Thursday, August 22, 2013

Rocktober, Expanded and Inflated



So, as you may have been noticing, the Rocktober schedule in that little box over to the right has been rapidly filling up, quickly approaching some major music event almost every freaking day of the month of October, not to mention three (three!) great shows on Halloween night (The Orb at Center Stage, Chelsea Light Moving at The Earl, and Phantogram at the godforsaken Masquerade).  I'm planning to go to The Orb show (already bought my tickets) and then high-tailing it over to The Earl to see Chelsea Light Moving (have tickets for that one, too).  My only regret is that I can't figure out how to squeeze Phantogram into the mix as well.  I might have to attempt quantum co-location or something (how can you be two places at once when you're not anywhere at all?).

But not only is this shaping up to be the best Rocktober ever, it may also be the longest, as there's no let-up in sight during the month of November.  It was just announced that Cults will be playing The Loft on November 1, and I've already got tickets for CocoRosie at Variety Playhouse on the 5th.

That same week will also see King Khan & the Shrines at Terminal West and ex-Hawkwind member Nik Turner's Space Ritual at The Earl, but the best November announcement yet has been Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) and Eleanor Friedberger at Variety Playhouse on the 8th.  Videos of the two above and below.      



As it stands now, Rocktober may not end until November 12 when The Head and the Heart and Thao and the Get Down Stay Down play the Buckhead Theater.

It's just as bad on the front end. I previously had Rocktober beginning on September 30 when Local Natives are finally bringing their tour down to the American South.  But Alt-J and Lord Huron are playing here the weekend before that, and then Atlanta's Mood Rings announce must-see September gigs at The High Museum (September 13) and an opening set on September 26 at 529 for post-punkers Weekend (not to be confused with the neo-R&B The Weeknd who will be at the Fox on September 20), before launching their national tour.  
mood
Given that there are sets by such worthies as Black Prairie (the rest of The Decemberists, backing up Colin Meloy in the video at the top of this post), Okkervil River, Daughter, Little Tybee, Ra Ra Riot and Surfer Blood between Mood Rings' High set and Local Natives' September 30th gig at the godforsaken Masquerade, Rocktober may have to begin as early as September 13.

It's been a conspicuously slow summer for live music here in Atlanta.  Maybe it's all the rain's been keeping the bands away, I dunno.  But the cosmos will more than make up for the drought with a flood of performances between September 13 and November 12 for, dare I say it?, the longest and best Rocktober of all time.  

It's probably best just to quit your day job now.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

His Clancyness



Genius all over the world stands hand in hand, and one shock of recognition runs the whole circle round.
- Herman Melville

Thanks and a tip of the hat to Fanfarlo for making me aware of this.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

School of Seven Bells



Here's School of Seven Bells playing an acoustic set on the concrete campus of Georgia State University (Georgia's Great University) for indieATL.

Don't know if I have anything to say about this, other than how come I don't know about these Georgia State gigs?

Monday, August 19, 2013

More Pickwick


The good news:  Pickwick, the best band you've never heard of, have released another new video, this time for their song Hacienda Hotel, a favorite here at MDW.

The bad news: their tour plans, which include several dates with Neko Case, don't include anything in the American South.  

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Foxygen

Foxygen at 529, February 23, 2013
Since appearing at Atlanta's 529 late last winter, Foxygen have had their fair share of trials and tribulations, including an apparent meltdown at SXSW, reported tensions among band members in social media, altercations with concert security, and lots of cancelled dates.  Now frontman Sam France has broken a leg falling off stage, requiring surgery, a metal rod, and physical therapy.

Any of this is enough to break up lesser bands, and I hope all this doesn't mean last winter marked Foxygen's last and only appearance in Atlanta.  Here's hoping they hold it together and keep on recording and touring.


Saturday, August 17, 2013

Anticipation



Not that I'm counting or anything (okay, I actually am), but it's 16 more days until I see Seattle's Ivan & Alyosha at Bumbershoot.


18 more days until Glasgow's Chvrches at Portland's MFNW.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Wooden Indian Burial Ground


After winning first-come, first-served tickets on Monday for Thao & The Get Down Stay Down at the KEXP Music Lounge during Bumbershoot, I've managed to snag tickets to several more KEXP shows, including Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Superchunk, ZZ Ward, and Charles Bradley, "the Screaming Eagle of Soul."  I literally can't go near my computer without tickets to shows falling in my lap (okay, literally, I can, but you know what I mean).  

This is a good thing, of course, but it's causing me to have to rearrange my festival schedule. F'rinstance, since I'll be seeing Sallie Ford at 12 noon on Sunday, I can skip her Saturday-night set at the Plaza Stage and instead go see Washed Out at the Fountain Lawn.  Fortunately, none of the shows I've gotten into are scheduled during any "must-see" sets, although I'll be cutting it pretty close post-Superchunk to see alt-J.

But anyway, there are no longer any "dead zones" in my Bumbershoot schedule, or times where I'm forced to choose between several bands of whom I've never heard.  I won't even be seeing The Flavr Blue, even though I posted a video of them here to get myself better acquainted.

The schedule for MFNW is even stronger, and there's only a handful of bands on that schedule that I don't know.  One such band is Portland's Wooden Indian Burial Ground, who'll be opening for Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Branx following Animal Collective's set at the lovely Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland's Living Room).  But based on this video for Heliocopter, I'm pretty impressed - they may be the only band in the world that could hold their own after a set by Animal Collective.