Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

ch-scene - Stuff to Do, Week of September 7, 2006

ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: RTP-area local music and culture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>
  • To: RTP-area local music and culture <ch-scene AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Stuff to Do, Week of September 7, 2006
  • Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 15:09:56 -0400

Hey y'all, the trianglerock.com (or now, with more flavor, http://www.trianglerock.org ) site is being moved *twice* this weekend, so it will be intermittently unavailable between now & Sunday. This list will have to tide you over:

Thursday, September 7
Rhys Chatham's Essentialist (http://www.rhyschatham.com/)
Glissade (http://www.myspace.com/glissade)
The Hem of His Garment (http://www.myspace.com/thehemofhisgarment)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Cribbing shamelessly from the PR:

"Rhys Chatham was protegee to the world-renowned pianist Glenn Gould, and a student under composers Morton Subotnick and La Monte Young . . . In 1975 Chatham had an epiphany at a concert by the Ramones. His mission: to alter the DNA of rock by splicing the overtone-drenched minimalism of John Cale and Tony Conrad with the elemental fury of punk . . . Chatham's influence spread even further as former students and ensemble members, including Glenn Branca and Sonic Youth, injected his raucous, ecstatic sound into the rock mainstream . . . His 1989 masterpiece, _An Angel Moves Too Fast to See_, scored for 100 electric guitars, bass and drums, is one of the most extraordinary works in the minimalist canon and cemented Chatham's reputation as a monolithic figure astride both rock and classical musics.

So, what do you do when you've already done it all? . . . Rhys Chatham has started a heavy metal band . . . Informed by decades of exploration in raw, electric minimalism and inspired by the slow-motion grinding of bands like Sleep, Sunn O))) and Earth, Chatham breaks down the conventions of the genre, reveals the fundamentals, then turns them inside-out. The name says it all: Rhys Chatham's Essentialist. Chatham's band-mates are a talented young group of New York musicians, including members of San Agustin and Jonathan Kane's February, and together they conjure a hallucinatory, mind-crushing form of metal unlike anything you've ever heard."

OK, me again. It remainds to be seen whether the above is entirely true (or whether there's really any point in calling this stuff "metal" anymore), but one thing's for sure: it oughta be fuckin loud.

Speaking of fuckin loud, The Hem of His Garment are conceived & designed entirely to alter yr DNA via massive phased drones played at maximum volume. I saw them a few weeks ago in a 6-man configuration, and it was easily the loudest show I've ever seen (yes, louder than Dinosaur Jr/My Bloody Valentine, although keep in mind that the size of the room makes a big difference there, and I saw the Hem at Chaz's in a room about the size of my living room).

Grayson says they're gonna be a bit bigger than that, even, this time around (and bring yr earplugs, kids, or plan on sitting outside):

Jenks Miller gtr
Lincoln Sward bass
Rich Ivey ebow
Brad Cook bass
Ryan Cooke
Joe Westerlund bowed guitar
David Harper keys
Heather McEntire ebow
Grayson Currin gtr
Evan Williams sine
Jon Morgan casio
Eric tschudi keys
Two guys from Calabi Yau
jury is still out on chuck johnson

we would like to emphasize the communal nature of what we're doing, trying to bring people from different cities and disparate scenes together. hippies of drone music, one supposes. it will be very loud, one supposes, as well, and ear protection of some sort is recommended, though frowned upon in the most snobby, yet lovingly of ways.



Friday, September 8
The Strugglers (http://www.thestrugglers.org/)
des_ark (http://www.des-ark.org)
Filthybird (http://www.myspace.com/filthybird)
Meneguar (http://www.myspace.com/meneguar)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham

This show is at the Broad Street Cafe in Durham, which is where Ooh La Latte used to be. Last time I was in there, they'd taken down the stage, but that was before they started booking more "rock"(ish) acts. Maybe they'll put it back up, I dunno.

Strugglers and des_ark you know about; they're two of the #1 reasons why I find it so easy & pleasant to continue to live in this town.

Filthybird are from Greensboro, and the one song I've heard is weird and modulated & ethereal, like Joni Mitchell in her Jaco Pastorius period, dropping acid with Jaco and then kinda free-associating into the mic. Or rather, like that if the end-result wound up genius, which seems unlikely, but in this case true.



Friday, September 8
Jett Rink (http://www.jett-rink.com/)
Adult Film Makers (http://www.myspace.com/adultfilmmakers)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

If you've been holding your breath since Jett Rink guitarist Ben departed for NYC in March, I suppose you're dead, which means the joke's on you, because the 'Rink aren't.

Adult Film Makers began as a duo of Bad Checks/Ghost of Rock drummer Rock Forbes, and 'Checks bassist/Pipe/TGOR guitarist Clif Mann. Now they've apparently added a rhythm section, freeing Rock up to live out every drummer's rock-n-roll frontman dream.



Friday, September 8
Kung Fu Dykes (http://members.cox.net/kungfudykes/index.htm)
Graveyard Boulevard (http://www.thegraveyardboulevard.net/)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Costume-rock! Graveyard Boulevard are part of that bourgeoning (no, really! Google "Wednesday 13") Charlotte-area tranny-ghoul-metal scene. Kung Fu Dykes wear dayglo samurai outfits that may or may not be made of foam-rubber. Either way, they're from Hampton VA, and beg the question: would there be a point to GWAR if you took away all the juicy bits?



Saturday, September 9
Audubon Park (http://audubonpark.blogspot.com)
Midtown Dickens (http://www.myspace.com/midtowndickens)
Pox Family Singers (http://www.poxworldempire.com)
305 South, Durham

This is the 2nd annual Pin Projekt (http://www.pinprojekt.com/) auction of artist-decorated /doctored /deconstructed bowling pins, to benefit the Troika Music Festival. Pins up for auction include those decorated by Ron Liberti, Casey Burns, Holly Aiken, Mac McCaughan, Amelia Shull, Midtown Dickens, Viva, Laura Ballance, Paul Friedrich, Brian Walsby, and many others.

Auction commences at 7:00 p.m; musical entertainment provided by Durham guerilla antifolkers Midtown Dickens, Chapel Hill indie-rock giants Audubon Park, and the Pox Family Singers, whose version of Sabbath's "Changes" had 200 people in tears at the Sames' last show earlier this year.



Saturday, September 9
Sweater Weather (http://www.sweater-weather.com)
The Busy World (http://www.myspace.com/thebusyworld)
Auxiliary House (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/auxhouse.html)
Feeding the Fire (http://www.feedingthefire.com/)
snmnmnm (http://www.snmnmnm.com/)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Remember all the cranking & crabbing about The Kids and how they don't go to shows anymore? Not all undergrads are sitting passively looking at porn & downloading MP3s in their dorm rooms as fast as UNC's OC48 will serve them. This show features a bunch of UNC-affiliated bands, and is cosponsored by/a promotional tool of/for Diversions, which is the Daily Tar Heel's arts & entertainment section.



Saturday, September 9
Nola (http://www.myspace.com/nolaband)
Gambling the Rose
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh



Saturday, September 9
The Gondoliers (http://www.myspace.com/comeseethegondoliers)
The Labiators (http://www.labiators.com/)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

The Labiators are a gtr/drums duo from Asheville. The Gondoliers are the new band featuring ex-members of defunct Chapel Hill garage-rockers The Spinns and the Young Idea.



Saturday, September 9
Boris (http://homepage1.nifty.com/boris)
Black Skies (http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies)
Pearls and Brass (http://www.pearlsandbrass.com/ )
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Black Skies are what you get when the band formerly known as The Man kick out all the unreliable members of the band, jettison some of the Stooges influence, and get Heavy.

Boris are one of those crazed Japanese drone-metal bands, although their latest album, Pink, is way too fast to be drone. Like if the Fucking Champs put out an album on Southern Lord. And were Japanese.



Saturday, September 9
The Longshoremen (http://www.myspace.com/thelongshoremen)
Can Joann (http://www.canjoann.com/)
Kings, Raleigh



Sunday, September 10
Weird Weeds (http://weirdweeds.suchfun.net)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh



Monday, September 11
Flicker (http://www.chapel-hill.nc.us/flicker)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Flicker is the semi-regular (every coupla months) local short-film series (calling it a "festival" implies that it's more intermittent than it is, even though the free cookies *do* lend it a festive atmosphere) that has been running in Chapel Hill, under various leadership, for over 10 years now.

Show up at 8:00, find a seat among friends, have a cookie, and watch ~80 minutes of short movies, the common denominators of which are that they're under 20 minutes each (many under 3.5 minutes, or the length of a single reel of super-8 film) & were all shot on film.



Monday, September 11
Double Negative (http://www.myspace.com/thedoublenegative)
Direct Control (http://www.deepfrybonanza.com/directcontrol/)
Street Sharks (http://www.myspace.com/streetsharsk)
Strung Up
Cross Laws (http://www.myspace.com/crosslaws)
Kings, Raleigh

NWoNCHC, although I think at least one of those bands is from Virginia. No matter. Though punkrock & hardcore never exactly disappeared around here, we're currently going through a period where the kids in the bands (or, in the case of Double Negative, the dudes who were kids back in the 80s in the band) are actually trying to book shows in clubs (Kings in Raleigh, and Chaz's in Durham, or rather *were*, before Chaz had to shut it down due to the impending collapse of his floor from all the ROCK) rather than just playing each other's houses, which means the rest of us get a rare window into the current state of the hardcore scene.



Tuesday, September 12
Paleo (http://www.paleo.ws/)
The Scourge of the Sea (http://www.aliasrecords.com/scourgeofthesea.htm)
Force Majeure (http://www.ludland.com/ilud/?p=38)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill

Scourge of the Sea are on Alias. Who knew they still existed (Alias, I mean)?

Paleo are one guy, who is currently midway through a project to write & record a song a day for a year. The song I put in the groovo.org player was written Sept. 5th.

Force Majeure are Kirk Ross & Bryon Settle of Lud, stretching [back] out into free-form extended guitar/noise/drone experimentation/improv.



Wednesday, September 13
Cities (http://www.citiesmusic.com)
The Selmanaires (http://www.myspace.com/theselmanaires)
tommygun (http://www.tommygunrock.com)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro



Wednesday, September 13
Future Islands (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Robert Inevitable and the Static (http://www.myspace.com/robertandthestatic)
Drew Swinburne (http://www.myspace.com/drewswinburne)
Alphas Wear Grey (http://www.alphasweargrey.com/)
Kings, Raleigh



Thursday, September 14
Randy Whitt and the Grits (http://www.randywhitt.com/)
Hank Sinatra (http://www.clearchannelnewmusicnetwork.com/artist/hanksinatra)
Phil Lee (http://www.phillee1.com)
Joe Swank and the Zen Pirates (http://www.myspace.com/joeswankandthezenpirates)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

It's a long tightrope between country & rock, but it's been walked so many times that it's touching the ground in a lot of spots between here & there. Phil Lee walked it well in the late 80s/early 90s in Raleigh (if you ever see a copy of the Backsliders/Phil Lee split 7", snap it up, it's crucial), before leaving town for Nashville under mysterious circumstances. Tonight he's back in town as "special guest" of Hank Sinatra, who've done a little wandering of their own between NC and TN.



Thursday, September 14
Darkmeat / Vomit Lasers Family Band (http://www.myspace.com/darkmeats)
The People Under the Bridge (http://www.duckonbike.com/artistinfo.asp?artistid=378)
Mingus Young (http://www.mingusyoung.com/)
Kings, Raleigh

The Darkmeat Vomit Lasers Family Band (can't explain it, too complicated, but they're from Athens, there are 18 of them, and they're freaks/refugees from half the bands in Athens of the past 10-15 years) make a giant psychedelic freaky noise.



Friday, September 15
Donna Parker (http://www.myspace.com/msdonnaparker)
Jamie Peterson (http://www.myspace.com/jamiepeterson)
Naomi (http://www.publishingnoticespress.com/)
Pykrete (http://www.bullfightparty.org/cirox/pykrete)
Tomandandy
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight sez:

Terrifying and mesmerizing noise tonight! Some press on DONNA PARKER: "uses only guitar effects pedals to create compact, trancelike improvisations that combine whirling rhythmic figures, waves of feedback and the entropic effect of decaying systems." -Bob Bannister, Time Out New York / / "Donna Parker has finally released 'Debutante', her debut LP, and it is superb. Feedback oscillations, jammed signals, sick battery effects pedal malfunction all through the hands, ears, and heart of Donna Parker who has been one of the consistent musical highlights of the Eastern seaboard out noise scene. Produced by Jessica Rylan (who has a duo with Donna Parker called Secret Diary - LP forthcoming on Ecstatic Peace) this is the record of the summer, with enough beach blanket noise action to sunburn your brain from beginning to end. It's that good." ? Byron Coley & Thurston Moore, Arthur. JAMIE PETERSON tips more towards dreamy, ambient - she has played with K Records swamp rockveterans Old Time Relijun, Deerhoof side project The Curtains, and Italian juvenile punks Dada Swing, and has been writing material in secret over the last ten years, collecting noises from guitars, telephones, people and machines. With a sound ranging from miniature dungeon doom to poptimistic ear candy, her bipolar performance embraces the didactic aspect of live musical performance, and insists that edu-tainment lose its stigma. NAOMI sings with a synth, CAN'T style - PYKRETE is the harsh/drone/occasional beat-oriented stereo-action project of one CHUCK JOHNSON (of many bands including SPATULA, SHARKQUEST, IDYLL SWORDS, OH MY GOD I JUST HAD THE MOST AMAZING YEAR, etc), I love you Chuck! (-Ryan M). Tomandandy is Tracksuits + Amplifiers + maybe some duct tape guitars from DURHAM - they haven't played in a long time, they are great!!! This will be a rad show! It's on a Friday, too! Drop your plans, the party's here!!!



Friday, September 15
Gist (http://www.gistmusic.net/)
Nathan Asher & the Infantry (http://www.nathanasher.com/)
Eyes to Space (http://www.eyestospace.net/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, September 15
Goner (http://www.gonertheband.com/)
The Greatest Hits (http://www.thegreatesthits.org/)
Electric Sunshine
Kings, Raleigh



Saturday, September 16
Work Clothes (http://www.workclothesmusic.com/)
North Elementary (http://www.northelementary.com)
Erie Choir (http://www.eriechoir.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

So you've been out of town for a few years & you want to get caught up on the creme of the local hush-hush indie-rock bummer-folk psych-pop crop? This'll bring you up to speed on the local folks writing shatteringly good songs, singing them in quiet indoor voices, and letting their instruments occasionally do the yelling for them. At least 2 of these bands are in my current top-20 don't-miss-'em category, so, um, don't, OK?



Saturday, September 16
Maple Stave (http://www.maplestave.com)
Fin Fang Foom (http://www.lovitt.com/artists/finfangfoom.html)
Calabi Yau (http://www.calabiyau.org)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

This is a CD-release party for new stuff from the Maple Stave, who are *also* in my top-20 don't-miss-em category, which presents you with something of a dilemma. These three bands are of the wiry/muscular post-whatever guitars-spiraling around ultra-tight drums variety, with Calabi Yau holding down the freako/spazzo end, Fin Fang Foom going for the darker/ slower/ downer textures, particularly now that they've got a fulltime cellist, and Maple Stave just burning shit down to scorched bare earth.



Sunday, September 17
Darkmeat / Vomit Lasers Family Band (http://www.myspace.com/darkmeats)
Dead Elephant Bicycle (http://www.myspace.com/deadelephantbicycle)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro

The folks at the Flying Anvil take a stab at explaining Dark Meat Vomit Lasers Family Band; let's see how they do:

The 18 person-plus Dark Meat collective (full name: Dark Meat Vomit Lasers Family Band) comes off like CCR and Neil Young joining the circus on a mescaline bender. Horns, pots, pans, strings, two drummers, and lots of face paint. Featuring members of (are you ready for this?) Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, Circulatory System, Vicariously Through Cats, We Versus The Shark, Col. Knowledge and the Lickety-Splits, Hope For Agoldensummer, Venice is Sinking, the Ginger Envelope, Ceramic Dvck, among many, many others. Album coming soon on Cloud Recordings, home of Olivia Tremor Control and the Tall Dwarfs.



Sunday, September 17
Christina Carter (http://www.kranky.net/artists/carterc.html)
Max Ochs (http://www.tompkinssquare.com/max.html)
Shawn David McMillen (http://emperorjones.com/mcmillen.html)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Christina Carter is one-half of the famed, formerly-Houston, formerly-married, now-bicoastal psych/drone band Charalambides. Shawn David McMillen used to be in the Galveston band (maybe the *only* Galveston band, or at least the only one not specializing in Jimmy Buffett covers) Ash Castles on the Ghost Coast. Max Ochs is Phil's cousin, or something, no shit.



Monday, September 18
We Are Scientists (http://www.wearescientists.com/)
Art Brut (http://www.artbrut.org.uk/)
Spinto Band (http://www.spintoband.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Monday, September 18
Neptune (http://www.velvettabla.com/neptune/)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham



Monday, September 18
Jen Richelson (http://www.myspace.com/jenrichelson)
John Harrison
Eric Roehrig (http://www.eriechoir.com)
Wes Phillips (http://www.myspace.com/wesleydongeroga)
Fuse, Chapel Hill

Jen Richelson is gonna draw some Cat Power comparisons, which isn't really fair to anybody, but the song I heard acquitted itself well enough, and I'll betcha Jen's not a fucking nutjob, either, at least not yet.

John Harrison is the frontman/mastermind in front of & behind North Elementary.

Eric Roehrig used to spend a lot of time playing guitar & singing in Sorry About Dresden. Now he spends more of that time playing guitar & singing in Erie Choir, which is quieter & does not jump around nearly as much.

Wes Phillips moved here from Iowa & for a year or two was in a band called Ticonderoga with two of his fellow Iowans. They disbanded last year, but the Wes Phillips song I heard still has some of that that mysterious Iowan *something* that made Ticonderoga so amazing.



Monday, September 18
Vibrant Green (http://vibrantgreen.iuma.com)
Kind of Like Spitting (http://www.hushrecords.com/kols.html)
The Anchor Comes Home (http://www.myspace.com/theanchorcomeshome)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill



--------> http://www.trianglerock.org <--------




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page