“I’m goin’ back in time/ And it’s a sweet dream/ It was a quiet night/ And I would be alright/ If I could go on sleeping/ But every morning/ I wake up and worry/ What’s gonna happen today/ You see it your way/ And I see it mine/ But we both see it slippin’ away” —“The Best of My Love,” by the Eagles: Turn it up the neighbors are listening!You’re in right place—and have reached a proper destination beyond the stars, if one gives mine a Serling-esque tone and persona—if you’re here to find out about what music might be best listened to over the next few days in a place on Earth called Albuquerque, N.M. On the other hand, if you’re here to figure out something about the writer of those preview-like proclamations, then get this: I left it particularly cryptic this week just to throw you off the trail.Of course I am part of a subculture that absolutely hated the Eagles in high school, slowly gained respect for their songwriting talents as a 20-something and then finally made peace with the whole lot of the Laurel Canyon regulars in mid-life, just as songs like “Take It to the Limit” finally started to have some relevance in my middle-aged life.That said, the first few lines of these lyrics form a hopeful bridge that segues back into a song that is mostly about sadness and suffering. That’s life; thank Bob you’ve always got music to fall back on. Having the best gigs west of the Troubadour is a blessing in a town that grasps the approaching summer dryly with a windy heat and long, too-sunny days.
Show Up!: Friday
Geto Boys
courtesy of the artist
Old school hip-hop is so au currant these days, but, I mean like, when was it not? I know our home and vehicle is a constant mix-up of Public Enemy, Jay-Z and Dr. Dre—being blasted into the air at least 75 dB per occurrence—but we might be an exception, given this is a town with a hesher for a mayor. Ahem. It’s with that possibility in mind that I suggest listeners visit Posh Night Club (405 Central Ave. NW)—and the surrounding block, party planners tell me—for an event entitled, Yo Raps Rappin In the ’90s Tour. It’s at this concert cum fiesta that one can truly grok the magnificence of hip-hop nation, circa 1996. That’s because—he told dear readers as an expository aside—artists like Bone Thugz and Mo Thugz, not to mention Rasheed, Geto Boys and Rappin 4 Tay are on the bill, for chrissakes! If that weren’t enough to get one bouncing out of the crib and rolling toward the intersection of Fourth and Central, then get this: Buswick Bill and Big Mike will be hanging and jamming with Geto Boys! Damn, it can’t possibly get any hotter than this. Do me a solid and come on down! 7pm • $25 to $50 • 18+
Show Up!: Saturday
Okay, despite my German-Irish/Mexican-American heritage, I’ll admit that I’ve never celebrated Cinco De Mayo. I’ll also be one of the first ones to disclose to anyone who listens that although I shamelessly refer to the holiday as “Cinco de Drink-o,” I have a high amount of reverence for Los Mexicanos—and Irishmen and Germans—who stood up to the French Army of Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla. That said, just because I am not inclined towards celebration, but rather contemplation of such events, doesn’t mean you have to be like me. What do I know, I’m an old dude. Anyway, you can always party in my stead, headbangers and shoe-gazing celebrants of other dark musical arts! And the concert held on Saturday, May 5 at Launchpad (618 Central Ave. SW) certainly qualifies as a method of gaining license to do just that. In a show that’s been publicized as a “barn burner,” one can indulge such musical fantasies as those which recall battle and triumph—per the musical admonitions, exhortations and lamentations of Burque musical notables Moonshine Blind, Gunsafe and The Imperial Rooster. What’s not to like, carnales? Do your duty and go to this one, if not for la cultura Mexicana, then because you dig the local scene, sabes? 9pm • $5 • 21+.
Show Up!: Sunday
Take a day off from live music. You’re going to need all your strength for Monday night, serio. During this brief interregnum, I suggest you listen to some music to pass the time. How do Spiderland by Slint, To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar and Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road sound for starters? Okay. After that you can get into the Elliott Smith stuff. See you tomorrow, kids.
Show Up!: Monday Part I
I really don’t know how to tell you this folks, but on Monday, May 7 there are potentially more totally awesome concerts in Albuquerque than you can possibly go to in one day. Even I, with a host of spectral familiars and vasty celestial resources, may run into a snag or two whilst capering from show to show on this awesomely terrible night. First on the list: Beach House and Sound of Ceres at Sunshine Theater (120 Central Ave. NW). As readers may recall, the former, a duo featuring Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally, create dreamy, pop-infused melancholy that drones and dances through the night. Sound of Ceres, are a literary-minded quartet of knee-gazing pop-obsessives from up en el norte. I am digging their 2016 release, Nostalgia for Infinity, while writing this and really like how that sentiment is expressed musically by this band of magicians. 8pm • $25 • 13+.
Show Up!: Monday Part Ii
Meanwhile over at Launchpad (618 Central Ave. NW), prepare to rock, albeit in a decidedly, hypnotically alternative fashion. Built to Spill headlines a fantastically rocked out bill that also features Ed Harcourt and Prism Bitch. Just so you know, Built to Spill is one of those seminal indie rock bands that helped define the term back in the ’90s and like other singular outfits of that age—notably The Shins—are really just one dude with a rotating selection of sidemen in tow. In the case of Built to Spill, that overarching spirit of the band is embodied by vocalist and guitarist Doug Martsch. He’s the one responsible for rock masterpieces like Ultimate Alternative Wavers and Ancient Melodies of the Future. Singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt ain’t no slouch, either. His influence on the indie music community is diffuse and on-going; masterworks like The Beautiful Lie really do have a gravitas that transcends time. Oh, and these two rock giants happen to be sharing the stage with Prism Bitch, one of the most exciting, singularly sick and sublime rock ensembles to come outta Burque in a while. 9pm • $25 • 21+.
Show Up!: Monday Part Iii
Of Montreal
courtesy of the artist
Man, what can I tell you about of Montreal. Don’t be like my friend Christian and get them confused with Boards of Canada, for one thing! After that dissection is complete, check this out. They’ll be at Sister (407 Central Ave. NW) on Monday, May 7. They’re from the southlands, from Athens, Ga., to be precise. That part of the planet is known as some of the most fertile territory for rockers, in case you wanna know. Also, Kevin Barnes and company are part of a super-heady group of psychedelic musical overlords known as the Elephant 6 Collective. Other members of this esoteric order include The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power and The Apples in Stereo. While these groups share a certain pop vernacular, of Montreal has more explicitly experimental inclinations, as heard on releases like Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? and Aureate Gloom. In concert, of Montreal stuns with precision performances and challenging, for realz psychedelia. Fellow experimenters on the pop corpse, Locate S, 1 open. 8pm • $17 • 21+.
