Friday, January 11
Isobel Trigger, Milk, Smash Boom Pow, Weak Patrol
Logan’s Pub, 9:30 pm
Jason Lee skateboarded to a song by a band called Milk back in Video Days circa 1991. I’m willing to bet that none of the guys in the Victoria version have ever even heard of them. They recorded a tune called “The Knife Song” and then never bothered to record anything after that. It’s really too bad. With deeply meaningful lyrics like, “It’s about a beer, it’s about a man, it’s about a girl,” their career could’ve skyrocketed. Instead the lead singer just ended up creating some TV show that became a movie with a couple sequels. Big whoop. I think it was called Donkey? No, wait a second, Jackass, that’s it.
Friday, January 11
Bonobo, Monolithium, Shrew
Sugar Nightclub, $20, 9 pm
I loved ninja movies as a kid. Kung fu flicks, too. It didn’t matter how terrible the acting was in American Ninja, the disappearing smoke and the ninja stars ruled. They used to have classic kung fu on early Sunday mornings on one of the random Detroit TV channels we could pick up. I could never get enough. Five Deadly Venoms, The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, Magnificent Butcher... It didn’t matter who was in the movie, it only mattered that there was some sweet overdubbing and amazing fight scenes. I tried to learn karate around that time, but it was too hard and took too long.
Saturday, January 12
The Ponderosas, The New Groovement
The Hidden Gem, $10, 9 pm
I lived on a street named Ponderosa when I was little. Actually, I think it was a “drive,” not a street. It was on a big, long hill that you could really fly down on a bike or a skateboard. Except for the last bit, after it veered near the end of the block. It was too steep to risk bombing down because there was no way to make the turn at the bottom of the hill. You’d end up hitting the curb and flying into the bushes, breaking something, for sure. My friends and I would always take the trail to the next street over. The hill was mellower. My trucks were a lot tighter back then.
Tuesday, January 15
Salva, Brenmar
Lucky Bar, $8, 9 pm
My youngest drools a lot. He chews on fingers and loves to suck his thumb. If you have friends that are about to have children or you’re heading to a baby shower and aren’t sure what to get, bibs are a no-brainer. This inexpensive gift will probably not get the biggest thank you at the time it’s unveiled but I guarantee that if they are first-time parents they will call you months later to offer thanks. I’m not exactly sure how they do it, but babies produce an unexplainable amount of saliva, spit, puke, and other slippery things from the general area of their mouths. Buy something absorbent.
Thursday, January 17
WKND Warriors, Teaganbear, DJ Dunkaru, Cypress
Upstairs Cabaret, $8, 10 pm
The first show I saw in the space that is now known as Upstairs was SNFU. I don’t think it was still called Harpo’s then. I know it was The Planet for a while, but I think this gig was before that terrible moniker. Regardless, this was a kick-ass punk show in an historic venue. At the time, I didn’t care. I just wanted to hear “Reality Is a Ride on the Bus” and “Painful Reminder.” I vaguely remember my buddy getting to sing a few lines to “Drunk on a Bike.” Somewhere along the line Chi Pig tore apart a huge, pink stuffed bunny. At least I think it was pink. Or was it a bear?
Thursday, January 17
Johnny Vallis: A Tribute to Buddy Holly
Charlie White Theatre, $29.50, 7 pm
There was an old episode of Quantum Leap that had the origin of Buddy Holly’s tune “Peggy Sue” thrown into the story somehow. I don’t remember much about it, but apparently the true inspiration for the song was actually someone on a farm calling a pig. Have you ever heard somebody do a hog call? Sooey Piggy! Sooey! How was I to know that the song was originally called “Cindy Lou” after Buddy’s niece, and got changed to reference the future wife of The Crickets’ drummer? That’s some rock and roll history, folks.