1. Rum Drum Ramblers CD Release w/ Whistle Pigs

-Where: Off Broadway
-When: Thursday, February 24th @ 9 PM
-How Much: $6 (21+) / $9 (under 21)
-Why: A rowdy intersection of blues, bluegrass, and punk, Rum Drum Ramblers continue to write songs that combine St. Louis’ musical history with rock ‘n’ roll fervor.

2. JEFF the Brotherhood w/ Diarrhea Planet
-Where: The Gargoyle
-How Much: $10 (or free with WU ID), 18+
-When: Saturday, February 26th @ 9 PM
-Why: Garage punk rockers JEFF the Brotherhood have loud, noisy, high energy shows – perfect for a Saturday night.

3. Akron/Family w/ Delicate Steve
-Where: The Billiken Club
-When: Wednesday, February 23rd @ 9 PM
-How Much: FREE!
-Why: Akron/Family just dropped acclaimed new album, The Cosmic Birth and Journey of Shinju TNT, and young, experimental up-and-comers Delicate Steve will bring you instrumental bliss.

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1. The Cherokee Print League

-Where: Various Places on Cherokee St.
-When: Saturday, December 4th
-How Much: However much you want to buy
-Why: St. Louis’ best printmakers are selling their art in various locations off Cherokee St. – support local!

2. Monotonix w/ Heavy Cream
-Where: The Gargoyle
-How Much: $10 (18+)
-When: Friday, December 3rd@ 9:00 PM
-Why: These crazy Tel Aviv punks always put on a out of control show.

3. Skrillex w/ The Chaotic Good, Thomas and Drue, and Andy Mon$y
-Where: SOL Lounge
-When: Saturday, December 4th
-How Much: $10 (21+)
-Why: Previously a leader of an emo/hardcore band, Skrillex takes his heavy rock background and jams it into energetic electronic beats.

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1. Warpaint w/ Troubadour Dali

-Where: the Gargoyle
-When: Friday, November 19th
-How Much: $10 (18+), Free with WashU ID
-Why: Recent Eleven “Through the Grapevine” alums, Warpaint’s (and Troubadour’s) thick sonic layers will put you in a good type of trance.

2. PBR Me in St. Louis 3
-Where: 2720 Cherokee
-How Much: FREE (21+)
-When: Saturday, November 20th@ 7:30 PM
-Why: Music, skateboarding demo, live art, and…PBR!

3. DJ Audra Angelique w/ Cora Camille, Byran Elliott, and Brandon B.
-Where: Club Dantes
-When: Saturday, November 20th
-How Much: $5 (21+)
-Why: It’s Saturday night, and you want to party – Dantes’ has got the beats to keep it going ’till 3 AM.

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1. Via Dove Album Release w/ Old Lights, Dive Poets, and Union Tree Review

-Where: Off Broadway
-When: Friday, October 22nd @ 8 PM
-How Much: $10 (21+) / $13 (minors)
-Why: A ticket includes a free dropcard for Via Dove’s new album, El Mundo Latino.

2. Homegrown Showcase: Airplanes, The Blind Eyes, Bruiser Queen, and Tilts
-Where: The Pageant
-When: Saturday, October 23rd @ 7 PM
-How Much: $5 / free with ticket if 21+
-Why: For five bucks (or free!), you can check out a great lineup of local bands after hitting up some bars on the Loop.

3. Dawes w/ The Romany Rye and Peter Wolf Crier
-Where: The Gargoyle
-When: Tuesday, October 26th @ 8:00 PM
-How Much: $10 (18+)
-Why: Eleven “Through the Grapevine” alums Dawes have some serious vocal harmonies and youthful enthusiasm.

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1. PlatinumFest

-Where: The Q (St. Charles)
-When: Sunday, October 17th @ 12 – 11 PM
-How Much: $17 adv/ $20 doors
-Why: 11 hours, 8 artists, and one slick rooftop venue – sounds like a perfect fall afternoon and evening!

2. The Lighthouse and the Whaler w/ The Blind Nils and Pachyderm
-Where: The Gramophone
-When: Friday, October 15th @ 10:00 PM
-How Much: $5 (21+)
-Why: The Gramophone’s intimate space will be a perfect match for up-and-coming band The Lighthouse and the Whaler’s upbeat, indie-folk choruses.

3. Rebelution w/ Tribal Seeds and Zion I
-Where: The Gargoyle
-When: Tuesday, October 19th @ 8:00 PM
-How Much: $15 (18+)
-Why: Though they may be an opener, hip-hoppers Zion I will be sure to rival Rebelution for the highlight of the night.

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Photo by Eric Dougherty. More on Flickr

Seeing Magic Kids open for Girls is about the most darling lineup to hit up St. Louis in a while (with the possible exception of GWAR’s annual show at Pop’s…).  Their February 2^nd show at the Gargoyle happily exceeded expectations, even without considering all the hard knocks that Girls, have been through.  You’ve probably heard the story behind the band; the drugs, the homelessness and the millionaire, oh right, and the upbringing in the California offshoot of the Jesus movement – the Children of God Cult.  But all that hootenanny aside, Girls has debuted with one of the most critically acclaimed albums of year, the appropriately named Album, which is in short, a brief, surf-rock backed account of SanFran lovin’, of sunny, drug-shiny adventures, and pizza and bonfires and bottles of wine.

Their live performance last week, a concise one-hour set of songs from Album, was an equally endearing glimpse into the sweet life of a carefree California rock band.  Lead singer Christopher Owens sang shy and sweetly true (peering out from behind a curtain of dirty blond hair), backed by Girls’ signature jingly guitars, doo-wop back up vocals.  Despite the unusual abundance of paralyzed people in the audience, his distinctly pleading voice was enough to make clear what everyone in attendance was thinking -  “I wish I had a loving man in my life,” too, Christopher!  And despite one or two rhythmic miscalculations, and a few too many benumbed fans in the front row, the Girls’ set can be characterized by overall strong sound and lively energy.

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Photo by Ella Brandon More on Flickr »

A sold-out show at WashU’s the Gargoyle marked the headlining conclusion of WashU Hip Hop Week, much to the delight of hip-hop fans and b-boys alike. But on a night that held the promise of poetry, there was but one letter of the alphabet that stood out: the letter M.  For opening bands Illphonics and The Paxtons, M stood for ‘mediocre.’  St. Louis locals, Illphonics had the better performance of the two, with their signature medley of styles and influence varying from Pink Floyd to Ludacris.  However, a lackluster performance left little of an impression.  For The Paxtons, there is no such thing as too much constructive criticism, because they have nothing to do but get better.  Partially due to bad levels – an ear-shattering bass among other maladjustments – and generally abrasive vocals (with the possible exception of the harmonious female contribution), their performance was sub-par at best.

On the other hand, the performance by RJD2, the star of the show, could be summed up with an abundance of more favorable M words.  M for magical. It was unreal how the guy could pull beats seemingly out of nowhere, and everything he did was seamless. He set high expectations with his extensive music catalog and an ambitious four turntables at his disposal – but he did not disappoint. M for mesmerizing. I was in awe of how well he mixed his samples on the spot, even with some setbacks by monitor problems early in the show.  M for methodical.  Word on the street is that RJ is a math genius, not hard to believe with the amount of vinyl he went through during his set.  Every move of his was meticulously planned out and executed with the kind of skill that should not go unnoticed.  M for masterful.  RJ knows his tables inside and out.  Like a savant, he creates his art without any hesitation – he just does it. Even with abnormally sub-par sound for WashU’s tiny venue, he was able to make it work.

Finally, M stands for memorable. RJ played a non-stop set for a solid 2 hours that was filled with excitement and creativity. Once he got going, it was a fun night, one that the audience won’t soon forget. Of countless hits, he played a number of fan favorites, and even snuck in some “Don’t Stop Believin’” much to the delight of the crowd.

Overall grade: M+

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Photo by Allegra Fisher More on Flickr »

Peter Morén, Björn Yttling, and John Eriksson must be the happiest indie rock group ever to earn pitchfork fame.  They kicked off their Friday night show at the Gargoyle with a whistling contest to pick a guest star from the audience to accompany them on stage during “Young Folks,” the well-known crowd favorite.  This playful game would forecast a jubilant mood for the coming show, which opened with a drawn-out and escalating intro to “Amsterdam.”   This energy built by crescendo and back lighting would persist for the rest of the night.The uppity Peter bounced around the stage only stopping to croon into the megaphone-effected microphone, while Björn incessantly encouraged audience participation by clapping his hands together to the beat.  The entire band even stopped playing during “Young Folks” to cry, “If you want to hear more, show it!” and they got what they asked for.  They moved seamlessly through key songs like “Chills” and “Nothing to Worry About,” but if anything the audience was more pleased by these disruptive provocations.

A highlight of the night was when they rocked out to Chuck Berry’s “Roll Over Beethoven,” tipping their hats to St. Louis’ legend.  Peter seemed at home in this genre, and it became apparent where the band’s inspirations came from.  As though to prove some modicum of energy remained after their intense set, they closed the show with “Objects of My Affection,” following “Paris 2004″ and “Big Black Coffin.”  Compared to their recorded work, the quality of sound seemed enhanced in the live setting, and it was clear how they have earned such a following of most ardent fans.  But for as much fun as the audience and I had, it was clear that the happiest young folks in the room were Peter, Bjorn, and John.

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Photo by Allegra Fisher.   More on Flickr »

I walked by the entrance to the Gargoyle a few hours before Dr. Dog took the stage, and I saw trees and ferns being loaded in alongside amps, drums and guitar cases.  I was beginning to suspect that this would be a great show.  Turns out I was right, and the trees, flowers, pink flamingos and other miscellaneous plants and animals covering the stage certainly didn’t hurt – I felt like I was watching a show in a botanical garden.  Or Jurassic Park…

Dr. Dog – The Breeze

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

The members of Dr. Dog are not the types of dudes to stand around, passively letting their hands coax some sad sound out of their respective instruments.  They sang, danced, moved to the music, jumped up and down, and even sat down on stage to play when the mood hit them.  Their energy rallied the crowd’s as well – the sold-out audience was more than happy to rock out with the band.  Who can blame the head-banging, jumping-up-and-down crowd, when Dr. Dog was playing such outrageously good music?

The sentiment of Dr. Dog’s normal kitschy beats was not totally lost on their live performance, but it was muted by the impressively bass heavy sound engineered by their sound techs.  The overall effect was jammy, but considering how talented the musicians I witnessed at the Gargoyle were, it was still a feel good time.  The songs they played were, without exception, catchy, engaging, fun, and well-written, with not a single shallow-sounding, vacant pop song among them.

Their 10+ song set also had the virtue of not being a uniform blend of songs that all sounded the same. At one point towards the middle of their set, all but one band member left the stage, leading to a quite beautiful three song acoustic-sounding interlude. Doesn’t sound like it fits with my earlier description of their music?  Well it does. This was not some Dave Matthews/John Mayer-esque dude singing bland music and playing boring acoustic guitar type songs. These songs were soulful and energetic, and the crowd was captivated.

The topping on the cake, though, was the encore. Encores are not common at the Gargoyle, and they are rarely as unique anywhere as this one was.  After rocking the crowd for a few minutes, one of the band members remarked that, “anything could happen…everyone from the crowd could even just sit down.” A little bit of nervous laughter later, and everyone in the Gargoyle was on the floor, and the closest thing possible to a sit-down-dance-party ensued. Have you ever seen every person at a rock show simultaneously sit down? If not, you’ll just have to imagine how cool of an end it was to an all-around great show, sorry.

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Photo by Ella Brandon.  More on Flickr »

Screaming Females – Bell

[Audio clip: view full post to listen]

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