(Flyer via The Acheron/ Facebook)
Negative Approach, Night Birds, Child Bite, Outskirts
Sunday, Nov. 29th, 8 pm at The Acheron: $15
Years back, I was day drinking at an unassuming deep-fryer dive in Detroit. A surly looking guy with a grease-stained apron and hangover slouch from hell emerged out of a kitchen. My friend seated at the bar next to me guffawed and nudged me discreetly. “Look, it’s John Brannon.” And so it was. The hardcore legend could have been beer-sweating over my tater tots for all I know– and deep down, I sort of hope that was the case.
Negative Approach started shredding faces in 1981, back when people still wore T-shirts that said “Detroit Sucks” and meant it. Decades later, Detroit has slow rolls and luxury bicycle builders, and has inspired enough ruin porn art shows the world over to rival the most successful cam girl you know. But John Brannon’s still lurking in the city’s kitchens, just barely obscured from view and steps away from all the madness outside. It’s no wonder he’s still touring with Negative Approach. There’s still enough rage to go around.
There’s fresh meat on the bill too: Child Bite are also from Detroit, though I can’t say I would have ever guessed that one. They defy the trend of understated Midwest punk with explosive, weird hardcore. And tbh it kind of reminds me of System of a Down.
Night Birds, the self-proclaimed “surf punks” that they are, are straight up flapping with old school West Coast punk vibes despite being stuck in New Jersey where the only good surf comes at the price of possibly seeing pregnant Snooki and Baby Chris Christie (aka the Governor of New Jersey in a speedo) making out on the Shore. Shudder.
There’s also a surprise in store. Speaking of diaper babies, Outskirts is a brand spankin’ new “New Fast NYC punk” outfit that calls members of Brain Slug and NYC Headhunters its very own.
(Flyer via Facebook)
Phantasy Wars
Wednesday Nov. 25th, 9 pm at The Gateway: $5 suggested donation or canned food item
Because this is the only opportunity you’ll get to feel 100 percent guilt-free about going to a cyberpunk rave on a Wednesday night. And if you’re looking for an excuse to sleep through all of Thanksgiving, here it is. The poster says it all, people– this rave might not kill you, but it’s certainly gonna do some unprecedented damage to your brain.
What makes a cyberpunk rave you might ask? It’s you– you’re the one who’s obligated to dress up, as the organizers demand, as “BLADE RUNNER x AKIRA x HACKERS.” Wearing your mom jeans and a braided belt and claiming to be Julia Roberts from Flatliners isn’t going to cut it. (Unless of course can perfect the hair, in which case you’ll probably be exempt from the canned food donation.)
But we also understand the music has something to do with it. Expect live sets and non-live sets from the likes of Love Spread (adderall-dosed J-pop), Food Stamps (aspiring OST-writers for in-house corporate training videos), and Ayumi (ethereal electronic flashbacks to when ecstasy was a pill with a dolphin on it and not some girls’ name).
(Via Silent Barn/ Facebook)
Reighnbeau, Fielded, Yohuna, Ziemba
Sunday, Nov. 29th, 8pm at the Silent Barn: $8
The show scene’s dry as a desert this weekend. I guess there aren’t as many orphans around as people would have us believe. But for those of us who aren’t exactly huge fans of the fatty fat bird feast occasion and also for those of us who secretly love it, there’s a killer show happening at the Silent Barn on Sunday night that we can all agree on. Plus a show presented by the Katy Perry Research Institute can’t possibly be anything short of amazing.
Fielded (aka Lindsay Powell) pours her lovely voice over some seriously weird beats. The result is a heady blend of the powerfully personal and latest in everything from ambient through danceable modern beats. There’s nothing outmoded about Powell’s take on singer-songwriter music.
Yohuna is avant-weird pop from Berlin by way of Wisconsin. Johanne Swanson swings between Joanna Newsom-level sweetness and Bjork’s wacky experimental pop-tronics. It’s dear, but never over-the-top for a soft-on-the-ears, mellow afternoon soundtrack that’ll still freak out your mom. And Reighnbeau, the beats project centered around Bryce Hample and various collaborators, is coming all the way from Albuquerque just to treat us with his groovy, ghostly sounds.
Of course these guys have the sickest flyer (via Palisades/ Facebook)
CP Unit, Millions/ Sauter Duo, Patrick Higgins, Tongues, Ashcan Orchestra
Tuesday, Dec. 1st, 8 pm at Palisades: $10
If you’re getting frothy to see PC Worship at their EP release show next week (December 4th at Palisades), here’s something to sate you in the mean time. Fellow Wallet-dwellers, Ashcan Orchestra will be on hand at this Tuesday night show. If you’re not familiar with the ensemble’s (led by Pat Spadine) bizarro presence, check out the video below– you’ll find their name is pretty descriptive, actually. The “band” is partial to instruments made from found-object, otherwise-garbage trash, the clang and clash of make for a trippy aural experience like none other.
More weird’s coming your way thanks to composer Patrick Higgins. We’re guessing this will be an more noisey, electronic set since Higgins is flying solo (as in, apart from Zs, his super group with Diamond Terrifier aka Sam Hillmer).