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Big
Bang Cirkus, Brevator
King’s
Tavern, Thursday
The
Big Bang Cirkus—a real circus, we’re told, more along the
lines of Jim Rose than Ringling Bros.—will roll into King’s
Tavern tonight for one presumably wacky performance. To get
an idea of what type of thrills they might have in store,
consider the items requested by their performance rider: three
cinder blocks; five pounds of Jell-O or raw salad; a PA for
the MC; two cases of beer; a bottle of whiskey; two hairbrushes
or combs; two dancing midget hermaphrodites; a burnt-out lightbulb;
10 worms; 20 crickets; filet mignon; towels and towelettes;
bucket of water and/or sand; four Methodist coloring books
and a box of 64 wax marking sticks; access to a bike pump;
one pound of sea salt; a party sub that’s half-meat, half-vegetarian;
many condoms; and a gross of bottle rockets. The band Brevator
will be on hand to terrorize tympanic membranes, and, perhaps,
to add levity. (June 23, 9 PM, $5, 241 Union Ave., Saratoga
Springs, 581-7090)
Killith
Fair
Saratoga
Winners, Friday
As
the name of this package tour suggests, don’t expect anything
sensitive or girly from the bands on this bill. This is all
about the hating. The hating, and the aural ass-kicking. M.O.D.
will headline—Billy Milano, their legendary trash-mouthed
frontman, organized the tour—with special guests Crisis and
Texas-based Jacknife rounding out the evening. According to
M.O.D.’s Web site, Killith Fair is their first full U.S. tour
in 10 years. So there’s that. And, for you M.O.D.-ettes, Milano
is looking forward to reconnecting with you: “We hope to meet
everyone on the road so don’t be afraid to come up and say
hello.” Crisis are old friends in this area—otherworldly screeching-voice-of-doom
Karyn Crisis was on our cover back in 1994. Finally, there
are the newcomers, Jacknife. To hear musical samples, check
out the tour Web site at www.killithfair.com. (June 24,
7:30 PM, $14, Route 9, Latham, 783-1010)
 Ted
Leo + Pharmacists
Valentine’s,
Friday
OK,
they’re not really pharmacists, but if they were, the prescription
doled out from this group would be a whopping dose of political
indie rock. Infusing elements of both pop and punk into his
songs, Ted Leo uses his music as a means of exploring both
societal and personal issues, which is neither as preachy
nor as boring as it may sound. Nor should one associate the
band with the elitism that sometimes accompanies such heady
rock: On his Web site, Leo sings the praises of mainstream
pop stars like former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson.
The band have achieved enormous critical success, toured in
the U.S. five times, and appeared on Late Night
with Conan O’Brien. The similar postpunk band Radio 4
and the Saratoga-based Sixfifteens also grace the bill. (June
24, 7:30 PM, $10, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)
Maurizio
CD release
Caffe
Lena, Saturday
Fifteen
years. That’s a damn long time to wait before recording a
debut CD, but that’s exactly how long Maurizio—a singer-songwriter
who will celebrate the release of his very first album this
weekend at Caffe Lena—has been performing ’round these parts.
Heck, one of our staffers even recalls seeing the guy at area
open-mic nights back in high school. (That was quite a while
ago, by the way; we’re not nearly as young as we look.) So
this new CD is a statement of purpose, if you will. The 11-track
collection highlights the performance style he’s honed over
the years—that is, solo acoustic guitar and vocal. Simple.
No frills. Just like it oughta be . . . and just the way it
will be when Maurizio takes the stage on Saturday night. (June
25, 8 PM, $12, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 583-0022)
The
Rumdummies CD-release party
WAMC
Performing Arts Studio, Saturday
The
Rumdummies will cele- brate the release of their new disc,
Too Dum to Quit, with a concert at the WAMC Performing
Arts Studio this weekend. The guys from the Rumdummies (Pat
Conover, Todd Nelson, Steven Clyde and Al Kash) are established
musicians; individually, they have been members of Fear of
Strangers, the Boneshakers and Commander Cody, and they have
worked with artists like Aimee Mann, Marshall Crenshaw and
Savoy Brown, just to name a few. The Rumdummies’ sound has
been described as “swamp jangle rhythm and blues”—but before
you get discouraged, consider this: They say that their CD-release
concert will be a ton-o-fun, so check it out and see if they’re
telling the truth. You can sample their new CD (in the form
of “Boil That Turpentine”) on the Rumdummies Web site at www.rumdummies.com.
(June 25, 8 PM, $8, 339 Central Ave., Albany, 465-5233,
ext. 4)
Laundryroom
Squelchers
The
Flywheel, Easthampton, Mass., Tuesday
The
jury’s out on the Laundryroom Squelchers: According to their
press, they’re either an invigoratingly disorienting noise-rock
collective/happening, or a small band of affected hacks retreading
the grating experimental inaccessibility of Lou Reed’s Metal
Machine Music and Neil Young’s Trans. But here’s
what we do know conclusively: Members of the Squelchers come
via Scraping Teeth, which Spin magazine named the worst
band in America for their punishing and completely unlistenable
compositions, such as “Blow Me While I Shit” and “Mary Had
a Fucking Goat.” Yep, we think so too: invigorating. (June
28, 7 PM, 2 Holyoke St., Easthampton, Mass., 413-527-9800)
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oshe
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Tryst,
a New York band with roots in the Capital Region,
will play Valentine’s tonight (Thursday) in celebration
of their new release Hotel Two-Way, which
was recorded at Albany’s own Hoex Studios; new
band Dean’s Change Jar are also on the
bill (9 PM, $5, 432-6572). . . . Also celebrating
a new release are Scotians Monkey Gone Mad;
they’ll hold a CD-release party at Northern Lights
tonight, with the Late Night Show opening
(7 PM, $7, 371-0012). . . . And another: John
Hiatt and the North Mississippi All-Stars
will play songs from their recent collaboration
Master of Disaster at the Egg tonight (7:30
PM, $29.50, 473-1845) and again at Northampton’s
Calvin Theater tomorrow (Friday, 8 PM, $32.50-$42.50,
413-584-1444). . . . E. O’Dwyer’s will host two
nights of jazz as a kickoff to the Freihofer’s
Jazz Festival at SPAC. Thurday’s show will feature
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey and Oshe;
Friday’s show is Club d’Elf with
John Medeski of the famed Medeski Martin
and Wood. As a special treat, E. O’Dwyer’s now
boasts a brand-new sound system, which is sure
to make the concertgoing experience an even better
one than before at this venue (9 PM, $10 Thursday;
10 PM, $20 for Friday, 583-6476). . . . In Northampton
this Friday: Ja Rule will perform at
Pearl Street, sans Ashanti, unfortunately; Strife
& Imack and Heiruspecs
will open (8:30 PM, $28, 413-584-7771). . . .
The Wasted, Mike Hotter, and Power
Take Off rock Valentine’s on Saturday (9 PM,
$5, 432-6572). . . . Simultaneously, the Erotics
and Black Jack Blades rock the Lark Tavern
(10 PM, $5, 463-7875). . . . Renowned jazz vocalist
Andrea Wolper will perform at the North
Pointe Cultural Arts Center on Saturday (8 PM,
$20-$25, 758-9234). . . . Don’t forget about the
Freihofer’s Jazz Festival on Saturday and
Sunday at SPAC—for a complete list of performers
and prices, visit www.spac.org. (noon, 584-9330).
. . . With the rash of fires around Albany in
recent weeks, someone in our circle was bound
to get screwed: Joe and Gina Ulrich, newlyweds
and longtime supporters of the local-music scene,
lost most of their possessions and one of their
cats in a fire on June 5; this Sunday afternoon,
local acts the Wait, the Day Jobs,
Five Alpha Beatdown, Brian Bassett,
and Call It Quits will team up at Artie’s
River Street Stage to raise money for the couple.
This also happens to be the last show ever at
Artie’s; proprietor Art Fredette will open a new
joint later this summer (5 PM, $5, 687-0064).
. . . Finally, the New Pornographers will
preview tracks from their forthcoming Twin
Cinema LP at Pearl Street on Sunday; Mates
of State open (8:30 PM, $18, 413-584-7771).
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Columns
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