San Diego Shows–Friday, Jan. 29
PLAN A: The Residents @ Birch North Park Theatre. For more than 40 years and 60 albums (!), the mysterious freaks in The Residents have been churning out experimental noise rock that’s influenced everyone from Animal Collective to Simpsons creator Matt Groening. And their shows are things of legend—they’re known to wear masks and use weird lighting and effects that would make an epileptic a little antsy. Our own Peter Holslin tried to get to the bottom of their weirdness and you can check out the results here. PLAN B: Transfer, Wirepony, Hong Kong @ The Casbah. Considering all the Transfer side projects that have popped up recently (check out our feature on one of them here), it’s amazing that San Diego’s best straight-ahead alternative rock band has had time to rehearse. In any case, I don’t think I’ve seen them put on anything less than a great performance so find a friend who knows someone cause this show is sold out. PLAN C: John Lee Hooker Jr @ Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge. Junior has a song called “Blues Ain’t Nothin’ But a Pimp.” Uh, word up. BACKUP PLAN: Drowning Men, Midnight Rivals @ Bar Pink.
OTHER COOL STUFF:
All Leather, Magical Fuckers (Weatherbox), Chaz, Caravels, Life Deposits, Beatless, Cousins @ The Piano Shop House (Kansas St. and El Cajon Blvd.). Starts at 3 p.m. Last show ever for Chaz as they play, along with the other bands, to benefit their guitarist Matt Kelly.
Technomania Circus @ North Park Vaudeville and Candy Shoppe. The magic of puppetry isn’t limited to the craft and artistry; it also benefits from an audience’s relief in not having to deal with, or even look at, human beings for at least an hour. Take, for example, the municipal controversies surrounding downtown stadiums: Who really wants to sit through City Council bickering when the alternative is to watch the puppeteers of San Diego’s Technomania Circus illustrate its “Stories about Petco Park & The Anger of Ra.” That’s the finale of the Circus’ Puppet Mashup, a showcase featuring illusions using ultraviolet light, shadow puppetry (the stuff you do with your hands in projected light) and rod puppetry (a signature tool of Jim Henson’s muppeteers). The show starts at 7 p.m.
Rats Eyes, Duel Of The Century @ Whistle Stop.
“Young Guns Presents” @ El Dorado.
Into The Presence, Audible Mainframe, Mad Martigan, Auras @ Ruby Room.
Helen Earth Band, By Sunlight, Cousins, Addison May @ Soda Bar.
Donald Glaude, DJ Theron @ Voyeur.
Feel The Noise Electro Dance w/DJs Gabe Vega & Saul Q @ U-31.
Skyline Union, Recordable Colors, Days of Anomie @ Tin Can Ale House.
