The Area Weekend

Knowing how Thursday shaped up, the weekend looks just as stellar. Lots of national acts are coming through the area. Here's what to check out.

Photo: Bands Myspace

Birdmonster just released their latest album, From the Mountain to the Sea at the beginning of September and now they are on tour. Down in Fredericksburg on Friday at The Wounded Bookshop, they are joined by locals Tereu Tereu. On Saturday they are at Johnny Brenda's with The Rumble Strips and Jotto. Sunday, they head back south to the Black Cat for another show with The Rumble Strips.

mp3: Birdmonster - Born to Be Your Man
mp3: Tereu Tereu - Lion Bear
mp3: The Rumble Strips - Alarm Clock
mp3: Jotto - Backyard Circus

From behind-the-scenes to the front of the stage, Willoughby, who has worked with the likes of Junkie XL and others, is touring with The Bird & The Bee and making a couple stops in the area. Friday, head to Jammin' Java for a great show. Saturday, the two perform in Annapolis at Rams Head Tavern.

mp3: Willoughby - Story

Friday

We haven't heard much from Shudder to Think in a very long time, since they have not released anything since the late '90s. They recently regrouped to perform at Virgin Fest and stick around for a more substantial tour. Maybe another album is in the works. Friday night, Philly act Pattern is Movement joins the reunion at the TLA.

The Slip is at the World Cafe in Philly. It's been a while since new material has come out from them, maybe we will hear some at this show.

Chicago folk-rocker Andrew Bird is at the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University.

mp3: Pattern is Movement - Bird
mp3: The Slip - Children of December (Daytrotter)
mp3: Andrew Bird - Heretics

Saturday

Alt-country superstars Old 97s are playing in Lancaster at the Chameleon.

Singer-songwriters Matt Nathanson and Jessie Baylin are on tour together and are making a stop at the TLA in Philly.


Sunday

It's a little chilly for the beach, but the shows in Atlantic City will keep you coming back. The House of Blues is hosting Death Cab for Cutie and St. Vincent.

Mason Jennings finishes off the weekend at the TLA.

Electro-pop buzz band Hot Chip is at the Troc in Philly with Growing.

A Huge Weekend

Another summer weekend with a boatload of shows to check out. Here's what's going on.


Summer is the time for festivals and this Saturday the Download Festival rolls through the Philly area for the only east coast date of this three city festival. It is a huge line-up featuring The Killers, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Ghostland Observatory, The Parlor Mob, The Duke Spirit, Colour Revolt, Louis XIV, Sia, The Whigs, The Airborne Toxic Event, Eli Reed, and Philly's own Man Man. It'll be a hot one, so go prepared. For all details of what you can bring to the Susquehanna Bank Center (The E-Center, Blockbuster, whatever you called it), check out the festival website.

mp3: The Parlor Mob - Cant Keep No Good Boy Down
mp3: Colour Revolt - Naked and Red
mp3: Sia - Electric Bird
mp3: The Airborne Toxic Event - Sometime Around Midnight

As far as the rest of the weekend goes, a huge number of local and national acts are playing the area.

The minimalist acoustic sounds of Bon Iver are joined by Bowerbirds, who are re-releasing Hymns for a Dark Horse, for two shows. Thursday they are in Philly at the First Unitarian Church, then head on down to DC for a show at the Black Cat.

mp3: Bon Iver - Skinny Love
mp3: Bowerbirds - In Our Talons

Dubbed "The thinking-mans Wilco", Earlimart are on tour and making two stops in the area, starting in Philly Friday at Johnny Brendas. They are joined by Philly locals Sunshine Recorder and JJL (otherwise known as Like A Fox). Saturday, check out Earlimart at the Ottobar in Baltimore.

mp3: Earlimart - Song For
mp3: Sunshine Recorder - Hemmingway
mp3: JJL - Vertical Dance

Aimee Mann is playing quite a few shows over the next few days. You can catch her with The Submarines at the 9:30 Club on Saturday, then she plays back-to-back shows at the World Cafe starting Monday.

Priscilla Ahn is also making a run through the area, starting Saturday at the Tin Angel in Philly, then heading to Jammin Java Sunday where she hooks up with Willoughby. Those two are also at Rams Head in Annapolis for a Tuesday show.

Before gracing us with their presence for our Saturday Anniversary show next weekend, Bellman Barker are pulling a two-for. They will be at the Metro Gallery Saturday with Baltimore's The Courtesy Line and then travel to Philly to perform with DC-mates The Caribbean and Brooklyn's Soren Well.

mp3: Bellman Barker - Charles Kil
mp3: The Courtesy Line - Make It Up
mp3: The Caribbean - The Go From Tactical
mp3: Soren Well - Black Transmissions

Thursday

It's very light on Thursday. Other than Bon Iver/Bowerbirds, Philly's own The Extraordinaires are playing Johnny Brendas.

mp3: The Extraordinaires - The Chicken The Egg or The Song

Friday

The Duke Spirit is playing a Free at Noon at the World Cafe before their performance Saturday at the Download Festival. Also, Hello Tokyo are performing at The Fire.

mp3: Hello Tokyo - Kiss Me Good-bye (remix)

Saturday

The World Cafe seems to be the happening place this weekend, this time with The Apples In Stereo.

Down in DC at the Black Cat, Virgin Records artist We Are Scientists are touring in support of their new album Brain Thrust Mastery. They are joined by Oxford Collapse, who also have a new album BITS coming out Tuesday.

mp3: The Apples in Stereo - Energy
mp3: We Are Scientists - Chick Lit (remix)
mp3: Oxford Collapse - The Birthday Wars

Sunday

Finishing off the weekend is Philly's The Bee Team. In the midst of a I-95 tour with DC's Deleted Scenes and The Never, they are at Millcreek Tavern, then start the week off in DC at Black Cat.

Across the river at IOTA, catch locals Prabir & The Substitutes and Greenland.

mp3: Deleted Scenes - Fake IDs
mp3: The Never - Cavity
mp3: Prabir & The Substitutes - Slow
mp3: Greenland - Shipwreck on the Watery Eye

From Behind the Scenes to the Front of the Stage

It's nice to see the guy behind the scenes step up into the spotlight every now and again. Gus Seyffert, the man who's worked with everyone from The Bird & The Bee to Junkie XL, has a band of his own now, Willoughby. I'm pretty sure I've seen the guy play guitar with Sia, too, though I was pretty far in the back. Anyway, Willoughby's debut, I Know What You're Up To, is out now and I'd like to spread a little love in his direction.

He's graciously decided to share the first single, "Story", with us, and now we do the same with you. Telling the story of a guy named Story (how's that for deep?), it's a hushed, down tempo track, pretty mellow and melodious at the same time.

If you like what you hear, the band has a ton of regional dates in the next couple of months.

Aug 03: Vienna, VA, Jammin Java *
Aug 05: Annapolis, MD, Ram's Head Tavern *
Oct 01: Philadelphia, PA, World Cafe Live #
Oct 03: Vienna, VA, Jammin' Java #
Oct 04: Annapolis, MD, Rams Head Tavern #

* = w/ Priscilla Ahn
# = w/ The Bird and The Bee

mp3: Story