“Princess cards she sends me with her regards/ Barroom eyes shine vacancy, to see her you gotta look hard/ Wounded deep in battle, I stand stuffed like some soldier undaunted/ To her Cheshire smile. I’ll stand on file, she’s all I ever wanted/ But you let your blue walls get in the way of these facts/ Honey, get your carpetbaggers off my back/ You wouldn’t even give me time to cover my tracks/ You said, ‘Here’s your mirror and your ball and jacks.’/ But they’re not what I came for, and I’m sure you see that too/ I came for you, for you, I came for you, but you did not need my urgency.”—“For You” by Bruce Springsteen from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.This week’s introductory lyrics are rather lengthy, but there’s a good reason for that. I happened upon a Facebook discussion wherein my brother posted some Bob Dylan lyrics, and people commented. One person thought that Dylan’s poetry was reminiscent of something by The Boss. Another screamed in uppercase protest about how it made no sense to compare these two iconic American songwriters. The man in the snake suit was leagues ahead of the dude from New Jersey. I won’t comment on that other than by posting lyrics to a Springsteen song. Take some time and decide for yourself whether Bruce approaches Bobby. In the meantime, there are some incomparable shows to come out for this week. And they’re for you.
Show Up! Friday
Katie Crutchfield, Waxahatchee’s prime mover
Michael Rubenstein
Waxahatchee, an alt-folk band fueled by the deeply personal words and music of Katie Crutchfield, plays Sister (407 Central NW) on Friday, April 24. Crutchfield and company are touring in support of new release Ivy Tripp. Like all her work, the album’s fantastic, fiery focus on life’s rich pageant is delivered with a southern twang of tradition. This asset, combined to great effect with a fierce musical foundation, makes Waxahatchee an important representative of the evolving face of Americana.Punky and melodic LA duo Girlpool opens the gig. Made up of Cleo and Harmony, Girlpool’s recording Before The World Was Big sounds sort of like an ultra-talented, musically adept version of The Shaggs’ Philosophy of the World. Comparisons are ultimately useless, but suffice it to say, Girlpool rocks. Tickets for this field trip to a new aural frontier will run hardy pioneers seven bucks. Sister welcomes sojourners of legal drinking age at 8pm, and the recital begins at 9pm.
Show Up! Saturday
Snoop Dogg
Courtesy of artist
At the other end of the spectrum of American culture stands a fellow named Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., who’s better known as Snoop Dogg. The pop culture icon delivers a hip-hop rendition of his existence on Saturday, April 25, at Santa Ana Star Center (3001 Civic Center Circle, Rio Rancho). Snoop’s IRL experience as a gangster served as inspiration for his sacred profanity and economical flow, resulting in a subgenre called G-funk. Snoop’s body of work has grown more complex and introspective with every album; for example, sophomore album Tha Doggfather was substantially more evolved than its predecessor, raw debut album Doggystyle. Post-millenium Snoop has discarded his hardcore stylings, adopting instead a world-weary yet thoroughly pimped-out identity.Lately, Snoop’s musical journey has reflected an embrace of Rastafarianism, electronica and even R&B; the latter was evidenced in his recent collaboration with Pharrell. No matter what vehicle propels Broadus’ vision, his output—from OG anthem “Gin and Juice” to brand-new single “Peaches N Cream”—remains vital and palatable. Rapper cohorts Machine Gun Kelly, Mack 10, Eric Bellinger and Adrian Marcel get the all-ages party started. The joint lights up at 7pm, and ticket prices range from $59 to $79.
Show Up! Friday & Sunday
Red Earth
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Beyond a vault of all-American stars, local/legit old-school band Red Earth modernizes Native American themes by experimenting with contemporary elements. Painting with a broad palette, the local sextet fuses diverse genres like ska, jazz, reggae, rockabilly and blues into something its members call a “tribal stew.” The group’s 2003 album Zia Soul features collaborators like Ozomatli’s Wil-Dog Abers (bass, marímbula) and musicians from Brazil and the Navajo Nation, boasting titles like “Key of Pain” and “Santa Fake.” Red Earth reprises their long-running (1998-2006) Gathering of Nations concert series Electric 49 at Launchpad (618 Central SW) on Friday, April 24. That 21-plus reunion gig opens at 8pm and rocks out at 9:30pm. Presale tickets are $8. Hopi reggae artist Casper Lomayesva and his Mighty 602 Band open.Red Earth is one of those outfits whose live performances give deep meaning and virtually unstoppable inertia to the term “rock and roll.” Tunes like “Fly to the Sun,” “The Fourth World” and “Rez Rocket” sound good on tape, but these compositions become boundless moments of beauty and jammed-out goodness when the band steps onstage. Ira Wilson’s vocals can be either disarming or contemplative, while Carlo Bluehouse Johnson’s lead guitar wails, sings and snarls. Captain Raab and Jeff Duneman helm a rhythm section that holds the whole mélange together faithfully and tastefully. And there’s another, all-ages Red Earth reunion show on Sunday, April 26, at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (2401 12th Street NW). This all-ages performance by a multi-NAMMY-winning musical treasure benefits IPCC and only costs $10. The all-ages show should run from at 5:30pm until 8:30pm. Adult tickets are $10, and children under 12 get in free with an adult.
Show Up! Tuesday
Sleater-Kinney
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Sleater-Kinney, a rock band (originally) straight outta Olympia, Wash., is favored by noted American music writers Greil Marcus and M. Brianna Stallings. The trio are reunited and on tour in support of their first album release in almost a decade. Sleater-Kinney rocks Sunshine Theater (120 Central SW) on Tuesday, April 28. Peruse last week’s awesome Alibi cover story, an interview with guitarist/“Portlandia” resident Carrie Brownstein, to better grok the group’s divine essence.Corin Tucker, Janet Weiss and Brownstein have rocanrol down to an art. Iconoclastic and imbued with a political/punk aesthetic that screams and whispers with wondrous, noisome euphony, Sleater-Kinney reunited this year and released No Cities to Love, an album that not only secured their place in the rock pantheon, but amply declared the resurgence of this country’s indie scene—D-flat tuning included.Jet City R&B/hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction—namely Stasia "Stas" Irons and Catherine "Cat" Harris-White—bring it on at the onset. Presale tickets are $25, doors are at 8pm, and something from their catalog will get stuck in your head forever at 9pm.
Show Up!
Just like Bruce and Bob, all the acts appearing in this week’s column are of America. Poetic, profound, plaintive or plain outright punk—they represent everything you’ve ever wanted; they came for you, urgently. I hope you see and hear that too.
