Bloglander

TONIGHT!

If you've never heard the lyrical acrobatics of longtime local emcee, Freetime Synthetic, tonight is your chance. He is, arguably, one of the most unsung heroes of the Spokane music and art scene. Read our profile all about him here. Check out the show tonight at Mootsy's, featuring appearances by Black Ceiling, Quiz, Stone Tobey, Fatarm and others, at 8 pm. $5. Gotta be 21.

Main Market Co-op opens up for a First Friday art show, and a performance by local dark folk band, Terrible Buttons. Music starts at 5:30 pm. Free.

SATURDAY!

Wildcard throws his End of the World Party tomorrow night, with performances by Iame, Smoke, Tyler Denbeigh, Whurlwind Ent. 7:30 pm at the A Club. $12 at the door. All-ages.

Get your buns in the car early tomorrow and down to Pullman in time for the Tender Loving Empire Festival. The Portland indie record label brings up some of its finest talent to the Belltower: Typhoon, Finn Riggins, Aan, And And And and locals Terrible Buttons and Horse Thieves. $15 for ALL of those bands. Starts at 4 pm. All-ages.

Check out the Concert For Isaac this Saturday night at the Knitting Factory, featuring Glen Phillips from Toad the Wet Sprocket. See our blog about that here.

L.A. band Brown Shoe makes swelling rock songs — not the working-class stuff, like the Boss or the Hold Steady, but emotionally charged, youthful rock songs driven by hammering drums and solid male vocals. It’s the kind of stuff you would have thrown in the car stereo as you drove away for college, had you known the band existed. They play Mootsy's at 10 pm. $5, gotta be 21.

EASTER!

Longtime Canadian hardcore band Comeback Kid comes to the A Club Sunday night to absolutely rock your Easter Sunday. They play with Close Your Eyes, Foundation, Such Gold, Living with Lions and Doc Holliday. Show at 6 pm. $14. All-ages. 

Don't let the snow get you down, even though it's April-frickin-Fourth! There are two great shows to hit up tonight, and a whole bunch of all-ages shows this week. Shake yourself off, it'll be sunny soon. I think.

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TONIGHT!

“I love Oberhofer!” That’s what Paul Shaffer, the bespectacled longtime pianist of the Late Show with David Letterman, yelled after the New York band performed on the program last week (see the video below for their performance). It’s praise not every band gets — and it’s the latest in a tidal wave of love that Oberhofer (the name of one young singer and his band) has received in recent months. The Guardian’s Paul Lester named the band in a recent “Band of the Day” column, where many emerging artists — like Lady Gaga — got early boosts. It’s gritty pop music about rejection and malaise. Oberhofer is refreshing; even when he uses plinky xylophones, the music maintains its boyish raucousness and never swings into being too adorable. The band plays with Pond (no, not the very long-gone Portland band) at 8 pm at the A Club. $10. All-ages

Also tonight, at the Hop!: local hardcore band Losing Skin plays tonight with Ashylus, Straight to Our Enemies and Deviance. Losing Skin is definitely loud and definitely in your face, but they make a finer brand of hardcore than most bands out there. And, they're constantly releasing new stuff: check out their Bandcamp page here. The show is also all-ages, and happens tonight at 7 pm. $8. Here's a video from their recent tour:

The rest of the all-ages shows happening this week are:

Thursday, 4/5

Bing Crosby Theater, Angry Woman Cabaret feat. Jaeda, Hotbox, Beyond the Storm Drum Corp and many more

The Hop! Event Horizon, Multiplexer, A Stagnant Motion, Elyxa Lohnsom

Knitting Factory, Tyga, YG, Honey Cocane, Lil Twist

Friday, 4/6

The Hop! All Gussied Up, Odyssey, Diminished, Shrieks of the Impaled, Sacrosanct, Dead Harvest

Knitting Factory, Madlife, Tallboy, Underride, Framework, Nixon Rodeo

Main Market Co-op, Terrible Buttons

Mezzo Pazzo, Dennis Smith

RiverPark Square, Justin Sherfey

Saturday, 4/7

A Club, End of the World Party feat. Wildcard, Iame, Smoke, Tyler Denbeigh, Whurlwind Ent

Belltower, Tender Loving Empire Festival feat. Typhoon, Finn Riggins, Radiation City, Terrible Buttons, Aan, And And And, The Horse Thieves

The Hop! Loss Monstarz, Rod Mac, Dime City, M-Dub, Big Jabba, Nut House Prodigies, Enfeeble Ataxia

Knitting Factory, Concert for Isaac feat. Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket

Service Station, Jon Foreman

Sunday, 4/8

A Club, Comeback Kid

Monday, 4/9

The Hop! Success, Loss, Hero of Time, Good Kids Bad Ideas, Black Gingham

Tuesday, 4/10

The Hop! ChopMeat Records

Wednesday, 4/11

The Hop! EDM

Luxe Coffeehouse, Dennis Smith

As always, to get your shows listed in our pages, email the details to getlisted@inlander.com. 

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If you didn’t hear the news last week, autism diagnoses are at an all-time high as doctors learn more about this peculiar disease. Locally, the ISAAC Foundation has been raising money for youth afflicted with autism, as they’ll do at this benefit concert that features the rocking sounds of Glen Phillips, frontman of ’90s greats Toad the Wet Sprocket. Having taken much of the 2000s off, Toad made a comeback during this decade, but Phillips continues to dish out his solo cuts and might even have some new material to offer at this benefit gig.

If you're looking for a ticket to Saturday's show (which are normally $20), we're giving away some for FREE at our front desk. Just stop on by our office — 9 S. Washington, Fourth Floor — and ask for one.

The Concert for Isaac featuring Glen Phillips of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Civilized Animal, Ursa takes place this Saturdat April 7 at 7 pm at the Knitting Factory.

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TONIGHT!

The Flying Spiders take over the Blue Spark tonight with Portland-based dream-pop band, Point Juncture WA and Octoninjitsu FreeForce. 9 pm. $5. Gotta be 21.

An amazing lineup tonight at Mootsy's, including local rockers Myth Ship, garage rockers White Mystery and the punchy, punk rock sounds of the Coathangers — who we profiled this week. Check them out at 10 pm. $7. Gotta be 21.

SATURDAY!

Beloved longtime local swing masters, 6 Foot Swing, throw a massive and sure-to-be-swanky CD Release show tomorrow at the A Club. $10; $22-$27 for VIP seating. Gotta be 21. Read about them here.

Dude! Kansas is playing tomorrow at WSU! Carry on My Wayward Son! 8 pm. $30-$40. Beasley Coliseum. All-ages.

The Dead Winter Carpenters, a California Americana band that's passed through here more than a few times, kicks off a two day residency at the Red Room Tomorrow. They'll play Saturday night with locals Folkinception, and again on Sunday night there with Terrible Buttons. Shows start each night at 8 pm. $7. Gotta be 21.

SUNDAY!

Puerto Rico’s Los Vigilantes reinforce that — as cheesy as it sounds — music transcends culture. I’d argue that it’s impossible to not dance to this band, even if you’re the type who pronounces the double-L in “tortilla” like a honky. Los Vigilantes has emerged from the garage punk scene of San Juan, Puerto Rico, with a sound that hearkens back to the early days of rock ’n’ roll. Doo-wop vocals back up nearly every song, with lots of tra-la-la-la-las. 9 pm at the Baby Bar. Free. Gotta be 21. 

Almost the weekend! Get started on your music fix early, tonight, with two very different shows. 

Choice #1: Unicycle Loves You and True FO at the Baby Bar. Free. 10 pm.

Spokane ain’t exactly a rock-skip away from Austin, Texas — and yet, somehow, we’re lucky enough to see a slew of bands from South By Southwest coming our way. Like Chicago’s Unicycle Loves You, a band that takes the freshness of someone like Ted Leo and the Pharmacists and smashes it together with the whale sounds and moans of, say, My Bloody Valentine. On “Mountain Lungs,” the band conjures up this great, sun-soaked optimism, and then on “Evil Unmasked,” Unicycle Loves You just makes a lot of scary, strange sounds. In Spokane’s local music scene — a scene that flocks to experimentation — this band should be welcomed with keys to the city. Or just a Baby Bar T-shirt.

Unicycle Loves You - Justine from Unicycle Loves You on Vimeo.

Choice #2: KEITH SWEAT at Coeur d'Alene Casino. $50! 7 pm.

I mean, what else could he have been? An accountant? With a birth name like Keith Sweat, the guy could have only been a gigolo or an R&B singer. Sweat took the high road, crooning his way to the top of the Billboard charts with the sexiest, sweatiest R&B songs of the era. Remember that video for “Twisted?” Where Sweat gets all sweaty with the assassin chick? Or “Nobody,” where he lays on the Sweat all thick: “I want your body to the very last drop.” Not just anybody can get away with that kind of funny business.

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Under 21 and want to go to a show this week? There's something going on every day this week that all-ages friendly, but your BEST bet is to go out next Wednesday. See below.

Thursday, 3/29

The Hop!, They're Watching, La Muerte Viva, Fizzlin Dicks

Knitting Factory, Nit Grit, Two Fresh

Friday, 3/30

A Club, The Rooks

The Hop!, EDM

Saturday, 3/31

The Hop!, Face Down, Strong Refuge, Mosaik USA, Sonus, Ellis, Scary Jane

Knitting Factory, The Sky Turns Red, Thirstyperfect, Silent Theory, Drop Off

Luxe Coffeehouse, Bradford

Sunday, 4/1

Knitting Factory, Rusted Root, Skinny Lister, Malea

Monday, 4/2

Calypso's Coffee (CDA), Open mic

The Hop!, Impending Doom, Navigator, It Came From Over There, Yukon the Archer, A Pyrrhic Victory

Tuesday, 4/3

The Hop!, 20xx

Knitting Factory, DevilDriver, Job for a Cowboy, Wretched

Wednesday, 4/4

A Club, Oberhofer, Pond, Andrew James Rumsey, the Finn

“I love Oberhofer!” That’s what Paul Shaffer, the bespectacled longtime pianist of the Late Show with David Letterman, yelled after the New York band performed on the program last week. It’s praise not every band gets — and it’s the latest in a tidal wave of love that Oberhofer (the name of one young singer and his band) has received in recent months. The Guardian’s Paul Lester named the band in a recent “Band of the Day” column, where many emerging artists — like Lady Gaga — got early boosts. It’s gritty pop music about rejection and malaise. Oberhofer is refreshing; even when he uses plinky xylophones, the music maintains its boyish raucousness and never swings into being too adorable.

The Hop!, Ashylus, Straight to Our Enemies, Losing Skin, Deviance

Luxe Coffeehouse, Dennis Smith

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TONIGHT!

Matt Nathanson sings mild-mannered folk-inflected tunes tonight at the Knitting Factory — but be sure to get there to catch the opening act, Tyrone Wells. He's from Spokane! Plus, we think he's got serious potential to be the next big thing. Show starts at 8:30 pm. $23. All-ages.

Get to the Baby Bar early tonight: today is Whiskey Dick Mountain singerTim Lannigan's birthday, and the man, apparently, wants to entertainthe masses for it. He'll be playing in four bands tonight: WDM, the Shirkers, Duck Duck Suckerpunch and the Offending Members. Free. 10 pm. Gotta be 21.Watch the video to get a sense of what kind of fun that'll be.

If dance club atmospheres aren't for you, then perhaps Brothers of Midnite — a local DJ duo who spin drag, witchhouse, goth and grime — are. It's a club night, just not like what you'd see in most places around town. Check out our feature on the two guys here, and see them at 9 pm at Mootsy's. $3. Gotta be 21.

Now with a backing band, local gal Cami Bradley has gone from a church music director to a singer with serious crowd appeal. Read our feature on the sweet-voiced gal here, and check her out at 7 pm at the Spokane Club (1002 W. Riverside) with Horse Thieves. $12, all-ages.

For, arguably, the heaviest show in town tonight, check out Tacoma grind and metalcore bands Czar and Burn the Threshhold playing with locals Odyssey, Stress and Khan Khowa at Dragon Garden (4824 E. Sprague) at 8:30 tonight. $5. Gotta be 21. 

SATURDAY!

Giant benefit show tomorrow at the A Club, with proceeds going to help the family of a man named Ray Gray. Fallen Regiment, Full Blown American, Formada, Mayday Transmission and Onefall play. Show starts at 7 pm, donations at the door. All-ages.

Local rockers BBBBandits (that's pronounced ba-ba-ba-bandits. Really.) released a brand new video this week for their soundscape-y song "National Parks." Spoiler alert: nothing really happens in the video. Despite the lack of cinematic action, it is pretty funny to watch them play a pretty complicated song like they're just tying their shoes. (Check out the story we wrote about them here, too). Plus, they're all so cute and wholesome looking.

Watch the band play in person tonight at Mootsy's with Seattle punk outfit TacocaT and local rockers Duck Duck Suckerpunch. The show starts at 10 pm, and costs $5. You gotta be 21 to go — sorry kiddos.

In case you missed last week's blog, we're making an effort each week to look out for all-ages show-goers in our pages. You'll see fancy blue stars next to a bunch of shows in our Sound Advice listings: those are ones that music fans of any age can attend. The all-ages shows this week are:

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Thursday, March 22
A Club, KYRS Benefit featuring Terrible Buttons, Lexie Jane

The Hop!, To the Wind, Under Cities, A Pyrrhic Victory, Storm the Hillside,  Destined to Prevail, Deviance

Laguna Cafe, Just Plain Darin

Saranac Public House, Jimmy Nuge, the Fail Safe Project, Tim Valentine, Ryan Gunion, Ben Dordon

Friday, March 23

The Hop!, Concrete Grip, Damn the Sun, the Ongoing Concept, A Year Today, Rock in Paradise, 7 Gods of Chaos

Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center, Leslie Ann Grove

Knitting Factory, Matt Nathanson, Tyrone Wells

Second Space Art Gallery, The Incandescent

Spokane Club, Cami Bradley (who is featured in this week's Inlander), Horse Thieves

Saturday, March 24

The Hop!, Arsenic Addiction, Theodius, Odyssey, Morbid Inc., Thick, Reign of Ashes

Knitting Factory, Omarion, Verse Simmonds, MC Majic

Stix Bar and Grill, Nate Ghering

Sunday, March 25

The Hop!, Idols, Burning Twilight, Among Thieves, What Wings Once Held, All Starts Here

Monday, March 26

Calypso's Coffee (CdA), Open mic

The Hop!, PDP, Red Seas Rise, Vial 8

Tuesday, March 27

The Hop!, The Camorra, West of Wasteland, The Monroe Divide, First Year Acoustics

Wednesday, March 28

The Hop!, Mastamind of Natas, Kagah, Bobby Sick, Scum, Zmellz One

Luxe Coffeehouse, Dennis Smith

And, as always, if we missed something, email me at music@inlander.com. 

Last month, just before absolutely packed CD Release show at the Hop, we profiled Wildcard: a rough-and-tumble local rapper whose seen a little bit of it all, including watching his best friend and fellow rapper, Dead Poet, go to prison. 

Wildcard (real name Phil Andrade) released a video late last week for the title track of his album, The Odyssey. In just 48 hours, it had over 2,000 views on YouTube. That's a testament to Wildcard's wide-reaching fan base, and seriously emerging status on the west coast rap scene.

Like him or not, it's undeniable that he's got serious rapping chops. Check him out — and his Dad, wailing on guitar halfway through — below. And hear more of his music at wildcardqm.com