RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Couple of things you won't find down further, due to complexity of 
venues or ticket prices or whatever:

1) John Zorn's Acoustic Masada tomorrow night (11/17) at Page Auditorium 
at Duke. When we listen to post-1970 jazz at our house, it's probably 
one of the Masada discs. I own a moderate amount of Zorn (10+ CDs, which 
is actually a pitiful drop in the bucket compared to the dude's output) 
and while I dearly love the noisy stuff like Naked City et al, the 
Masada pieces are remarkable, compelling, challenging *and* beautiful; 
I'm drawn back to them again & again in a way that his other music 
mostly doesn't inspire.

2) Joanna Newsom at an auditorium at Greensboro College on Saturday 
night (11/18); info here: http://www.theflyinganvil.com/schedule.asp

The rest:


Thursday, November 16
IV Thieves    (http://www.myspace.com/ivthieves)
Velvet    (http://www.velvetpop.com)
Bang Bang Bang    (http://www.bangbangbangrock.com)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, November 17
Micah P. Hinson    (http://www.myspace.com/micahphinson)
Tennis and the Mennonites    (http://www.tennisandthemennonites.com)
The Rose Marie    (http://www.myspace.com/ryanleedunlap)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Tennis & the Mennonites have a brand-new album out; it's 18 songs in 
about 35 minutes, and it includes most of the hits from their earlier 
limited-release EP, including "Magnets," which is a Perfect Song. Most 
bands never get to write a Perfect Song, so even if T&theM spent the 
rest of their careers doing Mariah Carey covers, they'd still be ahead 
of the game.

The Rose Marie are, I'm told, some sort of North Elementary spinoff. The 
one song I've heard, "Breathing All Wrong," is a sort of mournful yet 
weirdly stately number, but I've no idea whether it's at all representative.



Friday, November 17
The Billy Carter Band
The Ex-Members    (http://www.myspace.com/theexmembers)
Boyskout    (http://www.boyskout.com)
Kings, Raleigh



Friday, November 17
Ear Pwr    (http://www.myspace.com/earpwr)
Blacks on Blondes 
(http://www.myspace.com/douglasbrazilandafroamericanfriends)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 18
Cursive    (http://www.saddle-creek.com)
Fin Fang Foom    (http://www.lovitt.com/artists/finfangfoom.html)
Jeremy Enigk    (http://www.myspace.com/jeremyenigk)
The Cops    (http://www.thecops.com.au/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Saturday, November 18
The Ex-Members    (http://www.myspace.com/theexmembers)
Boyskout    (http://www.boyskout.com)
Marce    (http://www.marceonline.com/)
Duke Coffeehouse, Durham

It bears repeating a few dozen more times, since there was a bit of a 
gap in there: The Ex-Members are the new name for the final 3-piece 
incarnation of Gerty, and they're still bringing the danceable 
80s-inflected indie-rock.



Saturday, November 18
Gambling the Muse    (http://www.myspace.com/gamblingthemuse)
Nola    (http://www.myspace.com/nolaband)
Wayne Robbins and the Hellsayers 
(http://www.goodluckcricket.com/hellsayers/)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

There's apparently a show of Johnny Cash photos up at Bickett, and this 
therefore is the Johnny Cash Tribute show. Mason Smith Band are from 
Wilmington & have now apparently been moved to Sunday to join the $2 
Pistols.

Nola are a youngish country band from Raleigh & I love their song "Hey" 
every time I hear it; it's in the player somewhere, go look for it. 
Likewise, Ashevillians [Wayne Robbins and] the Hellsayers have a song in 
the player that just knocks me down every time I hear it.



Saturday, November 18
Ahleuchatistas    (http://www.ahleuchatistas.com/go.php)
Doctor Oakroot    (http://www.doctoroakroot.com/)
Gutbucket    (http://www.gutweb.com)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Ahleuchatistas make total ADD gtr/bass/drums avant-jazz instrumental 
mayhem; it sounds like it's recursing infinitely yet it never winds up 
in the same place. I think that's called Relativity. Gutbucket are 
jazzbos from elsewhere. Bluesman Doctor Oakroot was playing the Skylight 
long before it developed its Nightlight alter-ego, and if you can't 
quite suss why he's on the bill, the fact that he makes all his own 
instruments out of household items may be reason enough.



Saturday, November 18
The Sammies    (http://www.myspace.com/thesammies)
Elevator Action    (http://www.elevatoractionband.com/)
The Artichokes    (http://www.myspace.com/theartichokes)
Wetlands, Chapel Hill



Saturday, November 18
Future Islands    (http://www.myspace.com/futureislands)
Sodajerk    (http://www.sodajerkcountry.com)
Video Hippos    (http://www.videohippos.com)
Kings, Raleigh



Sunday, November 19
Cat Power    (http://www.catpowermusic.com/)
Dexter Romweber    (http://www.dexterromweber.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

I've talked to quite a few people about this show, and almost none of 
them plan to attend. I've heard a lot of variations on the "I saw her at 
the ArtsCenter; it was every bit as awful as all the stories would have 
you believe" routine.

And sure, *I* was at that ArtsCenter show, and it was painful. But y'all 
don't seem to have seen any of the articles wherein it is revealed that 
she's finally more-or-less kicked the booze & the pills, and has been 
traveling the country for the past 4-5 months knocking people flat on 
their asses.

Nor do you seem to have caught the part about Chan touring with a 
10-piece Memphis soul band made up of a bunch of old Hi Records (aka the 
home of Al Green) sidemen.

So go ahead, stay home from this show. I'd *love* to see a show this 
good at a NON-sold-out Cradle for once.



Sunday, November 19
$2 Pistols    (http://www.myspace.com/twodollarpistols)
Mason Smith Band    (http://masonsmithband.com/)
Shannon O'Connor    (http://shannonoconnor.com/)
Bickett Gallery, Raleigh

Second night of Johnny Cash tributizing, in honor of Johnny himself & 
also the show of photos hanging at Bickett right now. $2 Pistols need no 
introduction, I trust, but if I'm wrong: I bet they could do a killer 
cover of "Boy Named Sue."



Tuesday, November 21
Portastatic    (http://www.portastatic.com)
Norfolk and Western    (http://www.norfolkandwestern.org/)
Corinna Repp    (http://www.killrockstars.com/press/449/)
The Flying Anvil, Greensboro



Wednesday, November 22
Earl Greyhound    (http://www.myspace.com/earlgreyhound)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

NY trio compared by Sasha Frere-Jones to Led Zeppelin, a comparison even 
he admits is kinda empty at this point. Nevertheless, the consensus 
(among pantywaisted NY "rock" critics, that is) appears to be that they 
rock.



Wednesday, November 22
Volcano The Bear    (http://brainwashed.com/vtb)
Felt Battery
Feral Pony
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Nightlight says:

YAY! Volcano the Bear and then we eat marshmallow sweet potatoes with a 
fried turkey injected with garlic balls. This show will rule forever. We 
are but too lucky and must GIVE THANKS! Felt Battery and Feral Pony will 
provide lead in power by summoning crystal energy from bacon wrapped 
shrimp dogs and blue sparkle crest fighting cocks. Experimental Music, 
good times, and the U.K.'s most amazing mongrel jazz ensemble ever.



Thursday, November 23
DMVB    (http://www.myspace.com/dmvb)
Kings, Raleigh

It's the annual Thanksgiving show, featuring DMVB, a supergroup 
including Danny Vaughn (Mothlight, Noncanon), Viswas Chitnis (Pro-L), 
and I dunno who else.



Sunday, November 26
The Hold Steady    (http://www.theholdsteady.com/)
The Big Sleep    (http://thebigsleep.net/)
Victory Factory
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

OK, I'll readily admit I enjoyed last year's Hold Steady album (haven't 
heard this year's yet), and the cram-packed show at 506 was fairly 
amusing for 15-20 minutes or so, until the 200+ fanboys in the room 
started to become just a little too much to take, what with the singing 
along & the yelling things and the one dude down front sprinkling beer 
on the lip of the stage like holy water. We spent some time trying to 
distinguish the ironic mullets from the unironic mullets, and then we 
split for fresh air & freedom.

In case you missed it entirely: Springsteeny anthem-rock, ostensibly 
about the street kids frontman Craig Finn grew up with/around/among; the 
lyrics are 88-miles-a-minute, and delivered with a drawly sneer that 
makes Mike Ness sound like Alistair Cooke.

Victory Factory are the brand-newish band from Ron Liberti (Pipe, Ghost 
of Rock, Bringerer), Joe Romeo (Fake Swedish) and various other local 
luminaries.



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