Metroland Online - Noteworthy

Just because Longwave have toured and hung out with the Strokes doesn’t necessarily mean they sound like the Strokes. All right, some folks have suggested they sound a little bit like the Strokes, but Longwave play their own melodic, distortion-heavy rock & roll. It’s all about the guitars, as Shannon Ferguson and Steve Schlitz create chunky layers of sound over the impressively straightforward rhythms of drummer Mike James and bassist Dave Marchese. (It’s the kind of rhythm section a Joy Division diehard can love.) Longwave are heard to exceptional advantage on their swell new album The Strangest Things, produced by Western New York’s favorite son, Dave Fridmann. Also on the bill for this all ages show are the Erotics—who can always be counted on to pull off somethin’ special, literally or figuratively—and the Bamboo Kids. (May 1, 8 PM, $8, 432-6572)

Bright Eyes, Arab Strap, Jesse Harris
Calvin Theatre, Northampton, Mass., Friday

We’re trying to avoid any slanderous geographical conclusions, but Bright Eyes and Arab Strap—from Nebraska and Scotland, respectively—share such a marked and mopey introspection-in-spades quality that we wonder if they’d each have been happier relocating to, say, hell. The morose neo-folk duo Arab Strap pore over sexual and amorous peccadilloes with an absolutely unflinching eye—imagine the aural equivalent of a Nan Goldin photo; Bright Eyes (aka Conor Oberst) has been wrenching out indie-folk anxiety of finely wrought literary skill since he was 13 (he’s a hoary 23 now). If it makes you feel really good to feel really bad, save yourself the trip to Omaha, cancel your ticket to Glasgow, and head to Northampton (the Calvin Theatre to be exact). You’ll be miserable you did—but in a good way. Jesse Harris opens. (May 2, 8 PM, $15, 413-586-8686)

Vertical Horizon, the Suggestions
Northern Lights, Friday

It’s the classic tale of a college (in this case, Georgetown) duo working and gigging for years before “making it.” Keith Kane and Matt Scannell got together in 1991 (at an undergrad party, no less) and picked up drummer Ed Toth and bassist Sean Hurley over years of touring. In 1997, they landed a deal with RCA, and ever since, the band have been pretty busy recording and touring in support of their first album with the label, Everything You Want, which was released in ’99. The singles from the album, including the title track and “You’re a God,” became popular radio hits and made Vertical Horizon a household name. Their next album, Go, is due to be released this year. Tomorrow night, Vertical Horizon will perform at Northern Lights. Some familiar faces will take the stage as well: Local rockers the Suggestions open. (May 2, 7:30 PM, $17, $15 advance, 371-0012)

Kaleidoscope Live
Chapel + Cultural Center, Friday

Somewhere back in the mists of time, the archetype of the DJ shifted from that of the passionate—even dangerously obsessed—omnivore music fanatic to the cheeseball, failed-prop-comic, Morning Zoo moron. But way off on the left of the dial (metaphorically speaking), there still lurk holdouts. On Friday, RPI’s Chapel + Cultural Center holds a fitting tribute to just such a trooper: Jim Barrett, host—for a jaw-dropping 33 years now—of the cult-hit radio show Kaleidoscope. First on RPI’s own station (91.5 FM) and more recently on WZMR (104.9 FM), Barrett has presented a—surprise, surprise—kaleidoscopic selection of tunes to make you swoon. From Thelonius Monk to the White Stripes, from Mission of Burma to Hank Williams, from Johnny Cash to Rob Skane—as the kids say, it’s all good. Barrett and his producer Dave Stockwell will be on hand to regale with stories; and acts such as Skane, Niki Lee, Mark Emanation and Folding Sky, Johnny Rabb and Rocky Velvet will be on hand to regale with the rock. (May 2, 8 PM, $5, 272-7793)

Parkfest
Altamont Fairgrounds, Sunday

For UAlbany students, it’s all over but the finals—and Parkfest, the annual Student Association-sponsored, all-day orgy of music, sun and sin. Just naming all the acts will take up most of this listing. In addition to featured headliners 50 Cent, the Used, Hatebreed, Taking Back Sunday, Finch and Midtown, there will be locals like Count the Stars and Greaystar; former locals like Jupiter Sunrise; not-local-but-are-local faves like Breaking Pangaea and Coheed & Cambria; and an assortment of fine performers soon-to-become local faves like the Movielife, the Exies, Thrice, One Line Drawing, Amanda Rogers, Recover, My Chemical Romance, This Afternoon, Straighter Than Pete, Story of the Year, Freya, AOK, the Network, Insight, Malicious, Chimere, Headnotic and Eminem. OK, Eminem is not on the bill—we just wanted to make sure you were still with us. (May 4, 11 AM, $25, $23 advance, $15 with UAlbany ID, 442-5641)

also noted

OF MONTREAL

Impulse Response presents a show tonight (Thursday) at the Arts Center in Troy with Due Process, the moniker for RRRecords-founder Ron Lessard’s electronic and acoustic collaborative works. The Lowell, Mass.-based band have been around since the mid-’80s, and the current lineup features Lessard on his own invention, the Minutoli—a five-armed record player and a record of 500 locked grooves. He’s joined tonight with Walter Wright on video—Jason Lescalleet, provider of tape loops, is in the band, but he won’t be in Troy (8 PM, $5, $3, 273-0552). . . . Songwriters Lowen & Navarro—who have penned works for the Bangles, the Temptations and Pat Benatar (“We Belong”)—will perform tomorrow (Friday) at the WAMC Performing Arts Studio (7:30 PM, $15, 465-5233 ext. 4). . . . Those rough’n’rowdy Coal Palace Kings will provide the audience of the Garden Grill their punked-up confessionals on Friday, and some of the tunes might even make it onto their next album (6:30 PM, $2, 462-0571). . . . The Pavilion festival in Troy kicks off Friday night with the beloved local bands Struction, Denim & Diamonds and the Amazing Plaid performing; thejessestiles3000 will do his thing in between and after the sets (free, 9:30 PM, www.tacticalmedial ab.com). . . . Jam-rock band Jerkwater Ruckus will return to playing as a five-piece after their show at Valentine’s on Friday, as Ruckus guitarist-harmonica player Jim B. is heading to the left coast (9 PM, $7, 432-6572). . . . Christian indie-rocker Pedro the Lion (aka Dave Bazan) will play Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, Mass., on Saturday; Stratford 4 and Ester Drang will open the show (8:30 PM, $10, 800-THE-TICK). . . . The Charles Mingus Orchestra, committed to performing the bassist- composer’s repertoire, will perform with Elvis Costello (who has written new lyrics for six Mingus compositions) at Bard College’s new Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday (8 PM, $35-$85, 845-758-7900). . . . The country-rockin’ Railroad Earth, formed from the ashes of From Good Homes, will play Valentine’s on Saturday, with MotherJudge and Albie opening (9 PM, $10, 432-6572). . . . Troy’s Revolution Hall will be the setting for a blistering blues doubleheader on Saturday, with the Maynard Brothers Band and the Out of Control Rhythm & Blues Band performing; after each band plays their own set they’ll join together for a humongous jam (8 PM doors, $10, 273-2337). . . . The Fabu Records All-Girl Revue will take place Saturday at Caffe Lena in Saratoga, with performances by New York City pop-pianist Karen Jacobsen, Sirsy vocalist Melanie Krahmer, Northampton, Mass.-based pianist (of the funky-bluesy variety) Jennifer Greer and classical guitarist and singer- songwriter from Saratoga Lise Winne; Corley Roberts, now of Nashville, will host the event (9 PM, $10, $8, 583-0022). . . . Valentine’s features a couple more biggies at the end of the week, with Minutemen founder and former fIREHOSE bassist Mike Watt returning to the upstairs stage on Tuesday—Kitty Little and Famous open—and elated indie-popsters Of Montreal, with openers James William Hindle and Scientific Maps, playing on Wednesday (both shows: 8 PM, $10, 432-6572). . . . Finally, the Joey Thomas Big Band along with vocalist Bob Father will perform a tribute to Frank Sinatra on Wednesday at the WAMC Performing Arts Center (8 PM, $5, 465-5233 ext. 169).

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