COLOR ME IMPRESSED
Congratulations to Tucson Live Music Space (TLMS), which celebrates its One-Year Anniversary this week. That's no small feat when you consider the space makes no money on alcohol sales, which is how most other music venues continue to stay in business. (The all-ages venue has a strict no alcohol/no drugs policy.) Similarly, admission to most of the shows that take place at TLMS are on a sliding scale of $5 to $10.
That'll be the case at the venue's anniversary show on Saturday, Sept. 7, which will feature performances by scrappy guitar-poppers Hip Don't Dance, twee-poppy Tinsels, and one-man band Run-On Sunshine (that man being Mullarkey, who is just off the road from a national tour).
Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and music starts at 8 p.m. sharp. TLMS is located at 125 W. Ventura St. For more info look for the event's Facebook page. Here's to many more years.
SEEN YOUR VIDEO
Demon Queen, the collaboration between Super Black Moth Rainbow's head honcho Tobacco and Tucson's own Zackey Force Funk, is heading out on a mini tour with only five dates, and we're lucky enough to get one of them.
If you haven't already, go back and read Joshua Levine's feature article ("Falsetto and Funk," Aug. 8, 2013), in which ZFF describes Exorcise Tape, the duo's debut album, as "grunged out hip-hop. But I hate putting labels and genres on shit. It just makes me sick to my stomach. There's sex shit on there. It's on some Devil's Rejects-type shit. It's like a Satanic, freaky, sexy-ass bitch right there."
Better yet, head over to Spin.com, where you can stream Exorcise Tape in its entirety. And if you need even more of that "Satanic, freaky, sexy-ass" stuff, scroll to the bottom of the page for a link to the "Demon Practice" video, in which a woman rubs blood all over her naked body. Do I have to mention it's NSFW?
That said, the only other music I can think of that sounds remotely like Demon Queen is by fellow members of the Machina Muerta crew – Isaiah Toothtaker, Crimekillz, etc. It's certainly not for everyone, but if you get it, you really get it.
Demon Queen, Tobacco, Zackey Force Funk, and Crimekillz will take it to the stage at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 on the day of the show. For more info head to hotelcongress.com/club or call 622-8848.
HERE COMES A REGULAR
Jenn Ghetto (nee Jennifer Hayes) grew up in Tucson, where in her teenage years she worked at a pizza joint in the Nob Hill center, which is home to Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea. One of her co-workers was Ben Bridwell and one of her best friends, Mat Brooke, worked at Bentley's.
Shortly before the trio of friends decided to move together to the Pacific Northwest – first to Olympia for about a year, then to Seattle, where Ghetto and Brooke still live – Brooke and Ghetto formed a band called Carissa's Wierd (sic), which actually played its first couple shows in Tucson, but truly blossomed in the Pacific Northwest.
Carissa's Wierd released a trio of albums (at least one of which came out on Bridwell's Brown Records imprint), turned down an offer to sign with Sub Pop, and fairly quickly became one of the biggest bands in Seattle (oddly, their popularity didn't really seep into the rest of the country). The band's music was hushed and gorgeous, quiet no matter how high one turned up the volume.
The band broke up in 2003. Bridwell and Brooke formed Band of Horses, with Brooke soon leaving that band to form Grand Archives. Another former CW member, Sera Cahoone, has a solo career with Sub Pop. And Jenn Ghetto continues to write and record quiet, beautiful songs on her own, under the name S.
S will perform an all-ages show at Solar Culture Gallery, 31 E. Toole Ave., on Sunday, Sept. 8. Seattle dream-pop band Night Cadet opens at 9 p.m. Admission is $7. For more info head to solarculturegallery.org or call 884-0874.
I'LL BUY
The only thing better than a great show is a great benefit show, and here are two happening this week.
The Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association (TKMA) – the crew that puts on the Tucson Folk Festival each year – is teaming up with Monterey Court to present a series of fundraisers for next year's 29th annual festival. The first in the series will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the venue, which is located at 505 W. Miracle Mile, on Saturday, Sept. 7.
Headlining the four-act bill is Ryanhood, whose shows have become rather infrequent lately, so get while the gettin's good. Also on the bill are Nancy McCallion and Friends, the Wayback Machine (whose set will include songs from their recent Beatles-revamping show), and roth d'lux. There is, of course, a full bar and restaurant at Monterey Court, and sales from food and drink that night will also benefit TKMA. Admission is a $10 donation at the door. For further info check out montereycourtaz.com or call 207-2429.
We recently told you about the upcoming We Got Cactus Tour, in which five local acts – The Pork Torta, Otherly Love, Acorn Bcorn, Andrew Collberg, and Bob Log III (he's a native so he still counts, even if he calls Australia home these days) – will represent Tucson on a French tour over the first two weeks in October. Various combinations of the touring acts have been throwing benefit shows to ensure they actually make it over there (plane tickets are running about $1,000 a piece these days, apparently), and this week brings us another one of those shows.
Additionally, an eight-song compilation CD/download has been created to bring in funds for the trip. The comp features two remastered songs each by all the acts save for Bob Log III. You can download it for a minimum of $10 at wegotcactustour2013.bandcamp, or pick up a physical copy at the benefit this week.
About that benefit: The Pork Torta, Otherly Love, and Acorn Bcorn will all be performing, and it takes place at around 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 6 ... at a location we, unfortunately, can't disclose. But with the help of your pal Google, I'll bet you'll be able to find your way there. Happy hunting!
FAVORITE THING
The Breakup Society is a band after my own heart. On their MySpace page, the Mesa-based power poppers list The Replacements and The dB's as influences, and have a song called "Robin Zander." If I ever meet them, I'm pretty sure we'd be besties.
They're headlining a four-act bill at Plush this week, which will also feature Austin's JoDee Purkeypile, Tucson party-rockers The Modeens, and Silver Ships, who start the night off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 7. Cover is a fiver and you can head to plushtucson.com or call 798-1298 for more info.
WITHIN YOUR REACH
The Kruger Brothers at the Vail Theatre of the Arts next Thursday, Sept. 12; Mobb Deep 20th Anniversary Tour with Alchemist at the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7; ZZ Ward, The Wild Feathers, and James Bay at Club Congress on Tuesday, Sept. 10; Megan and Liz at The Rock on Saturday, Sept. 7; Krewella at the Rialto Theatre next Thursday, Sept. 12; Melissa Etheridge at UA Centennial Hall on Saturday, Sept. 7; Terraplane Sun at Club Congress on Wednesday, Sept. 11; Kathleen Madigan at the Rialto Theatre on Friday, Sept. 6; Sinbad at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Friday, Sept. 6; Hot Club of Tucson at La Cocina on Saturday, Sept. 7; Sketching in Stereo CD-release with St. Varela and Black Heart Thieves at Plush on Friday, Sept. 6; Creedence Clearwater Revisited at AVA at Casino del Sol next Thursday, Sept. 12; Black Cherry Burlesque at Surly Wench Pub on Friday, Sept. 6.
