By this time next week, my feet will hurt, I’ll be dangerously sleep-deprived and the first weekend of Coachella 2014 will be in the books. Instead of playing it smart by resting up and buying new tennies, however, I spent Saturday and Sunday at shows – good ones.
Punk rock goofballs Black Lips closed out the first leg of their new tour with an epic performance at the Belly Up on Saturday night. Their career-spanning set whipped the sold-out crowd into a frenzy from start to finish, and fellow Atlantans, all-girl three-piece the Coathangers, were close to perfect in the opening slot. We shot what is sure to be an incredible SoundDiego segment at the show, so stay tuned for that in just two short weeks.
Last night, I made the trek to the Casbah to check out another sold-out show from Philadelphia’s the War on Drugs. Frontman Adam Granduciel made good on the promise of the band’s critically acclaimed new album, Lost in the Dream, with a near-perfect set of spacey noodlers and mid-tempo chuggers (read our SoundDiego record review here). They only have those two cards up their sleeve, but do know how to use them well.
• Think the controversy surrounding Kiss’ induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is silly? Want to give the band some advice first-hand? Need some new reading material? You’re in luck. Kiss singer/guitarist Paul Stanley will be at Warwick’s in La Jolla signing copies of his new memoir, “Face the Music: A Life Exposed,” on April 17 – one week after the band is officially inducted. A copy of the tell-all book, two tickets to the signing, and the chance to not only get it autographed, but be so close you could run your fingers through the iconic front man’s chest hair, can be yours for just over $30.
• Not everything on April Fool’s Day was a joke. Rebecca Jade & the Cold Fact released their self-titled debut and it’s no laughing matter. Channeling everyone from Candi Staton and Betty Davis to Morcheeba and Brightback Morning Light, these 12 tracks of soul and funk are stunners. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. It’s available now here.
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• Unless you were fast on the draw, you won’t be checking out Arctic Monkeys this summer. The band recently sold out August dates at L.A.’s Staples Center and San Diego’s Open Air Theatre in two hours. So unless you feel like traveling to Indianapolis or Cleveland, start buttering up that one friend of yours who paid attention to the on-sale and had her credit card at the ready.
• Local indie/pop rockers Oh, Spirit (featuring the Blackout Party’s Jesse Bowen on bass) just released their new single, “Price of Love,” last week. It’s taken from the band’s soon-to-be-released EP.
• New albums this week from: Black Label Society, Highasakite, Holy Mountain, John Frusciante, King Dude, Liam Finn, OFF!, Protomartyr, Ratking, the Faint, The Mary Onettes, and Young & Sick.
Show of the week: If you’re not headed out to the madness in Indio, check out Movits! at the Irenic on Friday. The Swedish hip-hop trio should be almost as enjoyable as OutKast and far less crowded. Tickets are available here.
Blogger Scott McDonald covers music in San Diego for a few different publications and is the editor of Eight24.com
