Ed Gorch CD release show
Lark Street Book Shop, Friday

Ed Gorch, of alt-country outfit knotworking, spent his free moments this past winter holed up in his basement apartment, recording a solo album on his four-track. The outcome of his efforts is his new album titled Coward. It’s evident on the album that the recording atmosphere was casual; the performance to celebrate the release of this album will be casual as well. Gorch will perform the tracklist from the CD tomorrow (Friday) night at the Lark Street Book Shop. The $7 admission gets you a copy of the CD, too. By the way, for those who are curious, according to the band’s Web site, a new knotworking album is already in the works. (July 23, 7 PM, $7, 215 Lark St., Albany, 465-8126)

Malawi Children’s AIDS Benefit
Valentine’s, Friday

Broadcast Live is being hyped as “Albany’s hottest new spoken-word/hiphop/funk/rock experience,” and we’re not about to argue. Truth be told, they’re hard to get much information on—try Googling their name sometime and see what comes up. What we do know is that Broadcast Live’s ringleader, poet and activist Victorio Reyes, has been reading and performing around the area for several years, and that he’s dedicated his career to promoting social change through artistic expression. Speaking of, all proceeds from Friday night’s show will benefit the Malawi Children’s Village, an organization created to help support the needs of children orphaned by AIDS in Malawi, Africa, one of the statistically poorest countries in the world. Spoken-word legend Mojave, dub reggae DJ GT, and Alisa Sikelanos will also perform. (July 23, 8 PM, $10, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)

Taiping Rebellion
King’s Tavern, Friday-Saturday

A quick world-history re - fresher reminds us that the Taiping Rebellion was a valiant effort by 19th-century Chinese peasants to found a new utopian dynasty of “great peace.” The Sixfifteens’ Bob Carlton named and booked this raucous weekend hoping to cross-pollinate local and regional acts, and while the event may not bring instantaneous heavenly peace, it will do its best to knock you flat with good times. Friday night kicks off with Grand Habit’s shoe-gazey atmospherics, followed by the twisted bruisers in the Wasted. Imported for the night are Northampton indie-poppers the Mitchells as well as New York’s 1000 Year Plan (ex-Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death), who will bring their mathy-instrumentalism. Speaking of math, the Mathematicians’ eminently danceable electro-rock will be offered as a nightcap. As if that weren’t enough, go back for more on Saturday when the Dirty Whites from Boston will start things off, followed by the one-two punch of blazing rock from the Empire State Troopers and Small Axe’s crushing sludge. The evening will be rounded out by the Sixfifteens’ noisy pop and the electronic spasms of the Pink Hearse Paparazzi Project. (July 23-24, 8:30 PM, $5 per night, 21+, 241 Union Ave., Saratoga Springs, 584-9643)

Gay Tastee, Brent Gorton, Lincoln Money Shot
Lark Tavern, Saturday

This show at the Lark on Sat-urday will feature an entertaining, intertwining montage of musicians. Gay Tastee of the Wasted will perform a bunch of songs with Jump Cannon’s Sarah Paul, and then he’ll play with the Gay Tastee Money Shot Trainwreck, a group morphed from the likes of the guys in Lincoln Money Shot and Aaron Smith (former member of Stars of Rock and currently in Scientific Maps). Brent Gorton will offer up a set with his buddies Troy Pohl and Gaven Richard. Also, Anaconda will appear (a solo act also known as Matto). It should prove to be an action-packed night. (July 24, 10 PM, $3, 21+, 453 Madison Ave., Albany, 463-9779)

Everlast, Buddahead
Northern Lights, Saturday

You might remember the young Erik Schrody from back in 1991, when he first made his mark with pop-rap rabblerousers House of Pain. Back then, he sported a Boston Celtics jersey and barked out orders like “get out your seat and jump around.” What you probably don’t realize is that Schrody actually began his career with the Marky Mark-esque Forever Everlasting LP in 1989. Much time has passed and, today, the artist typically known as Everlast is playing a different tune, although it’s not much different from the tune he hit big with six years ago (the heavily-bleeped radio smash “What It’s Like”). Everlast will perform at Northern Lights on Monday to drum up some interest for his latest release, White Trash Beautiful; fresh-faced alternarockers Buddahead will open. (July 24, 7:30 PM, $15, Route 146, Clifton Park, 371-0012)

Josh Groban
Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Wednesday

For those of you with a classically trained ear, this show’s for you. Josh Groban got his start when he guest-starred on Ally McBeal as an awkward teenager who wanted to take Ally to his prom, and who happened to have a very beautiful voice. His self-titled debut, released in 2001, featured the hit “To Where You Are,” which marked his semi-crossover to the pop market. Since then, this kid’s been all over the place, performing his heart out, and meanwhile selling more than 5 million albums worldwide. His international fan base have even dubbed themselves Grobanites. (Yes, we agree, this is disturbing.) Groban’s now touring in support of his latest album, Closer, released in 2003 (you may have heard his single of the disc, “You Raise Me Up”). Catch him on Wednesday when he performs a family-friendly show at SPAC. (July 28, 8 PM, $27.50-$75, Saratoga State Park, Saratoga Springs, 476-1000)

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