Podcast #613 reappears with gifts for the
good little children from Cheekface, Teenage
Halloween, Faye, Thick, Cheerbleederz, &
Evilfeast.
Kansas City sent out its A team to match up against a
couple of touring acts on a very sticky night. Click for my
photos, videos, and thoughts of Horse Jumper of Love,
Babehoven, Flooding, & Nightosphere.
>>view
Six bands played for 417 hours in a 115° club on a Monday
night. Click to find out who survived the Abandoncy,
Dreamist, Teenage Halloween, Junior Retreat, Pinkville, &
Uncouth gig.
>>view
After a seven-year nap The Buddy Lush Phenomenon woke up in
a KCK dive bar and played a two-hour drive time set.
>>view
Three not-so-sunny solo performers played a sunny summer
evening on the Replay patio. Check out my thoughts, photos,
& video of Straight White Teeth, Heidi Gluck, & Blanky.
>>view
Ultimate Fakebook, Frogpond, & Ashtray Babyhood kept the
dream of the '90s alive in front of a sellout crowd.
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Podcast #612 rides the roller coaster
w/ Colleen Dow, Tallies, Northern Portrait,
Basic English, The Tight Fits, Pigeon Pit,
Johnny Hobo And The Freight Trains, &
Lincoln.
Podcast #611 cheats the listening audience
with help from Young Guv, She & Him, The
Burning Hell, The Reds Pinks & Purples,
Bubblegum Lemonade, The Uncouth, Boogie
Hammer, & Secret Shame.
If you like your bands dense and loud, and your clubs hot
and packed, then the They Are Gutting a Body of Water,
Nerver, & Flooding show was a dream come true.
>>view
Friends gathered on a pleasant night for music both sincere
and silly. Check out my photos and video of Nan + The One
Nite Stands and Chase The Horseman.
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Podcast #610 puts in that bounce thanks to
Art d'Ecco, Fime, Stud Count, Marine Research,
Merry Widows, Wire, The Dodgers, & Damien
Jurado.
Conor Oberst brought a well-rehearsed eleven-piece version
of Bright Eyes to the Uptown for a night that amplified
everything the long-running project does so well.
>>view
Podcast #609 is perfect for your 30-minute
holiday picnic thanks to The Umbrellas, Los
Recuerdos, Los Pepes, Kiss Disease, Michael
Monroe, Rudi, The Mumps, & Whimsical.
It got a little dark at Farewell as New Obsessions, Secret
Shame, Alina Maira, & Nightosphere took the stage on a long
Tuesday night.
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In what should be a regular Punk in the Parking Lot series,
The Bad Ideas made a stage out of the Red Sash Brewing
parking lot to celebrate the release of a beer collab.
>>view
Podcast #608 is for the underdogs
with tracks from My Raining Stars,
Janelane, The Dreaded Laramie, Queen
Rat, Jonathan Richman, The Devil
is Electric, Bootkrieg, & Otoboke
Beaver.
Hot bands playing to hot kids in a hot basement on a hot
night. Click for my photos, video, & thoughts of Midwest
Telegram, Catalina, Honest Sleep, & Junkyard Royalty.
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Podcast #607 makes you the guinea
pig with tracks from Greyson Lane,
Supercrush, Extra Arms, Peaness,
Dinosaur Jr., Butthole Surfers, &
Dratna.
How did two blues musicians create such a wild midweek
party? Find out by visiting my photos and video of Bob Log
III and Rachel Ammons.
>>view
Farewell went post-punk for El Paso's Lesser Care and KC
locals New Obsessions.
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Faces were melted as The Whiffs were joined by NY's The
Bobby Lees on the miniBar stage.
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Podcast #606 offers up a musical ice cream
sandwich made of Artful Dodger, Field School,
Free Loan Investments, Seabear, Torrey, Sea
Lemon, & Drifter.
Velo Garage hosted three local acts that shouldn't be
ignored. Check out my photos and video of The Creepy
Jingles, Daniel Gum, & Rachel Cion.
>>view
Podcast #605 is all about discoveries with
tunes from Flesh For Lulu, Sweet Spirit,
fanclubwallet, Mensa Deathsquad, Lesser
Care, The Loyal Seas, Flora, & Stud Count.
Booking mistakes delivered a slapdash lineup of punk bands
that bordered on brilliant. Click for my photos, videos &
account of Holy Locust, Stud Count, and Doldrums.
>>view
Manor Fest came to a chaotic and drunken finale with sets
from Drugs & Attics, The Sluts, & Brat Pitt.
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A perfectly curated Manor Fest showcase brought together
three solo performers in a welcoming bookshop on a sunny
afternoon. Check out my photos and video of Charlotte
Bumgarner, Maddie Razook, & Rachel Cion.
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Podcast #604 wonders if old is new while playing
tracks from Ramones, The Clams, The Dogmatics,
Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazlewood, Craig Finn,
& Yoo Doo Right.
A beautiful afternoon gave way to a beautiful night as 5
local bands took over a city street. Check out my photos
and video of Red Kate, Arson Class, Poorly Executed,
Electric Lungs, & Deco Auto.
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Podcast #603 is something old, something
new, and something blackened courtesy of
Panic Shack, The Stroppies, The Photocopies,
The Reds Pinks & Purples, Belle and Sebastian,
Arcade Fire, & Mortal Thrall.
Jon Spencer turned recordBar into a roadhouse for some
rip-roaring rock & roll. Click for my photos and video of
the Spencer and openers Quasi.
>>view
Podcast #602 is a vacation to the isles of
The Feelies, Jim Basnight, Night Court,
Ravagers, Say Sue Me, My Idea, & Neurosis.
KC got a whole lot of rock when touring acts Suzi Moon and
Ravagers played miniBar with some help from Deco Auto.
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Podcast #601 wonders if we're winning with
tracks from The Rubinoos, Guided By Voices,
Cold Years, Hoorsees, Kurt Vile, Tim Kasher,
& The Linda Lindas.
KC reveled in a delightful dream pop bill on 4/19 that
featured Emmaline Twist, Blushing, & Letting Up Despite
Great Faults.
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Podcast #600 searches for the sounds of
summer with help from Romero, Letting Up
Despite Great Faults, No Suits in Miami,
Jeanines, Courettes, Tamar Berk, Wet Leg,
& Orville Peck.
The jagged edges of metal came together when They Watch Us
From The Moon, Existem, and Drifter met up at miniBar on
4/15.
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Nordista Freeze headlined a night of disparate pop flavors
with some help from locals Various Blonde and Drugs &
Attics.
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Podcast #599 invites you to rock with Love
Tractor, Dany Laj and The Looks, Suzi Moon,
Night Court, The Outlets, Wyld Gooms,
Jon Spencer & the HITmakers, & Silicone
Prairie.
Noise enthusiasts gathered on a Sunday afternoon and I
stumbled into their party. Click for my photos and thoughts
of Bastard Funeral, Brandon Wald, Viator, Excusable
Negligence, & Pile of Dead Horses.
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A big bill at the Green House DIY gave everyone something
to hang on to. Click for my photos, video, & thoughts of
Koney, Dummy, Ducks Ltd., HXXS, & Collidescope.
>>view
A midweek all-ages matinee came in two parts thanks to a
Midwestern Spring thunderstorm. Click for my photos and
video of Grocer, Dodging, Daniel Gum, and Flora.
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Podcast #598 is the best possible way to
spend a half hour all because of Simon Love,
Cheap Cassettes, The Del Fuegos, Love
Tractor, The Outlets, Fracture, & Even as
We Speak.
Who knows what made them do it but The Anniversary played a
locals-only gig with some help from the recently
reconstituted Hyperspherian.
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Creepy Jingles, Sisterbot, and Stephonne packed Rino for an
album release that was truly a party.
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Podcast #597 is meant to be listened to
with open windows thanks to The Lyrics,
Chubby and the Gang, Suzi Moon, Ex-Vöid,
Beachheads, April March, Even As We Speak,
& The Creepy Jingles.
Daniel Gum warmed up The Mockingbird Lounge on a cold
Spring night making his impressive fourth appearance as
part of the Songbird Sessions.
>>view
Everything was everything all at once when Deafheaven, Holy
Fawn, and Midwife played Lawrence on 3/16.
>>view
The award for the Best Monday ever goes to The Cauldron
Collective for making fantastic vegan food and booking The
Gully Boys and Rosé Perez.
>>view
Three bands tackled the loud/soft dynamics of shoegaze at
an all-ages Sunday night gig. Click for my photos and video
of Dearly Somber, Waveform, & Flooding.
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Podcast #596 digs deep for gems from
Intimidation, Mystery Girl, Here's to the
Life!, Gal Gun, Funeral Candies, Midwife,
& Milt.
The punks showed up for a packed mid-week bill featuring
Pears, Red Kate, Sidewalk Celebrity, & Arson Class.
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Zorn, Doldrums, & Piss Kinks performed at a dance in an
Eastside basement and someone got trapped in a coffin.
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Podcast #595 is full of smart choices.
Listen to tunes from The Hannah Barberas,
Superchunk, Gentleman Jesse, Beechwood, The
Spitfires, The Chords UK, Godspeed You!
Black Emperor.
There was pushing, puking, and punk rock when Foil,
Silicone Prairie, Piss Kinks and Untitled Artist played the
Pussy Palace basement.
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Abandoncy celebrated its album release with a blistering
show at miniBar that also featured Dug and Canyons.
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Podcast #594 is show and tell with my new
records from Subterfuge, The Kinks, Cyanide
Pills, Ramones, Massage, The Psychedelic
Furs, & Lou Reed.
Other Americans and Mensa Deathsquad made an appearance at
the hip MOD Gallery delivering dance-or-die tunes under
swirling club lights.
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Podcast #593 does a bit of traveling
to visit with Spoon, Friends of
Cesar Romero, Mad Mojo Jett, Mud
City Manglers, The Suede Crocodiles,
Love Burns, Annika Norlin, & Boy
with Apple.
Grown men with beards and guitars took over the Replay on a
Saturday night. Check out my photos and video of The
Harrisonics, Kool 100s, & Lonnie Fisher and the Funeral.
>>view
Podcast #592 takes you from A to Z with
tracks from The Meffs, The Gymslips, The
Courettes, The Neuras, Pohgoh, Flooding, &
Bill Callahan & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy.
Those in the know found their way to Union Library for a
Monday night bacchanalia featuring The Whiffs and Fast
Eddy.
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Podcast #591 starts pretty then works its way
to ugly. Follow the crumbs with The Reds
Pinks & Purples, Scars, Gustaf, Cable Ties,
Vial, Ravagers, & Abhoria.
Podcast #590 is a bop thanks to Jonathan
Richman, The Pinkees, Fast Eddy, The Cryptics,
Kiwi Jr., Yard Act, & Pedro the Lion.
On 1/27 The Rino hosted a low-key, all-locals affair with
Major Matt Mason USA, Death by Science Fiction, & Hero
Incredible.
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COVID concerns kept both fans and bands at home on a Monday
night. Luckily Arson Class and The Cryptics were there with
some solid punk to entertain the few patrons that made it
out.
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The Record Bar was bathed in serotonin as all-stars The
Band The Fell To Earth KC held its annual celebration of
David Bowie.
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Podcast #589 urges you to enjoy the ride
with Death Valley Girls, Elvis Costello &
The Imposters, Snotty Cheekbones, Screeching
Weasel, Revenge Wife, Mod Con, Datura, &
Cat Power.
Nostalgia and the circle of life were on display as
Flooding, Abandoncy, Midwestern, and The String & Return
shared the Bottleneck stage.
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Podcast #588 is friendly AF thanks to cuts
from Kids On A Crime Spree, Artsick, The
Pulsebeats, Nah..., Jetstream Pony, Seablite,
Nobody's Flowers, & Suneaters.
Podcast #587 returns to form with a bit of
everything thanks to fanclubwallet, The
Anydays, The Shebangs, Steve Conte, Ramones,
Kursaal Flyers, The Roseline, & Frogpond.
Podcast #586 plays only the best from Too
Much Rock's Top 40 Songs of 2021. Enjoy
tracks from The Exbats, Dry Cleaning, Du
Blonde, Har Mar Superstar, Death By Unga
Bunga, Arab Strap, & Quivers.
Another year where I didn't see enough bands and definitely
didn't buy enough local music. I don't like the outlook for
2022 much TBH, but I did like all of these releases from
2021. So, much love to the bands, labels, and everyone in KC
scene for making these happen.
Top 10 Local Releases of 2021:
10. Monta at Odds Peak of Eternal Light (Record Machine)
9. Witch Jail Ideations (self-released)
see the full list
This year we're going to count down my favorite songs
Casey Kasem style — that's the top 40 for the kids
out there. As always this list could change every day, but
here is a good ranking of songs that I loved, want to hear
again, and mean the most to me.
40 "Sing For Me" by Western Threads
A delightful indie shuffle with nice harmonies, smart guitar leads,
and more venom than an entire Decide album.
see the full list
Ranking albums is so much harder than singles. Ultimately
I can only say how much an album speaks to me — which is
often quite mercurial. So here are 50 albums from 2021 that
I found wonderful from top to bottom. My list is ordered, but
otherwise presented without commentary.
50. Motorists Surrounded (Bobo Integral)
49. Pom Pom Squad Death of a Cheerleader (City Slang)
see the full list
Abandoncy, Better Friend, Good Morning Midnight, and
Dreamist hit KC with all the colors of the DIY rainbow.
>>view
Podcast #585 is the 2021 Christmas Spectacular
featuring 24 festive delights from Grandaddy,
Four Eyes, All Ashore!, Corvair, The Cleaners
From Venus, Petrol Girls, Charley Bliss,
Beach Bunny, Fox Teeth, Cloaker, David
Newton & Thee Mighty Angels, the Popguns,
The Photocopies, Boyracer, Alice Bag Band,
Lisa Mychols & SUPER 8, Geoff Palmer, Kurt
Baker, Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets,
Lisa Mychols, Cute Lepers, Ryan Allen,
Crocodiles, & My Teenage Stride.
Punks and skins showed up in a big way for a Tuesday night
gig at Minibar featuring Anti-Feds, The Uncouth, and
Doldrums.
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Podcast #584 isn't quite convinced with the
tracks from Palomino Blond, Pip Blom, Marissa
Paternoster, Courtney Barnett, Stella
Donnelly, Chime School, The Reds Pinks &
Purples, & Lars Frederiksen.
Podcast #583 is thankful for Makthaverskan,
Mink DeVille, The Jim Carroll Band, Stop
Calling Me Frank, A Bunch Of Jerks, Lawmaker,
& Mr. Golden Sun.
Punk rock smashed KC as Teenage Bottlerocket, The Last Gang
and Tightwire took over Record Bar.
>>view
A four-flavored bill brought Koyo, Anxious, Oxford Remedy,
and Perfume to the Record Bar stage for a Sunday night of
hardcore and more.
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Dulcet tones and intimate lyrics rang out as Mr. Golden
Sun, The Hollows, and Daniel Gum performed at The Brick.
>>view
Headliners Cloud Nothings and support act Mourning [A]
BLKstar gave KC two tastes of Cleveland whether we felt
like dancing or breaking things.
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Rock & roll statesmen Nick Lowe gave a rousing and lively
performance backed by Los Straitjackets and supported by
Paul Cebar.
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Podcast #582 digs for the gems finding
paydirt with Aimee Mann, The Tubs, Nick
Frater, Fur, Swansea Sound, L.A. Exes, Dan
Vapid And The Cheats, & Arab Strap.
Four scrappy bands played a disjointed show where no band
or its fans crossed paths. Check out my photos and video of
The Cavves, The Cracks, Major Matt Mason USA, and Oxford
Remedy.
>>view
Namlessnumberheadman celebrated the release of its newest
album in a late-night affair with a few fans and some help
from Black Light Animals and Heidi Lynne Gluck.
>>view
Podcast #580 looks in the Halloween bag and
pulls out treats from Dave Hause, Witch
Jail, The Exbats, Jass, Julia Othmer, Katy
Guillen & The Drive, & Shoestrings.
7th Heaven served metal appetizers from Enforced and Inner
Altar for the KC scene.
>>view
Podcast #579 hangs out in garages and
basements w/ The Airport 77s, Fortitude
Valley, The Seams, The Shadracks, The
Courettes, Teenage Cavegirl, Nature Boys,
Bummer, & Brian Eno.
On a busy KC night a few dozen fans braved the chill for
The Bad Ideas, Polymer Mercies, North by North, and True
Lions.
>>view
Scout Gillett, Other Americans, and Belle & the Vertigo
Waves played a diverse show proving
>>view
Late night debauchery has its home at Easy Inn and its fuel
from Drugs & Attics, Colfax Speed Queen, & Wayne Pain & the
Shit Stains.
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KC experienced an NYC-created time warp when the synth pop
of Nation of Language and the post-punk of The Wants came
to town.
>>view
Podcast #578 plays Jekyll & Hyde w/ cuts
from The Connells, TV Crime, Killer Hearts,
Teenage Joans, Boy Scouts, Nightjacket, &
Elevator Division.
Rain pushed the weekly Songbird Sessions indoors,
approximating a cozy coffee shop that allowed Makayla
Scott's tender songs and affable charm to thrive.
>>view
The clock turned back 20 years bringing Elevator Division
and Namelessnumberheadman back to the stage.
>>view
Podcast #577 scratches that itch w/
Motorists, The Peppermint Kicks, Dirty
Fences, The Jolt, Chubby and the Gang, Mess,
Oil Change, Daughn Gibson.
There was nothing but sincerity as far as the eye could see
as Blue False Indigo and Major Matt Mason USA played Velo
Garage on 9/25.
>>view
It was girls to the front when Fea and Bad Ideas played a
midweek show at Minibar.
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KC was wonderfully KC when a diverse bill of Creepy
Jingles, Berwanger, and Violent Bear played the Rino on
9/17.
>>view
Podcast #576 thinks everything is spooky
and beautiful. And so do The Cramps,
Spearmint, Star Collector, Life Model, Lloyd
Cole and The Commotions, Ducks Ltd., & The
Ophelias.
Punk rock for a cause when Arson Class, a reunited Shotgun
Jenny, and Here's to the Life played The Rino.
>>view
Podcast #575 suggests you relax and
leave everything to namelessnumberheadman,
Dori Freeman, Daniel Romano's Outfit,
The Fluorescents, Bad Bad Hats,
Sorrows, Mom, & The Coathangers.
Dan Jones & his squids were joined by Of Tree for a
low-stakes Friday night gig at The Ship.
>>view
Lawrence got lucky when The Whiffs brought in friends Dirty
Fences, Mel Machete, & Criminal Kids for a night of
topnotch rock & roll.
>>view
Podcast #574 keeps it steady w/ help from
Sleepers, Teenage Bottlerocket, The Bronx,
Amyl and The Sniffers, Brent Windler, The
Wannadies, & Violent Femmes.
KC got a slice of normalcy when Le Grand, Via Luna, and New
Obsessions played The RINO on 9/4.
>>view
Podcast #573 wants to ensure you get enough
vitamin punk w/ music from The Ashenden
Papers, Kurt Baker, Control Freaks, The
Bambies, Chubby and The Gang, The Jorge
Arana Trio, Low, & Danko Jones.
Podcast #572 battles the summer heat w/
Sharp Class, Hurry, Lemonheads, Swansea
Sound, UV-TV, Telethon, Turnstile, & Redder
Moon.
A piecemeal bill consisting of Mike McCoy & Friends,
Schwervon, and Mad Kings raced against oncoming storms and
honored a lost member of the KC music scene.
>>view
Podcast #571 plays bingo and records by Yum
Yums, Boyracer, The Laughing Chimes,
Guadalcanal Diary, Quicksand, Militarie
Gun, Nonagon, & John Vanderslice.
Jorge Arana Trio, Abandoncy, & Via Luna delivered the goods
to the KC DIY set at Lemonade Park.
>>view
Black Mariah Theater and Chase the Horseman soundtracked a
perfect patio night on 8/13.
>>view
Podcast #570 fires both barrels delivering
hits from The Motorcycle Boy, Dany Laj and
the Looks, The Sorels, The Dents, The Orange
Peels, La Battue, The Umbrellas, & Monta
at Odds.
Podcast #569 returns with help from
Transvolta, Kursaal Flyers, Geoff
Palmer, Guadalcanal Diary, Sloan,
Descendents, The Jacklights, & Torres.
A local bill of Heels, The Whiffs, and The Sluts rocked The
Replay on 7/31.
>>view
Podcast #568 is a stream of power pop w/
Tallies, Linda Ronstadt, The Seven and Six,
The Finkers, Star Collector, Love Burns,
The Connells, & Hipshot Killer.
Podcast #567 runs wild w/ Snapped Ankles,
Quivers, Pale Lights, Kursaal Flyers, The
Shang Hi Los, & Dry Cleaning.
Lacy Hopkins of Dreamgirl brought her solo project Vanity
Plates to the Songbird Sessions.
>>view
The reconstituted Idaho came through KC with some help from
The String and Return and Slights.
>>view
Podcast #566 is a box of chocolates from The
Go! Team, Spoilers, Divinyls, Kid Gulliver,
The Mountain Goats, Pom Pom Squad, Lucy
Dacus, & Toledo.
The 7/7 Songbird Session featured the excellent songcraft
of Jocelyn Nixon from Creepy Jingles.
>>view
Chess Club prompted a return to dirty rock bars for Red
Kate, Matthew Mulnix, Too Much Rock, and so many of their
fans.
>>view
The Black Mariah Theater settled into a cozy corner of
Afterword for two sets of bluesy, jazzy, and witchy mood
music.
>>view
Podcast #565 suggests you work on your tan
w/ Cub Scout Bowling Pins, Tommy Ray!, The
Cudas, The Plimsouls, Radio Days, Los
Campesinos!, Kings Of Convenience, & Kursaal
Flyers.
Songbird sessions welcomed Daniel Gum on 6/30 for two sets
-- one featuring standout tracks from his debut album, and
one of unreleased songs he plans to bring into the studio
next month.
>>view
Upcoming gigs I care about:
8/18 Mensa Deathsquad @ miniBar
8/19 Camp Clover @ Club Sandwich
8/19 Nan + One Nite Stands @ Merritt
8/19 Donzii @ miniBar
8/20 Florist @ recordBar
8/21 A Giant Dog @ recordBar
8/23 She Past Away @ Blvd Nights
8/27 Arson Class @ miniBar
8/27 Daniel Gum @ Manor
8/29 Jack White @ Starlight
9/2 Idles @ Truman
9/3 Emmaline Twist @ Bottleneck
9/7 Lemonheads @ Madrid
9/7 LJ & The Sleaze @ Easy Inn
9/9 Wet Leg @ Truman
9/10 Get Up Kids @ Lemonade Park
9/11 Spiter @ TBA
9/12 Moonspell @ Granada
9/12 William Elliott Whitmore @ Bottleneck
9/13 Sunny Day Real Estate @ Liberty
9/13 Testament @ Truman
9/14 Jimmy Eat World @ Uptown
9/14 Surfbort @ recordBar
9/16 Vitreous Humor @ Bottleneck
9/17 Pale Waves @ recordBar
9/20 Pavement @ Uptown
9/20 Melvis @ recordBar
9/21 Built to Spill @ Granada
9/21 North by North @ Club Sandwich
9/22 Of Montreal @ Granada
9/23 Gaslight Anthem @ Midland
9/24 Dino JR @ Truman
9/24 The Bishops @ Brick
9/26 Emmaline Twist @ miniBar
9/27 The Cult @ Uptown
Friends and Inspiration: Eleven Pop Songs Emmas_Housemusic Faster and Louder Girls Like Us Indie Pop Takeout It's a Jangle Out There Just Some Punk Songs Pop Songs Your New Boyfriends's Too Stupid To Know About Power Pop Criminals Power Pop Overdose Sonic Spectrum The Sweet Spot Wednesday Mid Day Medley