San Diego Shows–Thursday, June 11
PLAN A: Jay Reatard, Thee Oh Sees, Earthmen & Strangers @ The Casbah–Punk has been dead for a loooong time now, but you gotta hand it to Jay Reatard for pulling a Re-Animator and injecting the genre with a serum so potent, it comes kicking and thrashing back to life with murderous rage. Reatard has serious chops—he claims to have written more than 900 songs—and his live performances are becoming the stuff of legend. No lame banter with the audience, no cheap gimmicks and, most importantly, no bullshit—just all kill and thrill. And although I haven’t heard it yet, Thee Oh Sees’ latest, Help, is supposed to be the San Francisco garage psychos’ finest to date. Along with Arizona’s Earthmen & Strangers, the triumvirate gets busy diggin’ up corpses at The Casbah. –Todd Kroviak PLAN B: John Meeks, Bill Cardinal, The Midnight Choir @ Belly Up–We’ve been twidling our thumbs waiting for Meek’s debut album of desert country-folk gems. Hopefully, his first headlining stint at the Belly Up will give us a fair preview. BACKUP PLAN: “Expressway to Yr Skull” with DJ Mario Orduno @ Soda Bar–The Soda Bar decided to forsake live music on Thursday night to give Mario Orduno another DJ gig. I ain’t complaining.
Quick Picks (in order of Coolio’s dreadlocks front to back):
The Orb, Orchard Lounge @ House of Blues
Lights On, The Dabbers, Lanterns @ Radio Room
“Grown Folk Shit” with DJ Ikah Love @El Dorado
Lustkillers, Mr. Gnome @ Bar Pink
Tori Roze & The Mini Mess @ California Cuisine
