Here's where I'd be
Our music editor tells you what music you can't afford to miss this week
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, June 4
PLAN A: Peter Murphy @ House of Blues. Bela Lugosi is still dead, and former Bauhaus übermensch Murphy still looks like he is. PLAN B: Local H, The Photo Atlas, Firethorn @ The Casbah. Props to Local H frontman Scott Lucas for being angry enough to write an album (12 Angry Months) about a bad breakup and still have the levity to title a song “Jesus Christ! Did You See the Size of that Sperm Whale?” PLAN C: Shooter Jennings @ Belly Up. Speaking of sperm, the fastest little swimmer in Waylon’s arsenal started off with Sunset Strip rock (in Stargunn) but has since gravitated toward a more electrified version of his country roots. BACKUP PLAN: Mr. Gnome, Go West Young Man @ Beauty Bar.
Thursday, June 5
PLAN A: Living Legends, Pacific Division, Paul Dateh @ ’Canes. After a series of solo shows from Legends like MURS, The Grouch and Eligh, the underground hip-hop stalwarts form like Voltron to defend San Diego against lesser MCs. PLAN B: Annuals, SayVinyl, Frantic Romantic @ Beauty Bar. The blogosphere popularity of Annuals makes me want to hate them. But their dreamy indie pop makes me want to love them. We’ll call it a draw. PLAN C: Pride Tiger, Earthless @ Ken Club. Thin Lizzy is reincarnated from the snows of British Columbia as a Tiger that delivers garage rock with (chattering) teeth. BACKUP PLANS: Patrice Pike @ Lestat’s and Dave Alvin & The Guilty Men @ Belly Up.
Friday, June 6
PLAN A: Raekwon @ 4th & B. We’re in a Wu Tang slump after poor showings from GZA and RZA in recent weeks. If Raekwon fumbles his Only Built 4 Cuban Linx set, I’m going to O.D.B.’s grave with a shovel and smelling salts. PLAN B: Calico Horse, Swim Party, The Donkeys @ The Casbah. Calico celebrates the entry of Mirror into the race with Grand Ole Party’s Humanimals for best local album of the year. BACKUP PLANS: MSTRKRFT @ Planet Tijuana and Jefferson Starship @ Anthology.
Saturday, June 7
PLAN A: Dead Kennedys @ House of Blues. OK, so there’s no longer any Jello (or D.H.) in the DKs. Still, watching some dude named “Skip” in Biafra’s stead still beats staring at the wall while listening to “Holiday in Cambodia.” PLAN B: The Ting Tings, Anni Rossi, a.m. vibe @ The Casbah. Read up on the Tings in the feature on this page. Then catch them tonight before you have to share them with the rabble at Independence Jam. PLAN C: The Fab Faux @ Spreckels and/or The Beach Boys @ Humphrey’s by the Bay. One of these groups is posing as an iconic band from the ’60s. The other one plays Beatles songs. BACKUP PLANS: Tiësto @ 4th & B and HR @ Winston’s.
Sunday, June 8
PLAN A: FM 94/9 Independence Jam @ Devore Field (Southwestern College). Try not to salivate all over our Independence Jam feature on this page. PLAN B: Dethklok, Chimaira, Soilent Green @ House of Blues. Dethklok is metal’s answer to Gorillaz. Except, unlike Damon Albarn’s project, this “virtual band” has a cartoon (Metalocalypse), a San Diego musician (guitarist Mike Keneally) and a sense of humor. BACKUP PLAN: Firewater, The Sess @ The Casbah.
Monday, June 9
PLAN A: The Queers, Lemuria, Bomb the Music Industry! @ The Casbah. A lot of Queers (31 at last count) have come and gone since 1982, but frontman Joe Queer (the King of Queers, if you will) is still leading the New England pop-punk charge after 26 years. PLAN B: Junior Brown, Rosie Flores & The Riveters @ Belly Up. CHiPs the state over can thank Junior Brown for giving them something (“Highway Patrol”) to celebrate that doesn’t include the words “Erik” or “Estrada.” PLAN C: Joan of Arc, 31 Knots @ Che Café. Joan of Arc boasts visionary indie rock good enough to keep grudge-holding fans of Cap’n Jazz (frontman Tim Kinsella’s former band) from breaking out the lighter fluid and matches.
Tuesday, June 10
PLAN A: Erykah Badu, The Roots @ Humphrey’s by the Bay. The Roots run deep in our feature on this page. PLAN B: Detroit Cobras, Les San Culottes, Killola @ The Casbah. The Cobras can’t break through the “cover band” glass ceiling but one of the most original unoriginal bands around still has tasty venom in their garage-rock fangs. PLAN C: Singer, Aspects of Physics @ Beauty Bar. See why Singer writes the songs that make the whole world say “Bah?” in our album review. BACKUP PLAN: Ted Nugent @ House of Blues.
Published: 06/03/2008
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