Here's where I'd be

These are bands we especially dig, not
full listings. For those, please see
Concerts and Clubs.

For more top shows featuring local acts, please see Nightgeist.

Wednesday, May 14

PLAN A: Kathleen Edwards @ Belly Up Tavern. Coming from the Emmylou Harris/Lucinda Williams lineage of tough-yet-vulnerable country-rock singers, Edwards will have you crying into your whiskey all night. PLAN B: Fundraiser for Candye Kane @ The Casbah. Kane is recovering from cancer surgery, and San Diego luminaries such as Mojo Nixon and Steve Poltz will be on hand to help raise recovery funds. PLAN C: Les Nubians @ Anthology. They’re sensuous. They’re French. They play soulful reggae-influenced world music. Strangely, it kinda makes sense. BACKUP PLAN: Trace Adkins @ Valley View Casino.

Thursday, May 15

PLAN A: Rilo Kiley @ Viejas Concerts in the Park. Ever seen The Wizard with Fred Savage? See if Jenny Lewis knows anything about that flick here. PLAN B: Ghostland Observatory @ House of Blues. If capes, filthy electro-pop and Freddie Mercury sound like a good combination, check out our Ghostland feature here. PLAN C: American Music Club @ Belly Up Tavern. AMC frontman Mark Eitzel says “No more sadcore.” Their latest album, The Golden Age, is the band’s most hopeful to date. BACKUP PLAN: Efterklang, Slaraffenland @ The Casbah.

Friday, May 16

PLAN A: Lucy’s Fur Coat, CBA @ The Casbah. Rejected band names for the local legends include Stacy’s Velvet Shawl, Tracy’s Satin Robe and Lacy’s Polyester Jacket. PLAN B: South, The Silver State, Ki Theory @ Brick by Brick. If South were good enough to play on the soundtrack to Sexy Beast, then they’re definitely good enough to headline Brick by Brick. PLAN C: The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World, Pennywise @ Qualcomm Concerts on the Green. The Offspring’s Dexter Holland is a genius. No, seriously, his IQ is really high and he has a master’s degree in molecular biology. Not a musical genius, but still, give him some credit. BACKUP PLAN: I Am Ghost, No Bragging Rights, Lovehatezero @ SOMA.

Saturday, May 17

PLAN A: Blackalicious, Pigeon John @ Belly Up Tavern. Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab is like the grandpa of my dreams—a wise, charming, heavy-set, occasionally bearded, verbally dexterous MC. I have pretty weird dreams. PLAN B: Von Iva @ Beauty Bar. They used to play grimy soul-inflected garage rock; now it’s grimy soul-inflected electronic dance music, influenced by Timbaland. The times, they are a-changin’. PLAN C: Cowboy Mouth, Dirty Sweet, Cash’d Out @ Mariner’s Point. Things a Cowboy Mouth might be filled with on a nightly basis are Old Turkey, Bud Light and mint-flavored Skoal. Gross. BACKUP PLAN: Bonnie Raitt @ Valley View Casino.

Sunday, May 18

PLAN A: The Dirtbombs, Dan Sartain, The Terrible Twos @ The Casbah. Mick Collins once sang “Your Pretty Face is Going to Waukegan,” with his old band Blacktop. Now, your pretty face is going to The Casbah, because The Dirtbombs are awesome. PLAN B: Totimoshi, It’s Casual @ Zombie Lounge. There are tons of metal bands residing in the Oakland area right now, but Totimoshi’s Latin influences help them stand out from the pack. BACKUP PLAN: North Park Festival of the Arts @ 30th Street and University Avenue.

Monday, May 19

PLAN A: Murder By Death, dios malos, Gasoline Heart @ Belly Up Tavern. Murder By Death is an incredibly accurate band name for these guys—they sound like Johnny Cash fronting The Bad Seeds. Dark stuff indeed. PLAN B: The Kills, Child Ballads @ The Casbah. The Kills frontman Jaime Hince is Kate Moss’ latest fling. I wonder how long it takes before he gets arrested for cocaine possession. PLAN C: Dead Wasps, Fkenal @ Beauty Bar. Murder By Death? The Kills? Dead Wasps? Let’s hope nobody dies today.  

Tuesday, May 20

PLAN A: Megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom @ Cox Arena. Expect plenty of old, longhaired head-banger dudes and maybe, just maybe, two or three ladies. PLAN B: The Proclaimers, Jeremy Fisher @ Belly Up Tavern. The Proclaimers probably don’t expect you to walk 500 miles to get to their show. The walk from your car to the Belly Up entrance should suffice. PLAN C: Destroyer, Devon White @ The Casbah. For a guy with such an intimidating band name, Destroyer’s Dan Bejar sure sounds a lot like a nerdy literature grad student. BACKUP PLAN: The Adicts, The Dickies, Diffs @ House of Blues.