Dynamic Duo
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.
