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, Aug. 6

PLAN A: The May Fire, Astra Heights, Montenegro @ Beauty Bar. San Francisco indie rockers The May Fire kick off 34 shows in 40 days to support their new EP The List. PLAN B: The Iguanas, The Swingin’ Kings @ Belly Up. The Iguanas are Latin-flavored roots rockers from N’awlins, not a reunited version of Jim “Iggy Pop” Osterberg’s first band. PLAN C: La Quiete, Phoenix Bodies, Ghostlimb @ Che Café. Oh, Jesus. Screamo has officially spread to both Italy (La Quiete) and Indiana (Phoenix Bodies). Somebody notify the Pope and, uh, Peyton Manning. BACKUP PLAN: Daby Toure @ Anthology.

Thursday, Aug. 7

PLAN A: Immortal Technique, DJ GI Joe @ Belly Up. Immortal’s rhymes contain a militancy that can only be spawned from somebody who was raised in Harlem but born in a U.S. military hospital while civil war raged in his native Peru. PLAN B: Matt Curreri & The Exfriends, Rafter, Don’t Move @ The Casbah. The Exfriends revive their faltering indie-rock friendship by celebrating Joy of Life with buddies Rafter Roberts and U.K. duo Don’t Move. PLAN C: Brimstone Howl, Los Sweepers @ Ken Club. The Nebraska fivesome has plenty of howl and influences that are more Beatles than brimstone. BACKUP PLANS: The Banner @ SOMA and Eric Brendo @ Lestat’s.

Friday, Aug. 8

PLAN A: The Bravery @ Del Mar Race Track. Some might argue a venue prone to horseshit is a perfect venue for The Bravery. The millions of fans who’ve sprouted from dance-rock fertilizer like “An Honest Mistake” and “Believe” would disagree. PLAN B: Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Black F*g @ House of Blues. Quirky cover band side project turned actual project featuring members of NOFX, Foo Fighters and Swingin’ Utters, among others. BACKUP PLANS: Sean Kingston @ Wave House and The Nightmares @ Bar Pink.

Saturday, Aug. 9

PLAN A: The Sess, The Viewmasters, The Muslims @ Tower Bar. Check out our feature on The Viewmasters on here. PLAN B: DJ Quik @ 4th & B. Straight outta Compton, Quik has enough skills (as both a rapper and producer) to have collaborated with everyone from 2Pac and Jay-Z to Talib Kweli and Snoop Dogg—the latter being no small feat considering their conflicting Blood/Crip affiliations. PLAN C: The Faint, Jaguar Love @ SOMA. The Faint are dance punks who act British but are actually from Omaha. Jaguar Love is the experimental indie-rock result of a tryst between The Blood Brothers and Pretty Girls Make Graves. BACKUP PLAN: Steve Poltz & The Cynics, Sara Petite @ Belly Up.

Sunday, Aug. 10

PLAN A: Nas, Talib Kweli @ House of Blues. Anyone with a “New York State of Mind” best get his or her ass to this show. Hell, even if you have a “Des Moines State of Mind,” here are two good reasons (Nas/Talib) why hip-hop is not dead. PLAN B: Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart, Latonya Lockett @ Belly Up. Stewart takes a stab at solo success after splitting from Marsha “The Songstress” Ambrosius and their erstwhile British hip-hop duo Floetry. PLAN C: The Plastic Revolution, Gunpowder Sunset @ Beauty Bar. TPR has been planning for chaos ever since the electronic pop-punks were playing San Diego State house parties. Now they have an album (Planning for Chaos) and an unofficial SDSU fight song (“Aztec Anthem”) to show for it. BACKUP PLAN: Acoustic Alliance @ Brick by Brick.

Monday, Aug. 11

PLAN A: Lanterns, Apes of Wrath, Laserwolf & Thunderbolt @ The Casbah. Lanterns is one of the better unsung bands in San Diego (Exhibit A: Apocalypse Youth), Apes of Wrath delivers commendable indie rock (Exhibit B: Plastic, Fake and Frozen) and L&T really hates cats (Exhibit C: “Die Cat Die”). PLAN B: Tape Deck Mountain, Allison Harris, Dave Mulligan @ Beauty Bar. Tape Deck Mountain is the acoustic milieu created by self-proclaimed local “band whores” Travis Trevisan and Keith Milgaten and their debut EP Sparks. BACKUP PLAN: UB40 @ Pala Palomar Starlight Theater.

Tuesday, Aug. 12

PLAN A: Paolo Nutini @ Hard Rock Café. Nutini is best known for his ode to fresh kicks (“New Shoes”), but the Scottish-born, Italian-named singer/songwriter is here to ring in Hard Rock’s 10th birthday. PLAN B: Passenger @ House of Blues (Delta Room). HOB generally reserves the Delta Room for intimate singer/songwriter types. This time, it’s an opportunity to let an alt-metal side project from Swedish meatheads In Flames permanently damage your hearing. PLAN C: The Fabulous Thunderbirds @ Anthology. Never before or since has anyone attempted to wear a red suit with a black beret in a music video since T-birds vocalist Kim Wilson did it for “Tuff Enuff.” And that getup—and song—is all I remember about the band. But it’s enuff. BACKUP PLAN: Fast Times @ House of Blues.