There’s a heap of bands in this town, and yeah, they rock—to use a genre-neutral verb that expresses the essence of what good listening is about. The fact that the preponderance of said rocking-ness, whether it manifests through rocanrol, folk, jazz, its hybrids or outgrowths, is created, produced and performed by women may come as a surprise to any Neanderthals left on the scene, but it’s a widely known fact to folks on the circuit. Sister (417 Central NW) illuminates that simple conclusion on Thursday night, Jan. 28, when a show called “ABQs Finest Songstresses” takes the stage at the storied joint. The bill includes several rising forces within our humble burg as well as long-time defenders of the faith. They include Eileen & the In-Betweens, 5 Star Motelles, Meredith Wilder and a new outfit called Me and My Wife.Multi-instrumentalist and visual artist Eileen Shaughnessy is at the heart of a project that Alibi record reviewer Geoffrey Plant called “polished and very accessible” and directs a diverse and dedicated band of renown. 5 Star Motelles, riding the awesome waves of a recent release recorded at Keller Hall, continues their loving deconstruction of ‘60s girl group aesthetics, while Meredith Wilder, a driving force in local Americana adherents Wildewood will perform work from her extensive solo and collaborative catalog. Me and My Wife open. This 21+ gig goes off at 9pm; a mere $5 dollars is all it takes to get through the door and into a really groovy gathering.
Show Up!: Saturday
Redneck
Via Facebook
The reason country-Western music doesn’t get covered in this town has nothing to do with my proclivities for metal, bebop and noise but is rather due to the fact that I’m generally too lazy—and damned near-sighted at night too—to drive up to the Heights to have a go at it. Hell, I just listened to the Lovin’ Spoonful dish out “Nashville Cats” early this morning and followed that up with a heaping helping of Buck Owens for breakfast. I’m sure I’ll get around to watching reruns of “Hee-Haw” sometime in the foreseeable future, but in the meantime, may I suggest you check out the Dirty Bourbon Dance Hall and Saloon (9800 Montgomery NE). On Saturday, Jan. 30, the city’s locus of all that is twangy and tuneful present Redneck, a band of three brothers and essential collaborators who’ve been playing country music in Albuquerque for nigh on 30 years.Hard core honky-tonkers with heart, Redneck features the musical meanderings of twins Tim and Dave (Audie) Brown. Vocalist Tim takes his influence from traditionalists in the genre, citing Merle Haggard as his go-to guy, while bass player Dave prefers a grittier interpretation of the genre, based in the nuanced ramblings of the likes of Steve Earle. With brother Jim on drums and Brian Daniel (electric guitar) and J.R. Ross (pedal steel guitar) joining in on the jam-session, listeners are practically guaranteed either an introduction to or a further explication of what good country sounds like midway between Bakersfield and Nashville. For a five dollar cover—21+ ID in hand—you can’t do better on a Saturday night. Redneck rolls at 6pm.
Show Up!: Wednesday
Weedrat
Via Facebook
The mission of the Albuquerque Indian Center is to “Empower the Albuquerque urban Native American Community and others through provisions of wrap-around services designed to promote wellness, education, self-sufficiency and tradition.” On Wednesday, Feb. 3, Launchpad (618 Central SW) hosts a concert whose proceeds will benefit the continuing goals of the 26-year-old nonprofit. A plethora of local rockers will rep Burque’s music community for the event. Ranging in tone from powerfully punk-rock derived declamations of Weedrat, through the elusive slow-wave metal shoegaze of Lilith and onto the aggressively engaged, socially enraged grindcore—or old town grid as its known around here—of Laughing Dog. Okay. So I am going to stop typing for a moment, turn to my wife and say, “This sounds like a helluva show!” And it shall be too. Weedrat has gotten a lot of press on these pages of late, and for good reason, because of the band’s authenticity. Lilith, comprised of Allen Augustine and Heather Price, is a relatively new project that draws upon multiple referents and musical identities to delicately churn out some of the most complexly def tuneage available here and now. As for Laughing Dog, the dudes have been righteously rocking the body politik through seminal, hard-core style stuff like “Atomic Groove” and “Terrorized Perceptions” for years, adding heady heights to their corner of the metal universe. This 21+ confluence of community and chordal cacophony begins at 9:30pm. The price of admission is $5.
