RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

Saturday, May 3
The Pressure Boys    (http://www.pressureboys.com/)
Sneakers    (http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=chris_stamey)
Greg Humphreys
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

The Pressure Boys were a hugely popular Chapel Hill ska band, back 
before American ska became the enormous cottage industry/joke that it 
has been for the past 20 years or so. They broke up in '88, and the 
original lineup have since been scattered to the four winds, with 
drummer Rob Ladd enjoying a successful career as a west coast session 
drummer, and bassist Jack Campbell relocated to New York (after the sad 
end of his Durham record store Poindexter Records).

A few years ago, PB frontman John Plymale's daughter Allie was diagnosed 
with Cystic Fibrosis. Plymale, now a busy local record producer, put 
together the "Songs for Sixty-Five Roses" compilation to benefit CF 
research. This reunion was the next logical avenue for CF 
consciousness/fund-raising, I guess.

Lest you be left wondering about the enduring popularity of the Pressure 
Boys, this show was originally slated for just one night, but it sold 
out quickly enough that they decided to add a second night. Helped, 
perhaps, by the addition of a Sneakers reunion: Chris Stamey and Mitch 
Easter's short-lived late-70s new wave band never got more than 1% of 
the attention directed at the dBs and Let's Active, but listening from 
2008, there's a freshness & anarchy present in the Sneakers' recordings 
that seems inexhaustible.



Saturday, May 3
Chip Robinson
Patty Hurst Shifter    (http://www.pattyhurstshifter.com)
Tres Chicas    (http://www.treschicas.org/)
Glory Fountain    (http://gloryfountain.home.mindspring.com)
The Silos    (http://www.thesilos.net)
Pour House, Raleigh

Silos bassist Drew Glackin died earlier this year, of a 
previously-undiagnosed thyroid condition. This show is a memorial and 
also a fundraiser for the Future of Music Coalition's HINT, the Health 
Insurance Navigation Tool, which was set up to help musicians deal with 
the difficulties of getting health coverage in 2008 America.

Here's a full lineup:

Tres Chicas (+ Hazeldine reunion)
Chip Robinson
Glory FOuntain
Chris Mills
the Silos
Quarry Hill
Tandy
BJ Barham
Patty Hurst Shifter




Saturday, May 3
Sequoya    (http://www.myspace.com/sequoya)
Sawteeth McTweedy and the Particles 
(http://www.myspace.com/sawteethmctweedy)
Scientific Superstar    (http://www.myspace.com/scientificsuperstar)
Veronica Blood    (http://www.myspace.com/veronicablood)
Bull City Headquarters, Durham

Future generations looked back on it as "the day the good band names ran 
out."



Saturday, May 3
In the Year of the Pig    (http://www.southernloveprod.com/ityotp.htm)
Earth    (http://www.southernlord.com/band_EAR.php)
Katmandu, Raleigh

When I said "gonna be playing the hexed/doomed club space on Martin St," 
I wasn't really trying to hex/doom the Downtown Event Center, but it 
shut down anyway. This show will now be occurring, somewhat bizarrely, 
at Katmandu, a "girls dancing on the bar" kind of a place that used to 
be the Comet Lounge, way back when Ryan Adams was drinking underage, 
next door to the Brewery on Hillsborough St.

Earth are one of the acknowledged masters of the heavy drone, so it'll 
actually be intensely amusing to see their wall-o-sound up against the 
"$3 well drink specials."



Saturday, May 3
I Was Totally Destroying It 
(http://www.reverbnation.com/iwastotallydestroyingit)
Tripp    (http://www.myspace.com/trippband)
Mumpsy    (http://www.myspace.com/mumpsy )
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Saturday, May 3
Tom Meltzer Combo    (http://www.myspace.com/tommeltzer)
Jeff Hart
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Saturday, May 3
Man Will Destroy Himself
Suburban Sweethearts
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Sunday, May 4
Chip Robinson
Kenny Roby    (http://www.kennyroby.com)
Lou Ford    (http://www.louford.com/)
The Cartridge Family    (http://www.cartridge-family.com/)
Joe Swank and the Zen Pirates 
(http://www.myspace.com/joeswankandthezenpirates)
Sadlack's Heroes, Raleigh

This is the second half of the Drew Glackin Memorial/HINT fundraiser. 
Chip always did play better hung over.



Sunday, May 4
Man Man    (http://www.wearemanman.com)
Yeasayer    (http://www.myspace.com/yeasayer)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Sunday, May 4
The Men    (http://www.myspace.com/themenproject1)
Grass Widow    (http://www.myspace.com/grasswidow)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a 506 Free For All show.



Sunday, May 4
Polynya    (http://www.myspace.com/polynyapolynya)
The Bright Lights    (http://www.myspace.com/spynovel)
Reservoir, Carrboro



Monday, May 5
Leslie    (http://www.myspace.com/leslierock)
Airbourne    (http://www.myspace.com/airbourne)
Reborn    (http://www.myspace.com/rebornrox)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Tuesday, May 6
The Rosebuds    (http://www.therosebuds.com/)
British Sea Power    (http://www.britishseapower.co.uk/)
Jeffrey Lewis    (http://www.thejeffreylewissite.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Tuesday, May 6
Noncanon    (http://www.myspace.com/noncanon)
Waumiss    (http://www.myspace.com/waumiss)
Dain's Place, Durham

You're going to be up half the night watching election returns anyway, 
so why not do it with the sound turned down, a beer & a plate of 
pierogies in front of you, and Noncanon doing their blooz/drone/freakout 
thing at the end of the room? Also on the bill: Waumiss, the 
reincarnation/elevation of Clarque & Caroline's low-fi bedroom project 
(formerly known as Shallow Be Thy Name).



Tuesday, May 6
Sea Cow
Potato Gun Project    (http://www.myspace.com/potatogunproject)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a 506 Free For All show.



Wednesday, May 7
Jukebox the Ghost    (http://www.myspace.com/jukeboxtheghost)
Western Civ.    (http://westerncivrock.com)
The XYZ Affair    (http://www.myspace.com/thexyzaffair)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, May 7
The Chuttesville Speak
Sunset    (http://www.myspace.com/lobosunset)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, May 7
The Scott Waite Debacle    (http://myspace.com/scottwaiteisbenevolent)
Swan Quarter    (http://www.myspace.com/swanquarter)
Hell, Chapel Hill



Thursday, May 8
Filthybird    (http://www.myspace.com/filthybird)
The Physics of Meaning    (http://www.thephysicsofmeaning.com/)
The Tiny Meteors    (http://www.myspace.com/thetinymeteors)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Filthybird and the Tiny Meteors are both from Greensboro. Filthybird's 
album "Southern Skies" was one of the best things about 2007; singer 
Renee Mendoza's voice swoops and soars, and the further out she goes, 
the harder the band works to keep her aloft.



Thursday, May 8
Nathan Asher & the Infantry    (http://www.nathanasher.com/)
Tir Na Nog, Raleigh

This is Tir na nOg's weekly local bands/local beers night, cosponsored 
by WKNC.



Thursday, May 8
Monsonia    (http://www.monsonia.com)
Hazerai    (http://www.myspace.com/hazerai)
Algebra of Need
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Monsonia make tight, mathy indie-rock focused around the cranky 
mutterings of singer/guitarist Carter Browning. Hazerai make postpunk of 
the screamy/paranoiac variety. They're good at it; you come away 
thinking "Fuck! What do they know that I don't know?"



Thursday, May 8
The Manics    (http://www.myspace.com/themanicsrock)
Pendleton    (http://www.myspace.com/pendletonmusic)
Reservoir, Carrboro



Friday, May 9
The Old Ceremony    (http://www.theoldceremony.com/)
Tony Scherr    (http://www.myspace.com/tonyscherr)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, May 9
The Gondoliers    (http://www.myspace.com/comeseethegondoliers)
Soft Company    (http://www.myspace.com/softcompany)
Chops
Nightlight, Chapel Hill

Apparently Todd left town, bringing the Gondoliers to an untidy & 
premature end, so he's coming back for one last show, so everyone can 
give a proper sendoff to the best mid-60s-style garage-band to come out 
of Chapel Hill in years.

Soft Company are just about my favorite live band currently working 
around here: a bunch of ringers from other bands (Hotel Motel, Piedmont 
Charisma, Erie Choir, Audubon Park) united to back the bizarro song 
stylings of Erin Ridings. They're like a loose southern reincarnation of 
early-70s Roxy Music.

They're also too damn loud to keep playing clubs like Nightlight, where 
the PA will struggle to let the vocals be heard over the caterwauling of 
the rest of the band.



Friday, May 9
The Backbeat
Jack Sprat Cafe, Chapel Hill



Friday, May 9
Kapow! Music    (http://kapowmusic.net)
Wil Donegan and the Apologies
The Cave Singers    (http://www.myspace.com/thecavesingers)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Friday, May 9
American Aquarium    (http://www.americanaquarium.com/)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Saturday, May 10
Killer Filler    (http://www.myspace.com/killerfiller)
Sadlack's Heroes, Raleigh

Killer Filler is the knockout surf/instrumental combo fronted by former 
SCOTS keyboardist Crispy Bess, and featuring Bryon Settle (Lud, Pressure 
Boys, Trailer Bride, etc) on lead guitar.



Saturday, May 10
Polvo    (http://www.southern.com/southern/band/POLVO/index.html)
des_ark    (http://www.des-ark.org)
Noncanon    (http://www.myspace.com/noncanon)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

You either already have your ticket or you're SOL, so for those of you 
who're going: make sure you show up on time. These two openers are two 
of the best bands the region has to offer, so if you roll in late, 
you're just gonna tag yourself as one of those married-with-kids 
ex-scenesters who only goes to reunion shows to talk to their old 
friends they never see anymore.



Saturday, May 10
Bonde Do Role    (http://www.myspace.com/bondedorole)
The Death Set    (http://www.thedeathset.com)
Diamond Studs    (http://www.myspace.com/juanhuevos)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Saturday, May 10
Thunderlip    (http://www.thunderlip.com/)
Colossus    (http://www.myspace.com/thecolossuswillcrushyou)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Sunday, May 11
Lam! Lam!    (http://www.myspace.com/lamlamband)
WXDU 88.7 FM, Durham

Betsy-Shane felt all self-conscious about doing solo shows with just her 
guitar & her iPod, so she started doing elaborate dance routines & 
wearing fancy outfits & whatnot, none of which you'll be able to see 
over the radio, so just pull out that videotape you made when you were 
13, the one with all the Madonna videos taped off of MTV, and play it on 
mute while you listen.

4:00 p.m. 88.7FM or wxdu.org.



Sunday, May 11
Polynya    (http://www.myspace.com/polynyapolynya)
Glissade    (http://www.myspace.com/glissade)
If/When    (http://www.myspace.com/ifwhen)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Shoegaze, in the form of Glissade and if/when, both from points west 
(Glissade from the Triad, I believe, and if/when from all the way out in 
the mountains of NC somewhere). Plus our own Polynya, who aren't 
shoegaze but who *do* have a healthy appreciation of the Cure & Stereolab.



Monday, May 12
Flicker    (http://www.chapel-hill.nc.us/flicker)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Flicker is the monthly-ish festival of short films that has been 
happening in Chapel Hill for over a decade now. Under 20 minutes apiece, 
all originating on film, the perfect way to balance your Luddite 
tendencies against your short attention span.



Monday, May 12
Government Warning    (http://www.myspace.com/governmentwarningrva)
Invasion    (http://www.myspace.com/invasionmusic)
Crossed Eyes    (http://www.myspace.com/chriscarraway)
Under Pressure    (http://www.myspace.com/underpressure)
Bull City Headquarters, Durham

Hardcore. Invasion are apparently from Spain.



Monday, May 12
The Never    (http://www.trekkyrecords.com/never.html)
Snowden    (http://www.snowden.info/)
Colour Revolt    (http://colourrevolt.calebplain.com/)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Monday, May 12
Spider Bags    (http://www.myspace.com/spiderbags)
The Golden Boys    (http://www.hookorcrook.com/Bands-GoldenBoys.htm)
Girls of the Gravitron    (http://www.myspace.com/girlsofthegravitron)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

The perfect Monday-night show at the Cave, as both the Spider Bags and 
all their fans are the sort of people for whom Monday night is every bit 
as good a night to drink as the other six nights. Better, even, because 
the bars aren't as crowded with amateurs.



Tuesday, May 13
Eberhardt    (http://www.myspace.com/eberhardtnc)
Empty Orchestra
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Tuesday, May 13
A Rooster for the Masses    (http://www.myspace.com/aroosterforthemasses)
Strange Faces    (http://www.myspace.com/strangefacestheband)
The Cave, Chapel Hill

Spirit-of-'83 postpunk/dancepop from A Rooster For the Masses.



Tuesday, May 13
Neva Dinova    (http://www.nevadinova.com/)
A is Jump    (http://www.myspace.com/aisjump2)
Ladyhawk    (http://www.myspace.com/ladyhawk)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



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