed-up political brilliance. Fucking gold!
Benefit for the IPRC featuring Menomena, Point Juncture, Wa.
Berbati’s Pan, 321 S.W. Ankeny St.
$6, 21+
YAY! Menomena! YAY! Independent Publisher’s Resource Center! YAY! Point Juncture! YAY! Portland! The city that works!
Thursday, July 21
Sufjan Stevens
Aladdin Theatre
3017 S.E. Milwaukie Ave.
$14, all ages
Touring for his second installment of the 50 states project “Come on feel the Illinoise” Sufjan is brining his folksy, glistening, baroque pop and thoughtful spirituality with him. Not quite Chremo (see Pedro the Lion), Stevens’ music is real American music: questioning, nostalgic and individually sad and beautiful. His visit last summer was a little sloppy, but beauty transcends.
Friday, July 22
Nicolai Dunger
Doug Fir, 830 E. Burnside St.
$8, 21+
Imagine seeing Nick Drake playing Graham Parsons on “Hee-Haw.” Nicolai Dunger is perfect holding “hands with your new sweetheart while wearing scarves even though it’s 90 degrees outside but you don’t know because you rode over in your new air conditioned Jetta listening to that Belle and Sebastian singles collection that just came out” music.
Mercury Fifth Anniversary Party featuring Pedro the Lion, Crosstide, The Blow
Bossanova, 722 E. Burnside St.
$10, all ages
Portland’s self-congratulatory and pathetically scat-based “irreverent” weekly the Portland Mercury (everyone reads it – even my mom) celebrates five years of cutting edge scat-based irreverence by booking the spineless Chremo (Christian-emo) poppers Pedro the Lion. Way to stick it to the man. I mean the Word. At least The Blow rules.
Saturday, July 23
Brendon Benson (+ band), Crystal Skulls
Doug Fir, 830 E. Burnside St.
$12, 21+
What do you say about power-pop that doesn’t reference Cheap Trick? Who cares? It’s got a good beat and I can dance to it.
Sunday, July 24
Church of Psychedelia
Berbati’s Pan, 321 S.W. Ankeny St.
Free! 21+
This installment of the wonderful, rawkus, freak-fest Church features Mark Burden of Glass Candy and Get Hustle fame noising it up with friends. What better way to use up that gange your roommate paid his part of the electric bill with?
Monday, July 25
Dear Monday,
I love to party. Chicks, dudes, tubin’, Trans-Ams. I love it. Rock, Rap, Molson and Pabst. I love it. Stoney times, heady times, breakbeats. I love it. So why d’you always bring me down? Why are you so boring? Are you hearing me? I LOVE to party. Why are you denying me love? Do you hate me? Did I say something wrong? Every other day gives me love. I’m a loveable guy. What’s up man?
Tuesday, July 26
Hieroglyphics (with Del the Funky Homosapien)
Roseland, 8 N.W. Sixth Ave.
$20, all ages
True heads will pay $20 to see Pep Love, Casual, Souls of Mischief and Del. True heads will always rep Hiero. True heads will essentially ignore openers and Seattle champs Boom Bap in anticipation of maybe hearing some bangers off ’93 ‘Til Infinity.” True heads will never concede that despite Hieroglyphics role in defining the West Coast underground sound of the mid-’90s that “Full Circle” sucked, Del was in fucking Gorillaz, and The Souls only hit 808 snoozers now. True heads are getting rides home with mom afterwards.
