The Vintage & Handmade Market
Wednesday, Feb. 17
PLAN A: Henry Rollins @ Belly Up. OK, so it’s not music, but “spoken word” is hardly accurate. It’s more like ranting, soapboxing and just bitching about life in general. Sometimes I wish Rollins would take that energy and channel it back into music, but his hilarious pontificating is just about as good as anything the Rollins Band ever did. PLAN B: The Damned, The Creepy Creeps @ The Casbah. Oh, I can hear you in my head now. Seth, how can you have one of the greatest punk bands of all time as Plan B following the Rollins bitchfest? Well, because The Damned is already sold out, silly! So think of it like this: Plan A: Bank. Plan B: craigslist. Plan C: The Damned. Plan D: Rejoice. BACKUP PLAN: Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco Playboys @ Anthology.
Thursday, Feb. 18
PLAN A: Le Castle Vania, Vega, Salter & Diaz @ Voyeur. When it comes to Voyeur, there are a few “Wow, you should have been there” nights that became legendary via Twitter and Facebook. Bloody Beetroots and Boya Noize come to mind, and I fully expect Le Castle Vania’s dirty-South electro bounce to have a few people calling in sick on Friday. Be there. PLAN B: The Damned, Fing @ The Casbah. See Plan B for Wednesday. BACKUP PLAN: Mauger @ The Loft.
Friday, Feb. 19
PLAN A: Ron Silva & The Monarchs @ Tower Bar. CityBeat columnist D.A. Kolodenko recently hipped me to local legend Silva’s (The Crawdaddys, The Nashville Ramblers) new band, and I’m sure glad he did. Surrounded by a stellar backing band, he plays vintage R&B with no pretense and poseurism. If you won a Stax/Volt box set and can’t wait for that new Sharon Jones record, meet your new favorite band. PLAN B: Steve Poltz, Mojo Nixon @ Belly Up. Speaking of local legends, singer-songwriter Poltz is celebrating his 50th birthday as well as the release of his new record, Dreamhouse, tonight. Never a man to be outdone by crazies like opener Mojo Nixon, Poltz will play different sets with both of his backing bands, The Rugburns and The Cynics. BACKUP PLAN: The Donkeys, The Hot Moon, The Modlins, Joel P West @ The Casbah.
Saturday, Feb. 20
PLAN A: P.O.S., Grieves and Budo, Dessa @ The Loft. Dessa is one of the most promising acts signed to the Doomtree label (see our story in this week's issue) and, unlike most hip-hop shows where the verses sound like they’re being filtered through a shitty phone connection, P.O.S. should kill it with The Loft’s excellent sound system. PLAN B: The Long and Short of It, Archons, The Grids @ Ruby Room. Local metal gods The Long and Short of It are as cool as a chupacabra sighting. And just as dangerous. PLAN C: Anya Marina, WirePony, SoftLightes @ The Casbah. Even with über-sellers like Paramore and Thom Yorke on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack, producers picked Marina’s to be the soundtrack’s first single—indicative of the creative stride the former local’s hit recently. And show up early for SoftLightes. I recently heard some new tracks from the Ron Fountenberry-fronted project and it made me say, “Moses Leroy who?” BACKUP PLAN: Tera Melos, All Leather, Drug Wars @ Che Café.
Sunday, Feb. 21
PLAN A: Brendan Benson, Frank Fairfield @ Belly Up. Before he was “Brendan Benson (of The Raconteurs),” as the Belly Up’s website so cleverly puts it, Benson made a fantastic album of indie-pop called Lapalco that had me all aflutter back in 2002. He’s expanded his sound a lot over the years, and he’s still a hell of a performer with or without Jack White. PLAN B: Harlem, Thee Makeout Party, The Glossines @ The Casbah. Not sure when Harlem’s (actually from Austin) tenure as the garage-pop rookies of the year will expire. Seems like they’ve held the title for two years now, but their signing to indie powerhouse label Matador and their upcoming album, Hippies, should get them attention beyond the blogosphere. BACKUP PLAN: Laura Meyer, Simeon Flick @ Ruby Room.
Monday, Feb. 22
PLAN A: Metrofique, Samuel Stewart, Longstay @ The Casbah. Local folk duo Metrofique stole the show from great local bands like Boomsnake and Writer last time they played The Casbah. And they played in the fucking Atari Lounge! Opener Samuel Stewart is worth checking out, as well—the Angeleno plays cabaret-inspired pop for fans of Rufus Wainwright and Amanda Palmer. BACKUP PLAN: Upright Citizens Brigade Tour Co. @ The Loft.
Tuesday, Feb. 23
PLAN A: Laura Meyer, Jennifer Guerra, Karla Mi Lugo, The Schitzophonics @ Soda Bar. In case you missed her at Ruby Room or Java Jones, New York chanteuse Laura Meyer is playing her third and final San Diego show tonight. But what really puts this show over the top is local Karla Mi Lugo. Holy crap, where did this woman come from? Sporting ukuleles, accordions and a Billie Holiday (in her drugged-out glory) voice, I can’t wait to see her live. BACKUP PLAN: Author & Punisher, Riverberb, Fortress of Amplitude @ The Casbah.
