This Week In Shows: CMJ EDITION!

THIS WEEK IN SHOWS

It’s time for CMJ again, which means the same New York bands you can see all the time in will be playing alongside some touring bands – who would’ve all come to New York at some point anyway – in marathon-length shows full of semi-interested badge-holders and grumpy photographers who get angry when you accidentally bump into them while rocking out in the front row. (Except our photographers, who are very cool and friendly.) We tend to complain about CMJ, but since it’s here, we might as well embrace it. It IS really fun to see ten of your favorite bands in one night, and, exhausting as it may be, it’s fun to do that five nights in a row! As usual, these are my totally subjective and incomplete recommendations for the coming week. You can flesh this out by telling us who you’re going to see… Send us some photos if you go. Or boycott CMJ; that’s totally respectable too. As for us, we’re just excited for a reason to shirk our other responsibilities for a week and rock out in the name of journalism.

TUES, OCT. 20

PANACHE/NEW YORK NIGHT TRAIN CMJ SHOWCASE
Upstairs: Heavy Trash, Golden Triangle, Lovvers, Harlem, Surfer Blood, K-Holes
Downstairs: The Stalkers, Unnatural Helpers, Flexions Dinowalrus, Julianna Barwick, SCREENS
Santos Party House
7:00 PM, $10/$12, 18+
It seems that every other show I get excited about is somehow connected to Panache Booking or New York Night Train (or both), and Tuesday night’s bigass blowout is no exception – just check out the lineup!!! I just need to figure out how to be upstairs and downstairs at the same time. I’ve yet to see Heavy Trash, though I’ve heard good things about their show, but Stalkers deserve some props too. They don’t seem to get much press, but they’re one of my favorite live bands: their songs are totally fun and anthemic, and besides, I’ve seen them throw cymbals, get naked, dribble vomit, and last time I caught their show, lead singer Andy Animal was tossing firecrackers into the crowd with a menacing glee. Alright!

WEDS, OCT. 21

OH MY ROCKNESS CMJ SHOWCASE
Upstairs: Free Energy, Ungdomskulen, Deastro, Cymbals Eat Guitars, I Was A King
Downstairs: Beach Fossils, Eternal Summers, Evan Voytas, Small Black, Real Estate
Santos Party House
6:30 PM, $15, 18+
I don’t have much to say about this one. I have never seen any of these bands!! (I know, I know, what’s wrong with me?) But our other editor has raved about Beach Fossils’ and Cymbals Eat Guitars’ live shows, and I just think this show will be really fun and little less  rough and tumble  than what I usually recommend. Besides, look how happy the guy in the flyer is!

THURS, OCT. 22

AUDIBLE TREATS CMJ SHOWCASE:
Souls of Mischief, Tanya Morgan, Trinity (A.G., Sadat X, DJ Jab), Kam Moye
9:00 PM, $5/$10, 18+
I have friends who think that every Californian of a certain age gets nostalgic when they hear Souls Of Mischief’s “93 ’til Infinity,” and though that’s a pretty big generalization, it definitely applies to me. As the weather gets even nastier, we, (or at least I) need to escape with some smooth California hip hop. For putting out records that can be so laid back, Souls is actually pretty dynamic live. I don’t know much about the other acts but really, Souls is enough for me.

FRI, Oct 23

TERRIBLE RECORDS CMJ SHOWCASE
Spleen UTC, Class Actress, Acrylics, Blood Orange, Little Girls, Arms
Pianos
9:00 PM, 21+
Well everyone’s been real excited about Terrible Records, the brand new label from Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor - let’s see what they have to offer us in the way of a live show! This lineup looks really promising… I’ve just started getting into Class Actress and Blood Orange, but to be honest, based on their new album, I’m not sold on Acrylics yet – maybe the showcase will change that.

SAT, OCT. 24

PANACHE CMJ SHOWCASE
An Albatross, Dark Meat, Lovvers, JEFF the Brotherhood, Turbo Fruits, zZz, UUVVWWZ, Flexions
Union Pool
7:00 PM, $10, 21+
Okay, if Tuesday’s Panache showcase was more of a domestic NYC affair, this night’s all about the out-of-town visitors. I’m already a little smitten with Lovvers, and I really wanna see Turbo Fruits. They’re the type of band you could totally shake your hair to: catchy lil garage songs with enough blues in them that they don’t feel too soft.

DUCK DOWN CMJ SHOWCASE
Buckshot with 9th Wonder, Kidz In The Hall, Blue Scholars, Sean Price feat. Heltah Skeltah, Smif N Wessun, Marco Polo & Torae, Skyzoo, Team Facelift
Gramercy Theater
9:00 PM, $20
Okay, even though I’m a big fan of classic Black Moon and Smif N Wesson, I’m admittedly not a Boot Camp Clik expert. But one of our “This Week In Hip Hop” columnists got me all excited about the new KRS and Buckshot album, and it’s true, Duck Down has a spectacular roster. So if you’re looking to hear some of the most enduring Brooklyn rappers this Saturday night, check out the Gramercy Theater.

by Erin Sheehy