Todd Rundgren at The Triple Door

Todd Rundgren will be playing at The Triple Door on Wednesday. With The Nazz, Utopia and as a solo artist Rundgren has produced some great power pop over the years. His album Something/Anything is essential. Check out this recent performance of “Open My Eyes” a song he originally preformed with The Nazz some 40 years ago.

This Week's Recommended Shows

Sunday 9/28
Sloan at Chop Suey

Friday 10/3
Mexican UFO at Skylark

Saturday 10/4
Lashes/Blue Ribbon Boys at King Cobra

The Sgt. Major III at Sunset

This Week's Recommended Shows

Monday 9/22:
The Camellias at High Dive

Thursday 9/25
The Color Bars at Mars Bar

Saturday 9/27
The Greatest Hits/The Pranks at Jules Maes

This Week's Recommended Shows

Sunday 9/14:
Crown Aruba at Comet

Tuesday 9/16:
The Greatest Hits at Funhouse

Blue Ribbon Boys at Sunset

Squeeze at Showbox

Friday 9/19
The Tripwires/Soda Pop Kids at Comet

Saturday 9/20
The Color Bars at Easy Street After Hours

The Color Bars Live

How about a video already? OK here’s a good one of The Color Bars live at The Tractor Tavern earlier this summer performing “Id Incinerator.”



And since I’ve been so negligent of late here’s another – The Color Bars performing “Pretty Krinkled” from the same show. Check out The Color Bars in person this Saturday at High Dive.

This Week's Recommended Shows

Thursday 9/11:
The Greatest Hits at Central Saloon

Friday 9/12:
The Suspicions at Funhouse

The Girls at Chop Suey

Saturday 9/13:
The Color Bars at High Dive

The Greatest Hits at The Boiler Room

This Week's Recommended Shows

Thursday 9/4:
The Small Change/The Freddie Steady 5/Christy McWilson at The Sunset

Friday 9/5:
Love As Laughter/Oxford Collapse/The Sea Navy at The Sunset

Saturday 9/6:
The Riffbrokers/The Knast at The Comet

Young Sportsmen/Smile Brigade/Sid Finch at Lo-Fi Performance Gallery

Little Pieces/The Mommyheads/Dark Circles (Shane Tutmarc solo) at Rendezvous Jewel Box Theater

This Week's Recommended Shows

Thursday 8/28:
Young Sportsmen at City Hall (Noon)

Friday 8/29:
The Tea Cozies/The Hot Toddies at Mars Bar

Saturday 8/30:
The Doll Test/The Neat at Bob’s Java Jive (Tacoma)

Boss Martians/Cute Lepers/Greatest Hits/Avenue Rose at Wild Weekend Powerpop Festival (Austin)

This Week's Recommended Shows

Tuesday 8/19:
The Purrs at Tractor Tavern

Wednesday 8/20:
The Pranks/The Electric Kisses/The Shy Ones at King Cobra

International Pop Overthrow at East End (PDX)

Thursday 8/21:
Jon Auer at Triple Door

International Pop Overthrow at East End (PDX)

Friday 8/22:
The Dimes/The Quit at Comet Tavern

International Pop Overthrow at East End (PDX)

Saturday 8/23:
Ms. Led/Goodness at Mural Amphitheater (6:00 pm)

Harvey Danger/Andy Werth at Lake Union Summerfest (8:00 pm)

Sugarcane Mutiny/Sidd Finch at Jules Maes

International Pop Overthrow at East End (PDX)

This Week's Recommended Shows

Saturday the 16th:
The Riffbrokers/The I Love Myselfs at Shanty Tavern

The Greatest Hits at Central Saloon

The Small Change Rock

This should give you some idea of what The Whole Damn City will sound like this Friday at The Sunset, although the sound of this recording is really distorted and the picture is dark and out of focus but still, I think it captures the spirit. Anyway, here’s Kurt Block (Thee Sgt. Major III) and Scott Five (The Doll Test) joining The Small Change for kick-ass covers of The Who’s “The Seeker” and The Faces classic “Stay with Me” at the High Dive back in June.

The Whole Damn City at The Sunset Friday

I was really looking forward to seeing Tim Rogers (lead singer/songwriter of the excellent Australian band You Am I) at the Sunset Tavern this Friday but the Department of Homeland Security put the kibosh on the show by denying Mr. Rogers a visa. Apparently Tim Rogers’ visa wasn’t denied it just wasn’t issued in time to support his US tour. Here’s what his MySpace page says: “Due to events outside our control, the US tour has unfortunately been cancelled. We are all very disappointed, and will look to reschedule in the near future.”

That’s the bad news. The good news is that The Small Change and Thee Sgt. Major III are still playing the gig along with an all-star Seattle rock ‘n’ roll You Am I cover band, The Whole Damn City featuring members of The Presidents of the USA, The Tripwires, The Small Change, Young Sportsmen, The Riffbrokers, The Doll Test, Tube Top(!) and more, playing the very best of the You Am I catalogue.

Don’t miss this show; it’s sure to be great.

You Am I - "Get Up"

Recommended shows for the week of 8/3/08

Tuesday the 5th:
The Color Bars at The Tractor

Wednesday the 6th:
Sidd Finch at High Dive

Thursday the 7th:
Tea Cozies at EMP (5:00 pm)

Friday the 8th:
The Whole Damn City (You Am I Cover Band)/Thee Sgt. Major III/The Small Change at The Sunset

Girl Trouble Tonight at Sunset

Their tagline is "Eluding fame since 1984" but I’d say they’re sort of legendary around this neck of the woods. It’s hard to beat Girl Trouble’s mix of punk, garage, surf, mod, fun and energy. They’re the epitome of unassuming cool.



Come check out Girl Trouble tonight at the Sunset Tavern along with a bunch of other great bands at Chopperfest.

Chopperfest at Sunset Tavern Sat.

Guns and Rossetti photo by Lance Mercer

A great show for a great cause - to benefit Guns and Rossetti bassist Chopper Fisher and his wife Donna. Some are calling it the "show of the year.” Saturday night at the Sunset Tavern a bill that will never be repeated: Duff McKagan's Loaded, Girl Trouble, Guns and Rossetti, Red Jacket Mine, The I Love Myselfs, and the full-screen premiere of Guns and Rossetti’s “Douchebag Boyfriend” video.

The Pharmacy at Balagan Theatre Friday

If I wasn’t such a creepy old dude I’d hit the Balagan Theatre (1117 East Pike St) tomorrow night to check out The Pharmacy, Wildild Life, TV Coahran, Sioux City Pete, Taco Kitty, Stabbings, Greatest Hits and Emeralds. It’s an all ages show, starts at 10pm and costs 5 bucks.

The Pharmacy


Being the creepy old dude that I am I’ll be hitting the Skylark Café for The Doll Test’s CD release show instead.

Free Cute Lepers Show Tonight

The Cute Lepers are playing a free, secret warm-up show tonight at Café Racer (next to Trading Musician on Roosevelt). They go on about 10:30 after a D.J. set by Nils Forever. They’ll be off touring the US for the next 5 weeks – Tacoma tomorrow, Missoula Saturday, then on to Salt Lake, Colorado Springs, Denver, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Chicago and on and on: New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans, Austin, Los Angeles, and more…

Doll Test Record Release Show at Skylark

Recommended shows for the week of 7/27/08

Monday the 28th:
The Subways/Thee Sgt. Major III at Chop Suey

Friday the 1st:
The Doll Test/The Lund Bros. at Skylark

The Shy Ones at Full Tilt Ice Cream Parlor

The Cute Lepers/Avenue Rose/Powerchords at Hell's Kitchen (Tacoma)

Saturday the 2nd:
Boss Martians/The Greatest Hits at King Cobra

Chopperfest! w/ Duff McKagan’s Loaded/Guns & Rossetti/Girl Trouble/Red Jacket Mine/The I Love Myselfs at Sunset Tavern

Send The Lund Bros. to Austin

If you’ve been reading SPB for a while you might already know that The Lund Brothers are one of my fav bands and hopefully they’re one of your favorites too. So now’s our chance to show ‘em a little love by helping to send The Bros. to the Austin City Limits Music Festive. They’re in an on-line battle of the bands called The Sound and the Jury (ha, Faulkner allusion that) and they need our votes to advance to round 2 next month (they should call round 2 “Fight in August”) so follow this link if you will and cast your vote. Gwon tells me we’re allowed to vote once a day so I guess the old cliché really applies this time – vote early and often.