San Diego Shows – Thursday November 20
PLAN A: Wet Hair, Peaking Lights, Jill St. John, Jeans Wilder @ Che Café. It’s a night of bedroom projects at this late-starting show (10 p.m.), with four acts you’ve never heard of emitting all manner of beautiful and grating textures. If there’s a case to be made for a new American underground, this is it. PLAN B: Japanther, The Underground Railroad to Candyland @ Bar Pink. Provocative punk duo Japanther are apparently kind of a big deal in the New York art scene. How this happened is anybody’s guess, but having enough pull to recruit former Crass member Penny Rimbaud to pitch in on live performances deserves some serious respect. BACKUP PLAN: Kraak & Smaak @ The Loft @ UCSD.
Man, somebody call The Academy! SDSU might continuously make Top-10 lists for one of the best party schools, but UCSD is where I would apply. Interestingly enough, after the above went to press Japanther announced they’d be playing a free show at UCSD’s Visual Art’s Performance Space. And while I’m certainly not trying to dissuade anyone from seeing them at Bar Pink (especially since The Underground Railroad to Candyland is as fun as a Charlie the Unicorn cartoon), but since the Japanther show at UCSD starts promptly at 7:30PM, that means that you could literally see all three of the “plans” above. So after Japanther wraps up, head to The Loft around 8:45 and shake your booty to Kraak and Smaak, whose Dutch name translates to “crunchy and tasty.” Oh, yeah. So after coming down from the Red Bull and, uh, other party accoutrements, cross campus to the Che, stopping by your car along the way to smoke, uh, a cigarette, and then get your mind blown by some of the weirdest music you’ll hear and from four different bands. Deep breathes, pace yourself.
If you’re not feeling up to the UCSD music marathon then there’s some great local bands playing and, well, some other stuff:
The Fascination, Lisa the Lush, Someday Assassin @ Radio Room-The Fascination was one of the biggest surprises from this year’s All Local Music issue. Smart, catchy pop-rock with a Brit singer that can belt it out.
Little Dragon, Manuok, Anomie Belle @ Beauty Bar-Weird, Swedish electro-pop that’s perfect for random make-out sessions with people whose name you can’t remember. Local opener Manuok has a new album out and I personally can’t wait to hear it.
The Glossines @ Hensley’s Flying Elephant-Kick-ass girl pop-punk in the coolest North County dive bar you’ve never been to. Not to mention I want to live out the Dead Milkmen’s “Punk Rock Girl” with the lead singer. She floats my boat.
Portugal The Man, Earl Greyhound, Wintersleep @ SOMA-My little brother says they’re the next Mars Volta. I don’t see it but they definitely have “next big thing” status.
Molly Jenson, Brett Bixby, Joel P West @ Lestat’s
Bedford Grove, Kyle Van Band, Drop Joy @ The Ken Club
DJ Chucko @ Soda Bar
The Bacon Brothers, Michael Tiernan @ Belly Up
DJ 1979 @ U-31
Orange Tulip Conspiracy @ The Ruby Room
Scott Carter & New Breed @ Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge
Alejandra Guzman @ House of Blues
Boombox Thursdays feat DJ Edgartronic @ Air Conditioned Lounge
Caboose! feat. DJs Hashem & Sir Trail Mix-A-Lot@ Whistle Stop
Anthology House Band @ Anthology (7-10 PM)
Clay Pigeons @ 710 Beach Club
Chris Murray Combo, The Self Made Men @ Winston’s
Deny the Silents, Groove Theory, Red Ivy Suspect, Bombay Status @ Canes
Billy Midnight, Desert Diamonds, Trophy Wife @ Casbah
Richard Thompson (no, not that one), Russell Bizzett, Bob Magnusson, Tripp Sprague, Derrick Cannon and Carla van Blake-Bizzett @ Dizzy’s at San Diego Wine & Culinary Center
Charbra, Chris Zack & The Chimney Fish @ Portugalia
