“I am the son/ And the heir/ Of a shyness that is criminally vulgar/ I am the son and heir/ Of nothing in particular/ You shut your mouth/ How can you say/ I go about things the wrong way?/ I am human and I need to be loved/ Just like everybody else does”—“How Soon is Now?” By Los Smiths.Geez, I hope your concert-going experience doesn’t mirror that of mope’s pope. I mean, hell I never want anyone to cry or to feel like they want to die; in fact I hope your concert-going experience is lovely and leaves you properly chuffed, chappies.Or something like that. On another note, a cat I was talking to Downtown—serio, it’s my new home and I’m always out and about looking for new entities with which to interact—told me about the shows they were tending toward as the weekend advanced. Whilst they’ll likely get distracted by the next bird or laser beam to come around, I am certain these are good picks. Let’s go then, shall we? I’ve already waited too long…
Show Up!: Friday
The Timewreckers
courtesy of the artist
How about checking out a show on Friday night, June 1 at Sister (407 Central Ave. NW)? The damn thing is sure to be filled to the brim with vast regional influences distilled through the insidious, industrious, booming and twanging sounds created by local legends, The Timewreckers and Chicharra. La Cerca, a gritty pop duo from outta Tucson that features Bill Oberdick and Andrew Gardner is on the bill. Also featured are ATX deadly dark—yet filled with majestic country tropes—Name Sayers, a band whose single “I Touch My Face in Hyperspace Oh Yeah” has a title like a Flaming Lips song but grinds through black circumstances in the manner of Swans.As for the local units representing: I got a chance to hear The Timewreckers at KUNM’s studio A, the other day. After thrilling the hell outta me, I asked what was their favorite Neil Young album and did they listen to Lynyard Skynyrd? Their answers helped me feel sane for the following 24 hours, so you know they are bound to kill it here. Chicharra, on the other hand, is the most accomplished rocranrol outfit in town. In other words, this is guaranteed to be an awesome show, so show up! 8pm • $5 • 21+.
Show Up!: Saturday Part I
Steve Cormier
courtesy of the artist
How important is the tradition of American folk music? Hell, homies, find out for your damn selves by attending and subsequently groking the phenomena at the Albuquerque Folk Festival to be held on Saturday, June 2 at the Albuquerque International Balloon Museum (9201 Balloon Museum Dr. NE). This truly stellar event, sustained in no small part through the leadership of local folk visionary Gary Libman, features some of the most important acts in the genre. It adheres to the folk ethic, which are ideals crafted by a movement that calls for “self-expression, community, friendship building and social consciousness. It is non-commercial. It embraces acoustic music with the focus on open participation rather than virtuoso talent. … The Folk Ethic believes that enriching others through sharing in folk activities and sharing of each other’s resources is the best form of self-expression.” This year’s participants include local luminaries Zoltan and the Fortune Tellers, Lone Piñon, Da Terra Meiga, Eileen & the In-Betweens, Silver String Band and real-life folk legends The Adobe Brothers and cowboy crooner Steve Cormier, among many others. For sure, a day of picking and grinning is in store, with knee-slappin’ emphasis on both. The event begins Friday evening with a free camping and jamming ritual. The gates to folk heaven open Saturday at 10am and continue until 11pm. Tickets range in price from $5 to $35 and all ages are welcome at this hootenany.
Show Up!: Saturday Part Ii
Stoic Frame
courtesy of the artist
Yo, Stoic Frame is playing a reunion show at Launchpad (618 Central Ave. SW) on Saturday, June 2! In case you missed out—which is totally possible, given how this world keeps on turning and the hardcore heroes of yesteryear are busy being transmuted in other things, like butterflies for instance—Stoic Frame was a band and a couple of words that equaled jumping, burning, socially conscious, skated-out, two-tone punk rock in Burque back in the day. If you don’t believe me, check out an album called A Call to Rise. In any case this show also features some of our town’s most bitchin’ talent and will include sets by The Big Spank, SuperGiant and Tesuque Revolt. Serio, these are four tastes that taste great together; plus, attending and listening will help everyone involved understand the complex world all around. If you don’t want me to call you out for being L-7, then go to this gig, sabes? 9pm • $12 • 21+
Show Up!: Sunday
D.O.A.
courtesy of the artist
When combined with militant, revolutionary motives, spoken votives and musical expressionism, punk rock can be pretty damn good. Case in point: D.O.A. and MDC. Both of these storied and screamingly good units play a gig at Sister (417 Central Ave. NW) on Sunday, June 3.In case you want to know, bands that record on Alternative Tentacles tend to have serious cred. And cajones from hell, too. D.O.A. was one of the first bands to refer to itself as hardcore; albums like Something Better Change and Kings of Punk, Hockey and Beer make the case simply yet profoundly. As for MDC, things have gotten so weird in our nation that their playbills now use confusing nomenclature (what in the hell exactly is Millions of Deceived Citizens?) to describe a band whose oeuvre includes classics of the genre like “Corporate Deathburger,” “Violent Rednecks” and “John Wayne was a Nazi.” Of course they’re on Alternative Tentacles too. Rawk! 8pm • $16 • 21+.
