RTP-area local music and culture

[grady <grady AT ibiblio.org>]

I'm typing this in the middle of Union Square Park. Free public wi-fi is 
just so damn civilized . . .

Friday, August 8
Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion    (http://www.sarahleeandjohnny.com)
Jeff Crawford
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Friday, August 8
Pylon    (http://www.myspace.com/wearepylon)
Gravel Truck    (http://www.myspace.com/mitcheasterband)
The Werehouse, Winston-Salem

Gravel Truck is billed as "Mitch Easter playing songs of his beloved 
'80s band Let's Active with a special line-up of musicians." Which, by 
the end of it, was basically the description of Let's Active itself, so 
there you go.

Adding to your South '80s deja vu: Pylon, who drew raves when they 
played the Local 506 on their last reunion tour thingy.

This is all peripherally connected to a Winston-Salem film festival 
called Revolve.  http://www.revolvefestival.com/



Friday, August 8
The Travesties
Lemming Malloy    (http://www.myspace.com/lemmingmalloymusic)
Weatherkings    (http://www.myspace.com/weatherkingsband)
Local 506, Chapel Hill

Where to begin? The Travesties feature Viva, Dave & Tim from [the 
original] Jett Rink, plus Chuck Garrison on drums and Doug White on 
keys. They're a little more laid-back than Jett Rink were, and Veev does 
a bit more singing & a bit less frantic yelling & leaping around.

Weatherkings is the latest outfit to feature ex-Fake Swedish guitarist 
Eric Haugen.

And Lemming Malloy? Well, several of them are veterans of the 
now-defunct sci-fi nerd-rock band Eyes To Space, and the songs on their 
MySpace sounded kinda similar to their old band. Main difference, near 
as I can tell, is that they've traded in their matching jumpsuits for, 
ahem, "stea****k" kit. RIYL superfluous goggles.



Friday, August 8
Whale Watchers
Starmount    (http://www.myspace.com/starmountmusic)
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh



Saturday, August 9
Eberhardt    (http://www.myspace.com/eberhardtnc)
Gemini Wolf    (http://www.myspace.com/geminiwolf)
Bull City Headquarters, Durham



Saturday, August 9
I Was Totally Destroying It 
(http://www.reverbnation.com/iwastotallydestroyingit)
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band    (http://www.conoroberst.com/)
Evangelicals    (http://www.myspace.com/evangelicals)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Sunday, August 10
Like Hell I Will
Tubers    (http://www.myspace.com/tubers)
Alligator    (http://www.myspace.com/alligatorsucks)
Bull City Headquarters, Durham



Sunday, August 10
The Moaners    (http://www.themoaners.com/)
Sixgun Lullaby    (http://www.myspace.com/roboticconcubine)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Sunday, August 10
Dry Heathens    (http://www.myspace.com/dryheathens)
Flat Tires
Trouble Walkers
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Sunday, August 10
Dirty Little Heaters    (http://www.myspace.com/thedirtylittleheaters)
Suburban Sweethearts
Slim's Downtown, Raleigh

Raleigh has no shortage of kickass rockbands, but I'd hate to bet on any 
of 'em up against the Dirty Little Heaters in a fight, fair or otherwise.



Monday, August 11
Midtown Dickens    (http://www.myspace.com/midtowndickens)
Invisible    (http://www.myspace.com/invisiblesounds)
Dark Tide
Local 506, Chapel Hill

This is a 506 Free For All. Midtown Dickens you know about, but if you 
haven't seen 'em in a while, they've probably picked up & 
[halfway-]learned a half-dozen new instruments. Invisible are from 
Winston-Salem and, speaking of new instruments, they sport a piano 
interfaced with a typewriter, and vice-versa (type a poem, get random 
music; play some music, get random typing, I guess).



Monday, August 11
Left Outlet    (http://www.myspace.com/leftoutlet)
Richard Lloyd    (http://www.richardlloyd.com/)
Pour House, Raleigh



Monday, August 11
Idea of Beauty    (http://ideaofbeauty.com)
Constrictor    (http://www.myspace.com/constrictorva)
Reservoir, Carrboro



Tuesday, August 12
The Hold Steady    (http://www.theholdsteady.com/)
The Loved Ones    (http://www.thelovedonesband.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro



Tuesday, August 12
Cass McCombs    (http://www.monitorrecords.com/CASS/cass.html)
Viking Moses    (http://www.myspace.com/vikingmoses)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Wednesday, August 13
Teh Vodak    (http://www.reverbnation.com/vodak)
Zebu    (http://ubez.net)
Marvell Building, Durham

Teh Vodak would appear to be yet another Durham band featuring Betsy 
Shane (Lam! Lam!, Pink Flag). Is this the one with Ben Donnelly 
(ex-Blackstrap)? I think 'tis.



Wednesday, August 13
+/-    (http://myspace.com/plusslashminus)
Stella By Starlight    (http://www.myspace.com/stellabystarlightband)
Last Year's Model
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Thursday, August 14
Spider Bags    (http://www.myspace.com/spiderbags)
Megafaun    (http://www.myspace.com/megafaun)
Titus Andronicus    (http://www.myspace.com/titusandronicus)
Vivian Girls    (http://www.myspace.com/viviangirlsnyc)
Crystal Stilts    (http://www.myspace.com/crystalstilts)
Bull City Headquarters, Durham

As is the habit over at BCHQ, this is way too much show for a Thursday 
night. Any night, really: Either Megafaun (breathtaking experimental 
folk with noise overtones, or vice versa) or Spider Bags (Exile on Cheap 
Liquor Street) could pack the place alone, and when you add in New 
Jersey's Titus Andronicus, who've blown through once or twice before & 
left a wide swath of destruction (& vocal new fans) in their wake, it 
all becomes too much. And I don't even know anything about the *other* 
two bands on the bill.



Thursday, August 14
Future Kings of Nowhere    (http://www.thefuturekings.net/)
Tir Na Nog, Raleigh

This is this week's installment in the Local Bands, Local Beers series 
at Tir Na nOg.



Thursday, August 14
Lucero    (http://www.lucerofamily.net/)
The Glossary    (http://www.myspace.com/glossary)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Thursday, August 14
John Howie
Gambling the Muse    (http://www.myspace.com/gamblingthemuse)
Nathan Golub
Pour House, Raleigh



Friday, August 15
The Faint    (http://www.thefaint.com/)
Jaguar Club    (http://www.jaguarclubofnyc.net)
Shy Child    (http://www.shychild.com/)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

I remember the first time I saw The Faint . . . OK, I don't remember 
*when* (gotta work on that), but I know exactly where: the basement of 
the old Mallette St. punkrock house in Chapel Hill. I suppose Blank Wave 
Arcade had just come out, because I'm pretty sure I bought my copy from 
them. But otherwise they were a blank slate, just some friends of 
friends from out of town.

That much more amazing, then, when all the lights went off at the start 
of their set, and they fired up a freaking homebrew light show and 
blazed their way through one of the best 30-minute sets of synth / dance 
/ punk / whatever I'd ever seen. In a room with 6-foot ceilings at about 
110 degrees.

I saw them a couple of times since then, but needless to say, it wasn't 
the same. Didn't see 'em opening for No Doubt, though; that might've ruled.



Friday, August 15
John Howie
Django Haskins    (http://www.djangohaskins.com/)
Nathan Golub
The Cave, Chapel Hill



Friday, August 15
Goner    (http://www.gonertheband.com/)
The Loners    (http://www.demonbeachrecords.com/loners.html)
The Bleeding Hearts    (http://www.thebleedinghearts.net/home.html)
Pour House, Raleigh

Goner just released their third & best album, "Rock N Roll Always 
Forgets." The basic scheme -- bass, drums, keyboards, wordy songs about 
post-graduate malaise -- remains the same, but they've honed it till it 
glows.



Friday, August 15
Electric Bird Noise 
(http://www.epitonic.com/artists/electricbirdnoise.html)
Remora    (http://www.silbermedia.com/remora/)
Glissade    (http://www.myspace.com/glissade)
Nightlight, Chapel Hill



Friday, August 15
Margot and the Nuclear So-and-sos 
(http://www.myspace.com/margotandthenuclearsoandsos)
The Audrye Sessions    (http://www.myspace.com/audryesessions)
Local 506, Chapel Hill



Saturday, August 16
Thad Cockrell    (http://www.thadcockrell.com/)
Pour House, Raleigh

I read somewhere the other day (probably in N&O writer David Menconi's 
blog) that Thad Cockrell has moved back from Nashville. You can ask him 
yourself at this early (7:30?ish) show, with his full band.



Saturday, August 16
Melvins    (http://www.melvins.com)
Double Negative    (http://www.myspace.com/thedoublenegative)
Big Business    (http://www.bigbigbusiness.com)
Cat's Cradle, Carrboro

Double Negative drummer Brian Walsby is good friends with the Melvins; 
he has been for years, and as I write this he's actually on the road 
with them, hauling gear & selling merch. Which helps to explain why the 
Melvins, reigning kings of lower-and-slower sludge, have asked Double 
Negative, current NC kings of louder/faster, to open this show.



Saturday, August 16
Straight 8s    (http://www.straight8s.com)
The Belmont Playboys    (http://www.thebelmontplayboys.com/)
Berkeley Cafe, Raleigh

The Belmont Playboys are Charlotte's finest rockabilly revivalists.



Saturday, August 16
Veronique Diabolique    (http://www.veroniquediabolique.com/)
Broad Street Cafe, Durham



Saturday, August 16
Killer Filler    (http://www.myspace.com/killerfiller)
The Cave, Chapel Hill



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