After a rather wild weekend in which the party we co-sponsored was busted AND I got a really bad sun burn, we're back to make you feel bad about yourselves (looks like a pretty slow week, if we missed a good show, let us know in the comments)
SHOWS OF NOTE THIS WEEK
TUE: the Virgins (the Loft) FRI: Cult Ritual/Wiccans/Vorvadoss (Bike House) FRI: Bob Log III/Willem Maker/El Paso Hot Button (Club Dada) SAT: Hercules and Love Affair (dj set)/Pat Mahoney (Lizard Lounge) SAT: Ghostcar/Zanzibar Snails (Amsterdam Bar)
Jesus Christ-- there are a lot of shows this weekend, and I have NONE of my usual helpers to assist with write ups, so I'm going to do the best I can. You can check our show calendar for even more info, and please feel free to add shows you don't see on there yourselves. It's really easy and takes but a second, and we always love people who make our jobs a little bit easier. Oh, and someone sent me this message on Facebook today:
"WSJR Award Nomination for Worst Club in Which to Have Explosive Diarrhea: Rubber Gloves. No fucking toilet paper in the men's room!" Come on RG, hook us up next time, ok? Shows:
FRIDAY
Dub Assembly with Appleblim of Skull Disco | Mundo | Royal Highnuss | Tomb (Green Elephant) Appleblim is perhaps the most esteemed guest Dub Assembly has ever hosted, so if you've never been to one of their monthly parties but have an interest, I would highly recommend making tonight the one you go to. For those who don't know, Skull Disco has been one of the most closely followed and highly acclaimed record labels to have emerged from the dubstep scene, and Appleblim was it's co-founder along with Shackleton, another hero of the genre. Whereas much of the more popular dubstep that has emerged in the past few years (Skream, Burial, etc.) has taken direct inspiration from hip hop and electro/dance, the Skull Disco sound has always been significantly more challenging and abstract, with a focus on African percussion, tribal rhythms and raw worship of hard, heavy beats and bass with an overall approach that could be considered minimal when compared with contemporaries. This rough minimalism landed them the admiration of critics as well as respected electro producers such as Ricardo Villalobos, who did an excellent remix on the label's first compilation. For Appleblim to play in the United States outside of the normal spots (NYC, LA, SF, etc.) is probably a rare treat, and you can thank the well connected Dub Assembly crew for making it happen.
Eat Avery's Bones | Red Faced Laughter | Fungi Girls | Montezuma (Majestic Dwelling of Doom) It's too bad that the Numerators canceled their performance tonight, but this will still be a fantastic show. Members of Red Faced Laughter run the Majestic Dwelling these days, and although the group doesn't play out a whole hell of a lot, we really enjoy what they do and always look forward to seeing one of their sets. I don't know if I've already told this story, but they mailed us one of their tapes a couple years ago in what appeared to be a custom, hand crafted package, and we absolutely loved it-- just a chaotic mix of all kinds of influences, everything from no wave to shoegaze to westcoast hardcore. The problem was that we just kept putting off writing something about it until it was too late, and thus we totally screwed up. Anyway, head out to hear how bad we screwed up tonight, and be sure to catch the excellent Fungi Girls and Eat Avery's Bones, who during their excellent set at the Dan Doyle record release party a few weeks ago made quite an impression on several people I was with that had never heard them before.
Humanization 4tet (Firehouse Gallery) Portuguese jazz group featuring Aaron and Stefan Gonzalez will also feature a guest appearance from their father Dennis this evening at the new Metrognome Collective spot. I pretty much don't even question what these guys do anymore, I just go watch and enjoy. Just listen to the stuff on their Myspace if you don't believe me. Doors at 8PM I believe.
Outlaw Order | Midnight | Aten (Club Dada) Honestly didn't have a lot of time to check these bands out before posting, but Outlaw Order sounds pretty fucking ferocious and if I end up being in the mood for this kind of stuff tonight I would certainly consider checking this out. Solid stuff that features members of Eyehategod. Oh, and locals Aten sound quite good too. Some surprising local doom metal is always a good thing.
Flock of Seagulls | When In Rome | Dramarama (House of Blues) Former WSJR contributor and man behind the excellent San Francisco project Rangers, Howard Bob Johnson, is actually a big Flock of Seagulls fan who is constantly trying to get me to check out some of their "deep cuts" in order to see how underrated they are. I did it once before and I kind of agreed with him actually. Oops.
Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos | Telekinesis (Hailey's) Margot and the Nuclear So and Sos is honestly the worst band name of all time. I can't even bring myself to listen to the stuff on their Myspace page. Sowwy.
SATURDAY
Etc. Etc. and WSJR Present RIOT Warehouse Party (1800 Lear St., Dallas) I already did a post on this today, so check out the info here, and get ready. You all know you're so going anyway.
Jack with One Eye | Blixaboy (Good Records) These usually start at 6 and always have free beer, as both groups are celebrating releases on Wanz Dover's Stereo on Strike label.
Rival Gang | Rocket for Ethiopia | Fungi Girls | Scoff | Lady K (1649 W. Henderson St., Cleburne) Great weekend for a fun Sunday show like this as everyone has Monday off. Cleburne is a hell of a drive, but a great line up like this combined with my curiosity about what a show in Cleburne looks like almost makes me think that I'll drive out to this show... we'll see. Not sure what time this starts, but I think I heard 7PM.
Our new friends at Etc., Etc. Promotions are growing up pretty fast. After putting on their first successful event a few months ago at Backyard Beach Bar, they've decided to take it up several notches this weekend with Riot, a massive warehouse dance party they've put together that is shaping up to be a pretty damn big deal, and possibly one of the biggest electro/dance events to hit Dallas in several months. There's something exciting about a warehouse party, and we're happy to be co-sponsoring this with them. Here are the details:
(Three Olives Vodka and Red Stripe will be providing the drinks with the price of your admission. Tell them you're a We Shot J.R. reader at the door and you'll receive a special gift basket that will include-- suspicious looks, an increased cover charge, and a chance to win a romantic getaway to the next Disturbathon.)
The Thermals | Shaky Hands (the Loft) The other day I was driving around with a friend in her car listening to what sounded like pretty straight forward pop punk influenced indie rock, but after inquiring about what we were listening to, I found out that it was the latest Thermals record. I found this disappointing for a lot of reasons, but mostly because I so thoroughly enjoyed the band's 2003 debut More Parts Per Million, which was probably the first pop punk album I was really able to get behind since the mid 90's. Not that this kind of music needs to be particularly cerebral or even all that original to be enjoyable, but upon listening a little more to the group's two most recent records, it seemed that some of the amateurish fun of their initial material has vanished, and although you could do a lot worse than the Thermals when it comes to this kind of music, it's just a tad disheartening to hear a great band that seems to be running in place without a lot of new ideas or compelling songwriting or recording choices, especially considering their rather silly first single from their most recent album. The Thermals are probably a slightly more important band than most people give them credit for being, but I just expected more out of this band's newer material, even six years after my initial introduction to them.
Ponytail | True Widow | Fight Bite (The Cavern) Ponytail are quite well known for their live shows, and they truly sit far above most of Baltimore's Wham City also-rans, seemingly digging a bit deeper into more adveturous territory than most of their peers while still managing to be a shitload of fun. True Widow is another group with a great reputation for live shows, but for obviously very different reasons, and they would probably have a pretty easy time packing the Cavern on their own. Translation: get there early if you want to get into this, because I'm guessing there will be a very healthy turnout.
Earthlings (1919 Hemphill) A animal rights documentary screening. A little info here.
Refactory 1 feat. Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights | Dove Hunter | Airline (1800 Lear St.) This show takes place at the warehouse space where Disturbathon is normally held, and will also feature visual art and a fashion show, which will be helpful since Airline and Jonathan Tyler are two of the more boring local bands I can think of. I wonder what its like to be totally into them? Anyway, I believe this starts at 8 or 9pm, and we're co-sponsoring a really great party taking place there on Saturday... more info on that a little later.
El Tocadiscos is out on tour with Avril Lavigne...
Major Weekend Event 40th Annual Art Fest @ Fair Park Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-24, 2009 artfest500.com $6 at the gate / $5 in advance at your neighborhood Tom Thumb store(s)
My parents volunteered at Art Fest every year when I was really little. I got to ride around on a golf cart. I mostly remembered the smell of cheap tap beer in plastic cups. One time I tripped on a curb and got hot tar all over my new shirt. Good memories.
"The 4th Wall has been defined as 'feeding one’s mind and soul through imaginative artists and is sure to tantalize and impress the minds of both the beginning and the experienced art collector.'" Evidently this show is some kind of collection of "Lowbrow artists", i.e., "the underground visual art movement that began in LA in the late 1970’s and now is a widespread populist art movement that has been called pop surrealism."
I can't get through von Buhler's site (flash madness), but evidently she's a contemporary surrealist (okay, I did find the paintings eventually, and I'd put some of it on my wall). Paredes is evidently a hip hop chef by day/night; painter by other times. His retarded web site plays music automatically when you visit... just in case you wanted to inform all your co-workers that you're not working. Scott Bakal's stuff looks delicate.
I can't really find much out about Inki Min, but this stuff looks pretty amazing. She or he "blends abstract expressionism, realism and whimsy to create a deeply affecting vision." Featured image above.
Photoworks 2009 Jose Briseno, Megan Charter, Amber Clark, Hubert Duong, Leah Foster, Tim Kingsbury, Kari Kolodzie, Mark Lauman, Melissa Muilenburg, Long Nguyen, Rhea Phelan, Natalie Price, Daniel Song, Lezlie Strickland, Nathan Woodruff and Kia Wright UT Dallas Visual Arts Building Opens Friday, May 22, 6:30 pm
I was tempted to look all these artists up... but, can anyone tell us who doesn't suck?
Not sure what this event is, but it sounds kind of seedy. I picture showing up to a sleek Uptown loft, standing around awkwardly for about thirty minutes, wanting to get another glass of wine, but not wanting to look like an alcoholic or cheapskate... then the lights go down, you're one of only four people there, two of whom are twice your age... and then the home made porn starts on a massive television panel hanging on a white wall. Mommy.
Saturday, May 23
Please cut my balls off now and save me the trouble of attending the Centraltrak Panel Discussion entitled: Janus Face, Antipode, or Homologue - Feminism and Conceptualism 1965-75 with Fran Colpitt, Marilyn Waligore, Noah Simbalist, and Eric Stryker CentralTrak Saturday, May 23, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
I hope sweet, sweet Charissa Terranova gives a 30-minute-long introduction... and someone else gives her a 15-minute introduction including an entire resume review.
"This is.... Still Life" by William Martin Cameron Gallery Opens Saturday, May 23, 6 - 9:00 PM
Martin Family represent this weekend! But Cameron Gallery's flash web site freezes up halfway through loading, so I have no idea what this is. And the guy's name is too common to google, unless he's the artist who died in 1867. That would certainly be still life! Har har! Fuck me.
Isis | Pelican | Tombs (Granada Theater) Isis, of course, is a highly skilled and typically excellent metal band with avant and prog influences that actually make them pretty interesting, as evidenced by their involvement with people such as Justin Broderick and Tim Hecker, and their admitted Neurosis, Melvins and Swans influences.... all positive attributes. Tombs, too, is a very solid shoegaze metal act, and one that has been receiving a lot of attention in their native Brooklyn recently, thanks in part to the upcoming release of a highly anticipated full length album later this year (which will probably be available at the show). However, Pelican? Does anyone really listen to that band? I have had a lot of trouble over the years trying to figure out why people find this group entertaining, and trust me--- I love metal, instrumentals, noise, music that "takes patience," and, to borrow some words from a personal lyrical hero, I "dig repitition." Still don't dig these guys though.
Crystal Method | LA Riots (House of Blues) I think I tried to see this band at Deep Ellum live in like 1997 but couldn't get in because I wasn't old enough or something. My dad was probably glad that I didn't get into this show just so that I didn't "waste my money and hang out with idiots," and now I'm glad about it too. Thanks Dad!
PS-- Openers LA Riots kind of remind me of this conversation I had with Alan Palomo once where he talked about how low IQ hipster dance acts are completely ruining electronic music in the eyes of people with decent taste, and LA Riots seem to be the poster boys for this argument.
Apple Miner Colony | Heartstring Stranglers | Suprise Guest DJ (Bee's Manor, 306 Texas St., Denton) Free show starts at 9pm featuring the headliners, Apple Miner Colony, who are a 20 piece "folk orchestra."
Dust Congress | Burnt Sienna Trio | Chris Welch (Dan's Silverleaf) This show kicks off a brief tour for Dust Congress to coincide with their latest release, as the band will head through the dirty south and make their way to some of the worst cities Florida has to offer.
Left of the Dial with DJ G (Rubber Gloves) Spinning post-punk, goth, early industrial, shoegaze, etc. Go see a DJ who actually knows what the fuck he's talking about for a change, people. Wanz Dover will be guesting with G tonight.
Propagandhi | Bridge and Tunnel (Prophet Bar) I think I tried to see this band at the Argo in like 1995 but couldn't get in because I wasn't old enough or something. My dad was probably glad that I didn't get into this show so that I didn't "waste my money and hang out with idiots," and now I'm glad about it too. Thanks Dad!
Our friends at the Granada were nice enough to hook us up with three pairs of tickets to tonight's Isis/Pelican/Tombs show, and since the show IS in fact tonight, and we don't have much time to do this, we're going to give these tickets away to the first three people who email weshotjrtix@yahoo.com with "Isis" as the subject line and their full name in the body. We'll try to update this post right away to let you know when the contest is over, but in case we can't, we'll tell you that we posted it at 135 PM to give you some idea whether you still have a shot. Good luck!
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