July 3rd, 2009
This Weekend In Shows
Tonight:
Spooktober
9pm. Danger Danger Gallery.
Vocalist-guitarist Brian C.R. and vocalist-bassist Miguel E.—plus crucial third member “Cassie,” a Casiotone 405 keyboard that provides the beats—sing about ghosts, vampires and other scary things (like ex-girlfriends); decorate their MySpace page with candy corn and lime-green bats; and make an unhinged, punkish racket like a very early Pixies, putting the rock in your trick-or-treat bag in a good way. Strangely, though, they don’t wear costumes—unless in real life they’re suit-wearing advertising execs who dress up as hipster indie rockers with questionable haircuts. (Michael Alan Goldberg)Also, Fountains of Wayne play a rare, intimate acoustic show at the Sellersville Theater, but it’s so rare and intimate that the show is very sold out [8:30pm]; and the North Star hosts By Any Means, Eat Your Birthday Cake, and Jet Fighter [9pm/$8].
Saturday:
Jay Reatard
11pm, $12. Johnny Brenda’s.
Garage-punk prodigy Jay Reatard has been threatening that his forthcoming Matador release, Watch Me Fall, will explore more mellow territory than both his raucous solo full-length Blood Visions and the metric assload of charmingly underproduced singles he manages to pump out with the greatest of ease. Let’s hope this doesn’t mean he’ll take a kinder and gentler turn in his notoriously brief but undoubtedly potent live performances. Reatard’s sets typically clock in at around a half-hour. At best, the crowd will be treated to a visceral and sweat-drenched sonic exorcism. At worst, an audience member will get punched in the face. It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. (Maggie Serota)
Renminbi
9:30pm, $5. Tritone.
Named after the Chinese currency and touring behind the new Surface EP, the Brooklyn duo Renminbi is striking from the get-go. Picking apart math=y ’90s indie rock with an ear toward Krautrock, the band is alternately tidal and machinelike, whipping up foggy effects and turn-on-a-dime transitions in equal portions. When guitarist Lisa Liu breaks the instrumental fever with vocals, they’re delivered with a relaxed flatness that fits the music’s opaque charms. Ditto the keyboardist known only as SMV, who prefers near-subliminal textures to plinking melodies. A drummer joins the band live, and Don Fleming — remember him? — produced Surface, proving he can still rein in any youngster’s willful maneuverings. (Doug Wallen)Also, the Roots and Sheryl Crow play a free July 4th show in front of the Art Museum starting around 8:30pm, with fireworks following at around 10:30pm; and King & Comrades headlines the Khyber [9pm/$8].
Sunday:
Kurt Vile
8pm. $8. Kung Fu Necktie.
Officially announcing Kurt Vile’s signing to venerable Matador Records back in May (for months it had been the worst-kept secret in Philly music circles), label honcho Gerard Cosloy called our fantastic psych-pop singer/multi-instrumentalist “one of the more important figures in American music circa 2009” and noted that “we’d either have to sign this guy or find someone else who sounded exactly like him.” This is one of those rare cases where the hyperbole is not only justified, it actually seems insufficient: Vile’s music is remarkable – all at once atmospheric, noisy, dreamy, melodic, weird, and epic – and dude’s a riveting performer. Mark my words: He’s gonna get huge, so catch him in the small clubs while you can. (Michael Alan Goldberg)
