This week, the benefits continue for the Silent Barn– and c’mon, you wanna see those bands play anyway, right? Also on the docket: a still-warbling legend from the actual ’80s and A Place to Bury Strangers is back from the road.
Celestial Shore, Parlor Walls, Mega Bog, Real Adult, SIRENS, Future Punx (DJ set)
Thursday, Oct. 8, 8 pm at Palisades: $10
Aw guys, you can feel good about getting your show on in the middle of the week. When you show up the next day for work, bleary eyed or no, look your boss in the eye and try not to slur while explaining to her that the reason why you stink is not the reason that she thinks. You were not out simply having fun/throwing your adulthood down the toilet. Nay. You were throwing all those hard-earned bucks toward a damn good cause. And since all bar tabs were donated to a beloved art collective that caught fire, you were obligated to get sloshed– your own wallet be damned. Shit, she’ll probably even give you a raise after that run-down.
Even if you don’t get some sort of bonus for being an awesome person, your slightly-more-expensive-than-$8 show will get you in the doors at Palisades where a host of regular DIY danglers will dazzle you the whole night long. Parlor Walls (Alyse Lamb’s new band, and her art/music collective Famous Swords is also behind this benefit show) is playing once again, alongside the likes of Mega Bog (BK by way of Seattle)– a fluttery kind of chill pop interspersed with saxophone and Ariel Pink-like guitars.
Then there’s Celestial Shore, who everyone and their dog is familiar with as the Parquet Courts of what’s left of early-aughts non-threatening-male indie rock and Animal Collective-bro core. That’s kind of the salty center of what’s happening here musically, but the band’s raw talent as musicians is that deliciously sweet wrapper that you’re supposed to eat.
Chameleons Vox, Anasazi, Pleasure Leftists, La Misma, Survival
Thursday, Oct. 8, 7 pm at the Wick: $25
Seriously doubt anyone’s ever said such a thing in response to news that these scumbags from Ohio are rolling into a venue near you, but here goes: Yas Queen. I really mean it too, I’m personally very excited to see the Pleasure Leftists of Cleveland. Hopefully they don’t put a hit out on me for saying this, but they kind of sound like late ’70s, early ’80s U2. Yep. There yah go. There are probably few things more tragic in the world than a Bono, so my numerous apologies in advance. Of course, it’s a comparison with several reservations. Obviously these guys are a) more of a post-punk take on that sound, b) listenable, and bb) great, so there’s that. Also, this front dude absolutely buries Boner in an actually amazing voice. So there’s that, too.
The rest of the lineup consists of some of the best punk and hardcore bands this side of the Hudson (Anasazi, La Misma). But besides the aforementioned Pleasure Leftists, what makes this show worth that whopping ticket price (like, c’mon most of these bands play around town, like, once a week for about a third that) is The Chameleons (a band from the burbs of Manchester that got together back in ’81, when this post-punk sound was actually fresh) or actually just Mark Burgess (as *Chameleons Vox). No reason to sneer at the return of old man lizards to play music that pales in comparison to the OG material, coz actually Mark’s gonna play 1983’s The Script of the Bridge in its entirety.
The Mast, Kim Boekbinder, Abbi Press, Yaeji, Grumby (DJ Set)
Saturday, Oct. 10, 9 pm at Aviv: $10
This show makes me giggle, but to each her own y’all and no doubt some of you freaks are gonna be into this. Kim Boekbinder calls herself a “noise witch,” and believes that “electronic music is folk music,” so let her show you the ways in which this is difficult to believe. Regardless, she’s just “making music and telling stories in NYC.” So haters, step off. For some reason, that statement reminds me of this T-shirt Facebook keeps trying to sell me, it reads: “I’m just a Michigan girl in a New York world.” Shrugs and Taylor Swift hugs. But rhetoric aside, Kim’s got some stompers up her sleeve not to mention trippy visuals we’re hoping will be incorporated into her set at Aviv.
I’m a little more taken with Yaeji, a DJ/ producer serving up glitchy, dream cloud electronic music. She looks to be first in line, so get there early if you wanna catch her mellow but hip-inspiring beats. If you’re interested in seeing what happens when dub step and witch house meet during mating season, stay till the end, The Mast is headlining.
A Place to Bury Strangers, Grooms, Scully
Friday, Oct. 9, 9 pm at Saint Vitus: $15
Hey, there’s not just one A Place to Bury Strangers show happening this week, there are two– count em, two. And they’re both happening at Saint Vitus. Pick your poison wisely, because each night’s gonna offer something a lil different, obvi. I’m gonna play it safe and go with the first iteration, mainly because we’ve been all up in Pawns beeswax for a while. But based on the APtBS Facebook post (“we have some surprises for you”) it’s win win as long as you catch the headliners.
APtBS has been touring as of late with Grooms, maybe some of the catchiest (and mathiest to boot) rock to come outta Brooklyn in a while. Much appreciated. Speaking of soft on the ears, Scully‘s garage punk is always perfect for a good butt shaking. Not really Vitus’ bread and butter but we’ll take it.