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Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Those Darlins, Lightning Bolt, Lenka, Fictionist, Kool Keith, Arcade Fire
Live: Music Picks April 7-13
By Dan Nailen
Thursday April 7
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Those Darlins
Few bands are capable of blending styles with the go-for-broke abandon of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, a Texas crew whose sound is part-blues, part-soul, part-rock and all good. The band’s latest album, Scandalous, addresses a complex array of issues lyrically—from hard times to cheating loves—but delivers those lyrics wrapped in an electrifying sound that keeps dance floors packed wherever Lewis and Co. go. And they go everywhere: Since the band’s 2009 debut album, they’ve toured relentlessly with the diverse likes of the New York Dolls, Passion Pit, Dave Matthews Band and Lucero. Joining them on this tour is Southern country punks Those Darlins, whose new album, Screws Get Loose, is garnering raves from critics across the country. Between these two acts, this could be one of the best live shows of the year. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $15
Noisy Rhode Island duo Lightning Bolt took nearly four years between albums, completely scrapping two finished sets when the recordings didn’t live up to their idea of sonic perfection. That’s a particularly tricky goal with this duo, who acknowledge Japanese noise-rockers like the Boredoms as influences equal to sonic experimentalists Sun Ra and Philip Glass for their latest, Earthly Delights. Lightning Bolt likes to eschew stages in favor of playing on the floor among their audiences, and are infamous for starting their sets while the opening act is still packing out its gear, so get to Kilby early and bring earplugs for this gig. Palace of Buddies and Birthquake open the show. Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $12
This is a show with the potential to be one of those “I knew them when” gigs, thanks to the Provo band’s so-far-successful efforts to land on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Fictionist successfully navigated the first round of voting, and now is one of eight unsigned bands still vying for the honor of being the first unsigned act to grace the rock mag’s cover. And if they get enough votes, they’ll get to play a gig at Bonnaroo, and they’ve created their own contest that could land you at the Tennessee festival with them. Check out the band’s website for details, and in the meantime, check out some of their new songs at this gig in their hometown. The Moth & The Flame, Sunflow open the show. Velour, 135 N. University Ave., 8 p.m., $7
Arcade Fire
Rarely do the Grammy Awards hold any pleasant surprises, but this year’s Album of the Year trophy going to Canadian indie-rockers Arcade Fire for their 2010 release The Suburbs certainly qualifies. And the multi-dimensional crew has offered all sorts of surprises over the course of its career. Their elegiac 2004 debut, Funeral, introduced an altogether new sound to the pop landscape, inspiring Rolling Stone to later proclaim it the best album of the ‘00s. Follow-up Neon Bible was a more difficult listen in many ways, but their live tour that stopped at Thanksgiving Point in support of the album was what surprised me and turned me into a fan—Arcade Fire are a truly inspired, and inspiring, live act. Their move into arenas on their most recent tours was a natural progression, and only surprising to anyone who hasn’t seen their outsized stage show. Local Natives open the show. UCCU Center, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, 7 p.m., $35-$40
Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, Those Darlins
Few bands are capable of blending styles with the go-for-broke abandon of Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears, a Texas crew whose sound is part-blues, part-soul, part-rock and all good. The band’s latest album, Scandalous, addresses a complex array of issues lyrically—from hard times to cheating loves—but delivers those lyrics wrapped in an electrifying sound that keeps dance floors packed wherever Lewis and Co. go. And they go everywhere: Since the band’s 2009 debut album, they’ve toured relentlessly with the diverse likes of the New York Dolls, Passion Pit, Dave Matthews Band and Lucero. Joining them on this tour is Southern country punks Those Darlins, whose new album, Screws Get Loose, is garnering raves from critics across the country. Between these two acts, this could be one of the best live shows of the year. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $15
Lightning Bolt
Noisy Rhode Island duo Lightning Bolt took nearly four years between albums, completely scrapping two finished sets when the recordings didn’t live up to their idea of sonic perfection. That’s a particularly tricky goal with this duo, who acknowledge Japanese noise-rockers like the Boredoms as influences equal to sonic experimentalists Sun Ra and Philip Glass for their latest, Earthly Delights. Lightning Bolt likes to eschew stages in favor of playing on the floor among their audiences, and are infamous for starting their sets while the opening act is still packing out its gear, so get to Kilby early and bring earplugs for this gig. Palace of Buddies and Birthquake open the show. Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $12
Friday April 8
Lenka
Fictionist
This is a show with the potential to be one of those “I knew them when” gigs, thanks to the Provo band’s so-far-successful efforts to land on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. Fictionist successfully navigated the first round of voting, and now is one of eight unsigned bands still vying for the honor of being the first unsigned act to grace the rock mag’s cover. And if they get enough votes, they’ll get to play a gig at Bonnaroo, and they’ve created their own contest that could land you at the Tennessee festival with them. Check out the band’s website for details, and in the meantime, check out some of their new songs at this gig in their hometown. The Moth & The Flame, Sunflow open the show. Velour, 135 N. University Ave., 8 p.m., $7
Saturday April 9
Kool Keith
Monday April 11
Arcade Fire
Rarely do the Grammy Awards hold any pleasant surprises, but this year’s Album of the Year trophy going to Canadian indie-rockers Arcade Fire for their 2010 release The Suburbs certainly qualifies. And the multi-dimensional crew has offered all sorts of surprises over the course of its career. Their elegiac 2004 debut, Funeral, introduced an altogether new sound to the pop landscape, inspiring Rolling Stone to later proclaim it the best album of the ‘00s. Follow-up Neon Bible was a more difficult listen in many ways, but their live tour that stopped at Thanksgiving Point in support of the album was what surprised me and turned me into a fan—Arcade Fire are a truly inspired, and inspiring, live act. Their move into arenas on their most recent tours was a natural progression, and only surprising to anyone who hasn’t seen their outsized stage show. Local Natives open the show. UCCU Center, 800 W. University Parkway, Orem, 7 p.m., $35-$40
Wednesday April 13
Cold Cave
Cold Cave is essentially the brainchild of Wesley Eisold, a recent transplant to New York City who laces the lyrics of his new Cherish The Light Years album with visions from his nighttime walks around his new hometown. And he sets those lyrics to music that clearly reflects his childhood love of The Cure and New Order. Together, the occasionally dark and murky vibe proves Cold Cave to be aptly named, and a future favorite of synth-pop fans. Gardens & Villa and The Heavens & The Earth open the show. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m., $10
Coming Up
Darren Hanlon (Slowtrain, April 14), Rise Against, Bad Religion (Great Saltair, April 14), Protest the Hero, Maylene & The Sons of Disaster (Avalon Theater, April 15), The Submarines, Nik Freitas (The Urban Lounge, April 15), The Cave Singers (Kilby Court, April 16), Dark Dark Dark, Y La Bamba (Kilby Court, April 18), Donald Glover (The Complex, April 19), Death Angel (Club Vegas, April 19), Starfucker (Kilby Court & The Urban Lounge, April 19), Unwritten Law (The Complex, April 19), Eddie Spaghetti (Burt’s Tiki Lounge, April 20)
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