“I’ve got a surprise especially for you/ It’s something that both of us have always wanted to do/ We’ve waited so long, waited so long/ We’ve waited so long, waited so long”… the opening lyrics from a song called “Two Tickets to Paradise.”They’re by Eddie Money, by the way, whom I interviewed on the next page. They remind me of the yearly process—over here at Weekly Alibi—that signals the advent of BoB. This beloved issue is a favorite among readers and a labor of love for those of us who work on it year after year. It’s a reflection of what’s best about our own special military outpost in the desert, otherwise known as Dirt City, otherwise known as Burque.In the spirit of that celebration about what’s best about this burg, here’s a look at the best shows readers can hope to see and hear in this town during the heady, heady week of BoB, according to me, August March. I’m one of the dude’s main acolytes, so it’s okay to pay attention.
Show Up!: Thursday
Marsupious
courtesy of the artist
The concert that is being performed by OM, Six Organs of Admittance and Marsupious at Sister (407 Central Ave. NW) on Thursday, April 26, represents, in many ways, the best of Burque—and therefore must be seen and heard in order to be properly reckoned. Al Cisneros, the visionary metallic musical genius generally behind OM—as well as preexisting project Sleep—lives right here in Burque and stares out his window at the same looming mountains that some of us do. When he gazes onto the mesa, he can hear the wind howl. I believe you can hear all that through his music, but you better find out for yourself. OM represents both an evolution toward and a serious, sacred digression from the head-banging variety of stoner rock classicism; 2012’s Advaitic Songs remains both reference and rocked out raison d’être. And if you’ve never heard Sleep’s Dopesmoker, then you may never make it to the holy mountain after all. Six Organs of Admittance, the noise project of multi-instrumentalist Ben Chasny, has worked with OM before, notably on an eponymous split back in 2006. With Burque’s heaviest from among the heavyweight groove metal/prog-rock division, Marsupious, opening, this should be a concert that Mr. Spock would find “fascinating.” But you, humans will probably just rock the fuck out. 8pm • $15 • 21+.
Show Up!: Friday
Def-i
Adam Rubenstein
There’s going to be a Gathering of MCs on Friday, April 27, at Launchpad (618 Central Ave. NW) but MCA won’t be there in the flesh. He may be attending in spirit though; I’ll ask his spectre and see. In the meantime, get thee down to the west end of Downtown on Friday night for a battle of the ages. There will be prizes, including a $250 prize in the main tournament. The whole deal is hosted by Def-i and SPEED ONE. In addition to these masters of flow, you can check out acts like Def-i’s collaboration with Wake Self, Definition Rare plus Bishop Underdog, Natanii Means, Nightshield, Running With Arrows, Daybi, Dawta Magma, Macchiato Music, Ill Methods, Truth 66, Honey and DJ Poetic, plus DJ Reflekshin and the FSC Crew. Yow, that’s almost too much hip-hop to take! But serio, it’s not and will instead fill listeners with joy and other dance-y thoughts, for damn sure. 9pm • $7 • 21+.
Show Up!: Saturday
DJ Qbert
courtesy of the artist
I’ve written about Richard Quitevis before, and I will write about him again, He’s of my generation after all. The turntableist known as DJ Qbert came up with Mix Master Mike and then busted out of the scene in the mid ’90s with works like Demolition Pumpkin Squeeze Musik—a super smart mixtape that takes apart pop and soul music like it’s working profane magic on profound musical temptations. Then he went all experimental and birthed Wave Twisters, a record that seemed like it would be more popular among robots than among their fleshy fathers. He’ll be jamming at Sister (407 Central Ave. NW) on Saturday, April 28. And just so you know, Qbert works with folks in the music industry; he works with folks in the gaming world; he’s successfully intertwined branches of pop culture that always seemed made for each other but seemed like they were on opposite and therefore unreachable parts of the American cultural tree. I always felt like turntablism was an unforeseen and radically excellent thing that happened to popular music, which means I just may be there—you know, the guy in the Grand Royale Records t-shirt standing in a dark corner and taking notes. 9pm • $18 • 21+
Show Up!: Sunday
DDAT
courtesy of the artist
I started writing about DDAT and realized that they truly do defy description. What they produce totally destroys listener’s perceptions about the nature of genre boundaries. They also do wonders in the process of deconstructing musical and artistic forms and rebuilding them in new, challenging sound-shapes. The incorporation of hip-hop and jazz into the quartet’s output is particularly piquant, physically and philosophically. If such a melding of essential opposites is possible than DDAT—Chris Bidtah (vocals), Delbert Anderson (trumpet), Nicholas Lucero (drums) and Mike McCluhan (bass)—is likely the responsible artistic entity. The ensemble has their CD release party on Sunday, April 29, at the Cooperage (7720 Lomas Blvd. NE) and it’s worth noting that this concert is brought to grateful local listeners by AMP Concerts, which continues to make programming choices that make us smile over here in an office otherwise dominated by heavy metal relics and indie inclinations. 7:30pm • $15 in advance, $20 day of show • 21+ without parent or guardian.
