UPCOMING SHOWS
9/2 & 3 TWO NIGHTS!
Edward Sharpe & Magnetic Zeros
9/9 MFNW & NIKE Present: Ra Ra Riot
9/10 MFNW & NIKE Present: Surfer Blood
9/11 MFNW & NIKE Present:
Smashing Pumpkins
9/12 English Beat
9/17 Cloud Cult
9/22 Hanson
9/25 Local Natives
9/28 Neon Indian + Prefuse 73
10/1 EOTO
10/3 The Drums & Surfer Blood
10/5 Caribou
10/8 James
10/9 Frightened Rabbit
10/12 Anberlin
10/15 Superchunk
& Teenage Fanclub
10/19 Terri Clark
10/20 Never Shout Never
10/22 Roky Erikson
10/23 Blue Scholars
10/24 The Vaselines
10/25 AP Tour
10/28 Deerhunter
10/30 Ingrid Michaelson
11/1 Kate Nash
11/2 Bayside + Senses Fail
11/6 Yard Dogs Road Show
11/9 Circa Survive
11/10 Combichrist
11/17 Kottonmouth Kings
11/27 The Frames
11/28 Black Mountain + Black Angels
11/29 Bonobo
12/3 Gracious Few
12/16 Killing Joke
12/30 Reverend Horton Heat
12/31 80's New Years Eve Video Dance Attack





Unless otherwise noted, all tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster. Note: The cheapest
way to buy tickets in advance is to purchase in person at the Wonder Ballroom Box Office to avoid internet/phone order charges.

Prior to day of show, tickets may be purchased at UnderWonder Lounge, open show nights only, 5pm to midnight. Tickets can also be purchased at the Wonder Box Office on Saturdays from Noon to 5pm. Cash Only. All tickets subject to $2 surcharge. Sales based on availability.

Day of show tickets are only available 1 hr prior to show at the Wonder Ballroom Box Office located on street level, CASH ONLY. All tickets subject to $2 surcharge. Sales based on availability.


09/02/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

Buy Tickets
  Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Lulacruza
All Ages. $18.00 advance. $20.00 day of show.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: Formed in 2007 by Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert after a brief period of existential crisis, cultish 11-piece indie rock outfit Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros draw their inspiration from the communal musical communities that peppered Southern California (specifically Laurel Canyon) with their positive vibrations during the '60s and early '70s. Employing a unique sound that brings to mind a not so subtle mix of Parliament, Polyphonic Spree, Bob Marley, and the Incredible String Band, the group released its debut EP, Here Comes, in May 2009 followed by the full-length Up from Below in July.

Lulacruza: LULACRUZA is an electronic folk duo at the junction of the hypermodern and the ancient. Their music weaves together hypnotic female singing, South American instruments, found sound objects, field recordings, and electronic manipulation. The result is a cross-genre, world-esque music unfolding with mesmerizing vocals, aquatic textures and up-tempo, handcrafted South American rhythms. Lulacruza is made up of Alejandra Ortiz (Colombia) and Luis Maurette (Argentina). Alejandra is an extraordinary songbird and plays the Colombian cuatro, shruti box, tar and kalimba. Luis Maurette complements with electronic processing and sequencing, as well as percussion, charango, and amazonian flutes. Together they create catchy, powerful and intimate music that is hard to classify, but has been called pop, folk, electronic, latin, ambient, world, new age, ethnic, experimental, and even jazz.
 

09/03/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

Buy Tickets
  Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Lulacruza
All Ages. $18.00 advance. $20.00 day of show.

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros: ormed in 2007 by Ima Robot frontman Alex Ebert after a brief period of existential crisis, cultish 11-piece indie rock outfit Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros draw their inspiration from the communal musical communities that peppered Southern California (specifically Laurel Canyon) with their positive vibrations during the '60s and early '70s. Employing a unique sound that brings to mind a not so subtle mix of Parliament, Polyphonic Spree, Bob Marley, and the Incredible String Band, the group released its debut EP, Here Comes, in May 2009 followed by the full-length Up from Below in July.

Lulacruza: LULACRUZA is an electronic folk duo at the junction of the hypermodern and the ancient. Their music weaves together hypnotic female singing, South American instruments, found sound objects, field recordings, and electronic manipulation. The result is a cross-genre, world-esque music unfolding with mesmerizing vocals, aquatic textures and up-tempo, handcrafted South American rhythms. Lulacruza is made up of Alejandra Ortiz (Colombia) and Luis Maurette (Argentina). Alejandra is an extraordinary songbird and plays the Colombian cuatro, shruti box, tar and kalimba. Luis Maurette complements with electronic processing and sequencing, as well as percussion, charango, and amazonian flutes. Together they create catchy, powerful and intimate music that is hard to classify, but has been called pop, folk, electronic, latin, ambient, world, new age, ethnic, experimental, and even jazz.
 

09/09/2010 • 4:30pm (doors open at 3:30pm).
 

  MFNW and Nike Sportswear presents
Ra Ra Riot
Phantogram
Washed Out
All Ages.

Ra Ra Riot: Combining indie rock songwriting with chamber pop flourishes (courtesy of a small string section), Ra Ra Riot formed while the band's six members were attending college in Syracuse, NY. Members Milo Bonacci (guitar), Alexandra Lawn (cello), Wesley Miles (keyboard/vocals), John Pike (drums), Mathieu Santos (bass), and Rebecca Zeller (violin) first came together in January 2006, creating an eclectic sound that allowed them to play alongside the Horrors, Bow Wow Wow, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin within a year of the band's formation. After pulling up stakes and relocating to New York City, the band recorded a self-titled EP and prepared to release it during the summer of 2007. That June, however, Pike died after disappearing one night from a party following a show in Providence, RI. His body was later found in nearby Buzzard's Bay. Several weeks later, the mourning bandmates issued a statement confirming their continuation as a band. Ra Ra Riot joined the roster at V2 Records later that year before switching their American operations to Barsuk Records, which signed the group in May 2008. Released by V2 in Europe and Barsuk in the U.S., The Rhumb Line marked the band's full-length debut in August 2008.

Phantogram: Phantogram is an electronic rock duo from upstate New York whose music incorporates psychedelic pop vocals, J Dilla-style hip-hop beats, and shoegazing sensibility. Founded in 2007 and based in Saratoga Springs, NY, the duo is comprised of longtime friends Josh Carter (guitar, vocals) and Sarah Barthel (keyboards, vocals), who originally hail from the nearby small town of Greenwich, NY. Originally known as Charlie Everywhere and associated with the local independent label Sub-Bombin Records, the duo released the eponymous Phantogram EP in March 2009 and sparked widespread interest with two songs in particular, "Mouthful of Diamonds" and "When I'm Small." Phantogram subsequently released the Running from the Cops EP in May 2009 on the international label BBE Records. The duo finally made its full-length album debut with Eyelid Movies (2010), an 11-track album featuring the four previously released EP songs "Mouthful of Diamonds," "When I'm Small," "Running from the Cops," and "Bloody Palms." The album was released internationally by BBE Records, domestically by Barsuk Records, and on vinyl by Ghostly International.

Washed Out: Ernest Greene had been involved in a number of musical endeavors by the time he started putting together a series of recordings as Washed Out. Leading up to his first Washed Out recordings in the summer of 2009, Greene had worked on a similarly noisy and computerized (albeit far more guitar-heavy and fast-paced) bedroom recording project called Lee Weather. He had also worked on a series of dance music recordings with a local band in Columbia, SC called Bedroom. Washed Out's initial offerings -- drowsy, distorted, dance pop-influenced tracks that brought to mind Neon Indian and Memory Cassette -- would reflect the influence of both of these projects. Mexican Summer digitally released Washed Out's debut EP, Life of Leisure, in mid-2009; the EP was slated for release on vinyl in October of that year. A limited-edition, cassette-only release, the High Times EP, was scheduled for release on Mirror Universe that September.
 

09/10/2010
 

  MFNW and Nike Sportswear presents
Surfer Blood
The Black Lips
Male Bonding
All Ages.

Surfer Blood: Though South Florida doesn't have the tides to shoot the curl, West Palm Beach's Surfer Blood fuse sunny surf rock charm with indie rock cool. Guitarist/vocalist John Paul Pitts and drummer Tyler Schwarz had known each other since high school; they started playing together and connected with guitarist Thomas Fekete, bassist Brian Black, and percussionist Marcos Marchesani at an Ultra Music Festival after-party, officially becoming Surfer Blood in spring 2009. They began recording and touring almost immediately, laying down tracks in Pitts' apartment and embarking on four tours in their first five months together. The buzz around the band began in late August after Surfer Blood played a show at the Brooklyn venue Bruar Falls; when they returned to New York that fall for the CMJ Music Marathon, they played ten shows. Tours with Art Brut and Japandroids kept Surfer Blood busy for the rest of 2009, and their debut album, Astro Coast, was released in early 2010.

The Black Lips: Playing garage-flavored punk rock with a Southern accent, a messed-up and bluesy undertow, and the gleefully destructive impact of a 15-year-old with a bag of firecrackers, the Black Lips are an Atlanta-based combo who after their debut in 2000 soon developed a reputation as one of the Peach State's wildest bands. The Black Lips consisted of Cole Alexander on lead vocals, guitar, and harmonica, Ben Eberbaugh on lead guitar, Jared Swilley on bass, and Joe Bradley on drums when they released their first single. After a second single and a handful of out-of-control live shows that led to them being banned from several Georgia venues, they caught the attention of Greg Shaw at Bomp! Records, who signed the band to a recording deal. The Black Lips cut their self-titled first album in mid-2002, but before it could be released, Ederbaugh was killed in a freak auto accident when a driver going the wrong way crashed into his car at a toll booth. The death occurred only a few days before the Black Lips were to set out on an East Coast and Midwest tour; believing Ederbaugh would have wanted them to continue, the band set out as a three-piece and made plans to add a new lead guitarist for a more extensive tour in 2003, scheduled to support the release of the album. The Black Lips jumped to In the Red for the 2005 effort Let It Bloom. Since that time, the band put out Los Valientes del Mundo Nuevo -- the band's first release for Vice -- and Good Bad Not Evil, both in 2007. 200 Million Thousand followed in 2009, also on Vice.
 

09/11/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  A limited amount of entry will be available for this show with Music Fest NW wristbands.
MFNW and Nike Sportswear Present
The Smashing Pumpkins
All Ages. $40.00 advance. $40.00 day of show.

The Smashing Pumpkins: Of all the major alternative rock bands of the early '90s, Smashing Pumpkins were the group least influenced by traditional underground rock. Lead guitarist/songwriter Billy Corgan fashioned an amalgam of progressive rock, heavy metal, goth rock, psychedelia, and dream pop, creating a layered, powerful sound driven by swirling, distorted guitars. Corgan was wise enough to exploit his angst-ridden lyrics, yet he never shied away from rock star posturing, even if he did cloak it in allegedly ironic gestures. In fact, Smashing Pumpkins became the model for alternative rock success. Nirvana was too destructive and Pearl Jam shunned success. The Pumpkins, on the other hand, knew how to play the game, signing to a major-subsidized indie for underground credibility and moving to the major in time to make the group a multi-platinum act. And when the group did achieve mass success with 1993's Siamese Dream, they went a long way to legitimize heavy metal and orchestrated prog rock, helping move alternative rock even closer to '70s AOR, especially in the eyes of radio programmers and mainstream audiences. Unlike many of their contemporaries, the Pumpkins were able to withstand many internal problems and keep selling records, emerging as the longest-lasting and most successful alternative band of the early '90s.
 

09/12/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm).
 

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  The English Beat
Chris Murray
21 & Over. $23.00 advance. $20.00 day of show.

The English Beat: One of the earliest and most important ska revivalist groups, Birmingham's the Beat formed in 1978 (the band had to change its name to the English Beat in the U.S. to avoid confusion with Paul Collins' band of the same name). The multiracial band carved a distinct sound through the use of alternating lead vocals by guitarist Dave Wakeling and punk toaster/rapper Ranking Roger, supported by a tight band consisting of Andy Cox (guitar), David Steele (bass), and Everett Moreton (drums). The addition of 50-year-old saxophonist Saxa, who originally played with Prince Buster and Desmond Dekker, gave the band credibility and fleshed out its sound. An opening spot for the Selecter led to the band's signing to 2-Tone, where they released the hit single "Tears of a Clown," a wonderful version of the Smokey Robinson classic. In 1980, the band decided to form its own 2-Tone-inspired label, Go-Feet (distributed by Arista). A string of hit singles followed in the U.K., including "Mirror in the Bathroom." Their debut LP, I Just Can't Stop It, combined the early hits with other pop/ska-oriented material. "Stand Down Margaret," with its anti-Thatcher stance, found the band moving in a more political direction, leading to several benefit gigs for "radical" causes. Musically, the Beat slowed down the tempo for a more traditional reggae sound showcased on 1981's Wha'ppen. This direction failed to bring the chart success of its predecessor. Featuring a more pop-oriented approach, 1982's Special Beat Service helped the band increase its U.S. fan base through MTV exposure of "Save It for Later" and "I Confess," but the bandmembers decided to call it quits early the following year. Wakeling and Ranking Roger went on to form General Public, and Cox and Steele formed Fine Young Cannibals.
 

09/17/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Cloud Cult
Mimicking Birds
All Ages. $15.00 advance. $15.00 day of show.

Cloud Cult is an experimental indie rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota led by singer/songwriter Craig Minowa. The name originated from the ancient prophecies of indigenous North Americans.
 

09/22/2010 • 7pm (doors open at 6pm).
 

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  Hanson
A Rocket to the Moon
All Ages. $30.00 advance. $30.00 day of show.

Hanson: Native sons of Tulsa, Oklahoma, HANSON has been making music together for nearly two decades. Thirteen years ago, their out-of-the-blue, soul-inspired brand of American pop-rock'n'roll was introduced to the world. Unaffected by charts or fads, they've spent more than a decade building a community of fans connected to one another and fueled by the energy and craftsmanship of three brothers and their music. Their fifth studio album, Shout It Out, is set to be released on June 8th 2010 on their label 3CG Records. They deliver a powerful group of soulful, melodic tunes that will leave you with a contagious sense of optimism for the future and welcomed reminiscence for American rock 'n' roll. Shout It Out is a collection of finely crafted, R&B-flavored pop-rock, a homage to the music that inspired HANSON when they started out. The album produced and written exclusively by the band is augmented with special guests: Funk Brothers bassist Bob Babbitt, who played on some of Motown's greatest hits, and horn arranger Jerry Hey, who worked with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Earth, Wind and Fire and many more.
 

09/25/2010 • 8:30pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Local Natives
The Love Language
Union Line
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Local Natives: Gorilla Manor, the debut album from L.A.'s Local Natives, features rustic and yearning vocals, three-part harmonies, clattering percussion, wiggly guitar leads, euphoric chanting, and a Talking Heads cover. In short, the Silver Lake quintet have followed indie rock's major players in recent years-- they knew how to dress for success in 2010. Great for them-- now, what's in it for you? Plenty as it turns out. Local Natives have already gained a foothold in parts of Europe-- their album has received attention in the UK and they graced the cover of Scandinavia's Sonic magazine late last year-- at home in L.A., and online. With good reason too: Advance singles "Airplanes" and "Sun Hands" recalled elements of Dodos or the Fleet Foxes. The best comparison perhaps is that they're sort of a West Coast Grizzly Bear-- right down to naming an album after the location in which it was recorded. Yet whereas Grizzly Bear's Yellow House is a cozy, isolated New England seaside shack, Local Natives' Gorilla Manor is a squalid Orange County party pad.
 

09/28/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Neon Indian
Prefuse 73
Miniature Tigers
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $16.00 day of show.

Neon Indian: The blurry electronic pop project of an initially anonymous composer from Brooklyn and video artist from Austin, TX, Neon Indian was conceived as a multimedia experience combining their music and video into short films, teasers, and straight-up pop songs. Though Neon Indian released the No Way Down EP in 2008, the buzz around the pair didn't really start until spring 2009, when the songs "Should've Taken Acid with You" and "6699 (I Don't Know if You Know)" were posted and praised by indie blogs. A few months later, the songs "Deadbeat Summer" and "Terminally Chill" received similar treatment, and that summer, the identities of Neon Indian's members were revealed: Alan Palomo, formerly of the band Ghosthustler and also of the one-man electro project VEGA, was behind the music, while video artist Alicia Scardetta provided visuals. The pair's collaboration dated back to Palomo and Scardetta's time on their high school literary magazine, and Palomo wrote "Should've Taken Acid with You" about their friendship. Their EP Psychic Chasms was released in fall 2009.
 

10/01/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

Buy Tickets
  A.E.P. Presents
EOTO
MIM0SA
MartyParty
All Ages. $18.00 advance. $20.00 day of show.

EOTO: EOTO is an electro jam band comprised of Jason Hann and Michael Travis of the String Cheese Incident. Founded in Boulder, CO in 1993, the String Cheese Incident made its album debut in 1996 with Born on the Wrong Planet. Self-released on the band's own label, SCI Fidelity Records, the album was followed by numerous others, yet the String Cheese Incident is primarily known as a live band. With a devoted fan following, the String Cheese Incident tours heavily and, like many other jam bands, releases recordings of their live performances. Hann and Travis are, respectively, the percussionist and drummer of the String Cheese Incident. Hann joined the band in 2005. Not long after he joined the String Cheese Incident, the band splintered into various side projects, one of them being EOTO. Hann and Travis made their full-length album debut as EOTO in 2006 with Elephants Only Talk Occasionally on SCI Fidelity Records, followed by second album Razed in 2008. In addition to their album releases, EOTO tours heavily and releases recordings of their live performances. Their live performances are notable for the duo's knack for improvisation.
 

10/03/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm).
 

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  The Drums
Surfer Blood
All Ages. $13.00 advance. $15.00 day of show.

The Drums: An unlikely but undeniably catchy mix of Factory Records-style indie and '50s-inspired melodies, the Drums have roots that can be traced to the childhood friendship of Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham. After meeting at summer camp, the pair formed the electro-pop duo Goat Explosion while they were still in their teens. However, the band split and Pierce and Graham went on to other projects: Graham formed the indie pop group Horse Shoes, who released an EP on Shelflife in 2009. Meanwhile, Pierce and another friend, Adam Kessler, founded the new wave-inspired band Elkland, who were signed to Columbia Records and issued the album Golden in 2005. That year, Pierce left the band (which broke up in 2006) and took a hiatus from making music. In 2008, Graham and Pierce reconnected and began writing songs together, trading the electronic direction of their earlier collaboration for a guitar-based approach. Early the following year, Pierce and Graham moved from central Florida to New York City, where Kessler became their second guitarist. With the addition of drummer Connor Hanwick, formerly of Cape of No Hope, the Drums' lineup was complete, and by that summer, the band's shows were gaining buzz. Moshi Moshi released the Drums' singles "Let's Go Surfing" and "I Felt Stupid," and their debut EP, Summertime!, arrived late in 2009. The singles Best Friend and Forever and Ever Amen preceded the band's self-titled first album, which Moshi Moshi released in the UK in spring 2010; it arrived in the States that autumn.

Surfer Blood: Though South Florida doesn't have the tides to shoot the curl, West Palm Beach's Surfer Blood fuse sunny surf rock charm with indie rock cool. Guitarist/vocalist John Paul Pitts and drummer Tyler Schwarz had known each other since high school; they started playing together and connected with guitarist Thomas Fekete, bassist Brian Black, and percussionist Marcos Marchesani at an Ultra Music Festival after-party, officially becoming Surfer Blood in spring 2009. They began recording and touring almost immediately, laying down tracks in Pitts' apartment and embarking on four tours in their first five months together. The buzz around the band began in late August after Surfer Blood played a show at the Brooklyn venue Bruar Falls; when they returned to New York that fall for the CMJ Music Marathon, they played ten shows. Tours with Art Brut and Japandroids kept Surfer Blood busy for the rest of 2009, and their debut album, Astro Coast, was released in early 2010.
 

10/05/2010 • 8:30pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Caribou
Emeralds
All Ages. $14.00 advance. $16.00 day of show.

Caribou: Dan Snaith's early recordings as Manitoba underlined his status among the chattering electronic classes as one of the brightest talents to emerge during the early 2000s. Having already proved himself master of the sublime with his 2000 debut EP, People Eating Fruit, the Canadian's subsequent Paul's Birthday EP opened him out even further. After moving to London, he released an excellent second album, Up in Flames (2003), that saw him become a darling of critics. One year later, however, Snaith was forced to give up the name Manitoba after Dictators frontman Handsome Dick Manitoba sued for trademark infringement, despite the passing of 15 years since the release of the only material under his name. Snaith renamed his project Caribou, his two previous full-lengths were reissued under the new moniker, and he released his first new Caribou album, The Milk of Human Kindness, in 2005 for Domino. Snaith moved to Merge for 2007's gorgeous Brit psych-influenced Andorra --which won Canada's 2008 Polaris Music Prize - and 2010's more dancefloor-oriented Swim.
 

10/08/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  James
Ed Harcourt
21 & Over. $23.00 advance. $25.00 day of show.

James: Throughout the late 1980s, James were both praised and dismissed for their striking resemblance to jangle pop kings the Smiths. And certainly, the band's outspoken pro-celibacy/anti-drugs stance didn't endear them to music journalists, many of whom were experiencing the drug-propelled rapture of Manchester's rave revolution firsthand. Eventually, however, James expanded their ranks, adding a trumpet player, violinist and keyboardist, and entered the new decade as a seven-piece. The "new and improved" band released Gold Mother to lukewarm reviews, but hidden among the tracks was the loping gem "Sit Down," which struck a chord with James' swelling legion of fans and became their signature tune. Writers were shocked when audiences (T-shirted punters from both the Indie Kid and Crusty camps) actually sat down when the song was played live, and journalists grudgingly gave the band some respect. In the UK, frontman Tim Booth and co. were bona fide stars, headlining major European festivals and holding their own in the charts. In America, the band's big break came when MTV picked up the whirling, gender-bending single "Laid." Although James had developed a substantial fan base in the US, they weren't able to capitalize on the momentum of "Laid," and despite a catalog of hit-worthy songs, many Americans see James as one hit wonders. - Linda Ryan
 

10/09/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

Buy Tickets
  Frightened Rabbit
Plants & Animals
Bad Veins
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Frightened Rabbit: Playing clever but purposefully naïve pop in the manner of the Vaselines, the Twilight Sad, and the Clean, Frightened Rabbit sound a good bit bolder than their moniker would suggest, though it suits their lively but nervous musical personality. Frightened Rabbit was founded in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2004, when guitarist Scott Hutchison and his brother Grant, a percussionist who -- like his sibling -- prefers to keep his last name a secret, began recording demos of songs they had written. Encouraged by friends and family, the brothers added a second guitarist, their friend Billy, and the trio began making the rounds of Glasgow's pubs and music venues. Slowly but surely gaining a reputation for their work, Frightened Rabbit began work on their first album, initially planning to record at the home studio where they'd done their original demos but eventually opting to record at Glasgow's Diving Bell Studio with Marcus Mackay instead. Frightened Rabbit released Sing the Greys through their own label, Hits the Fan Records, in mid-2006. Reviews were enthusiastic, and Universal picked up the disc for distribution in the U.K. and the U.S. The group's reputation enjoyed a considerable boost in America after they played a well-received showcase at the 2007 South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, TX, and the U.S. release of Sings only increased Frightened Rabbit's popularity. The band's sophomore release, Midnight Organ Flight, arrived in April 2008. Keyboard player Andy Monaghan was added to the line-up shortly before the release of the album. The live album Quietly Now!, also known as Liver! Lung! FR!, appeared in 2009; meanwhile the band was working on their third studio album The Winter of Mixed Drinks, which introduced fifth band member Gordon Skene. A lush, uplifting set of songs, The Winter of Mixed Drinks arrived early in 2010.

Plants & Animals: Montreal-based indie rock trio Plants and Animals formed in 2004 around the talents of Warren Spicer (guitar, vocals), Matthew Woodley (drums, percussion, vocals), and Nicolas Basque (guitar, bass, vocals). The band's genre-jumping sound blends rootsy, acoustic-heavy folk and country with elements of classic and progressive rock. Their self-titled debut was released in 2005, followed by another EP, With/Avec, in 2007 and finally a full-length album, Parc Avenue, in 2008 on the Secret City label. Plants And Animals released La La Land in 2010.
 

10/12/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7pm).
 

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  Anberlin
Crash Kings
Civil Twilight
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Anberlin: Hailing from Orlando, FL, Anberlin formed from the ashes of various other area projects, including the Christian punk outfit SaGoh (Servants After God's Own Heart). Led by the soaring vocals of Stephen Christian, the positive-thinking Anberlin also included Joseph Milligan (guitar), Nathan Young (drums), Joey Bruce (guitar), and Deon Rexroat (bass), and presented an alternative pop/rock sound that, while inflected with the earnestness of emo, was closer to the mature stylings of Third Eye Blind. A five-song demo landed Anberlin the attention of the Seattle-based indie label Tooth & Nail, which signed the group in 2002. Blueprints for the Black Market marked the band's debut in May 2003, and Anberlin supported the album with shows alongside groups like Fall Out Boy and Story of the Year. Second guitarist Nathan Strayer later joined the lineup, and Anberlin returned in February 2005 with Never Take Friendship Personal. Their third record, Cities, appeared two years later and debuted at number 19 on the Billboard charts; soon after its release, however, Strayer made his exit and was replaced by former Acceptance guitarist Christian McAlhaney. 2008's New Surrender saw the retooled band joining the roster of Universal Republic Records and enlisting the help of Neal Avron, who had formerly produced records for Fall Out Boy, Yellowcard, and New Found Glory.
 

10/15/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Superchunk
Teenage Fanclub
Telekinesis
21 & Over. $20.00 advance. $22.00 day of show.

Superchunk: Superchunk was formed in the college town of Chapel Hill in 1989 by singer/guitarist McCaughan, bassist Laura Ballance, drummer Chuck Garrison, and guitarist Jack McCook. Initially dubbed merely Chunk -- the "Super" prefix was later added to avoid confusion with a similarly named New York City avant-jazz band -- the group issued its debut single, What Do I, on the Merge label, which was jointly run by McCaughan and Ballance. The follow-up was 1990s epochal Slack Motherfucker, MacCaughan's blistering tirade against a lazy Kinko's co-worker. The single was immediately hailed on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the definitive indie anthems of the era, and with the subsequent release of their self-titled debut LP, Superchunk was widely celebrated among the most promising young bands in America. Ten years on, Superchunk remained as prolific as ever with their eighth full length release, Come Pick Me Up, which arrived in 2001. A third collection of singles, the double-disc Cup of Sand, followed in 2003, compiling the band's singles and assorted rare tracks from 1995 to 2002. Superchunk contributed songs to various compilations over the following years, including a humorous duet with Meatwad, the meatball-shaped character from Comedy Central's Aqua Teen Hunger Force, which ultimately appeared on the show's soundtrack. They also released material on their own, including the 2009 EP Leaves in the Gutter.

Teenage Fanclub: Teenage Fanclub: After first gaining acclaim for a dense, melodic sound that anticipated the coming emergence of grunge, Scotland's Teenage Fanclub spent the remainder of their career as torch-bearers for the power pop revival, unparalleled among their generation for both their unwavering adherence to and brilliant reinvention of the classic guitar pop of vintage acts like Big Star and Badfinger. Blessed with the talents of three formidable singers and songwriters (Norman Blake, Gerard Love, and Raymond McGinley, all sharing an unerring knack for crafting immediately infectious melodies), Teenage Fanclub's radiant brand of pop classicism enjoyed only a brief moment of commercial and critical vogue, and over time, the band's devotion to its unapologetically old-fashioned sensibility yielded a dwindling fan base and virtually non-existent record sales. Nevertheless, almost none of their contemporaries can claim either Teenage Fanclub's consistency or longevity -- though never groundbreaking or hip, their music possesses a timelessness and accessibility matched by few. Singers/guitarists Blake and McGinley first teamed up with singer/bassist Love in 1987 as members of Glasgow's short-lived Boy Hairdressers. The group issued a single, "Golden Shower," on the famed Scottish indie label 53rd and 3rd before disbanding. After a brief stint with the BMX Bandits, Blake reunited with Love and McGinley to form Teenage Fanclub in 1989; drummer Francis McDonald, a fellow BMX Bandit, completed the original lineup, although McDonald was replaced by fan Brendan O'Hare during sessions for the group's debut album, 1990's A Catholic Education. Released on the Creation label overseas and on the fledgling Matador imprint in the U.S., the album's thick, murky squall staked out sonic territory subsequently occupied by the nascent grunge movement. It also made Teenage Fanclub an instant critical favorite.
 

10/19/2010
 

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  Terri Clark
21 & Over. $25.00 advance. $28.00 day of show.

Terri Clark: Singer/songwriter Terri Clark came storming out of Canada and captured the attention of America's country music industry in the mid-'90s. Clark largely stayed close to her country roots, even if those roots were more new country than hardcore honky tonk. Raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Clark (born in Montreal, August 5, 1968) was part of a musical family. Her grandparents, Ray and Betty Gauthier, were country stars in Canada, opening shows for stars like George Jones and Little Jimmy Dickens, while her mother sang folk songs in local coffeehouses. As a child, Terri listened to her grandparents' country records and taught herself how to play guitar. Throughout her adolescence, Clark sang, played, and listened to country music; she was particularly inspired by female artists like Reba McEntire, the Judds, and Linda Ronstadt. Following her high-school graduation in 1987, she moved to Nashville. Upon her arrival, she wandered into Tootsie's Orchid Lounge unannounced and asked if she could sing. Surprisingly, she impressed the management and landed a job as the club's house singer. Though her initial arrival in Nashville was successful, it took Clark quite a long time to work her way into the actual industry. For the next seven years, she sang at clubs and worked odd jobs, all the while trying to land a record contract. During this time, she met and married a fiddler named Ted Stevenson. In 1994, she landed an audition for Mercury Records. After seeing a live performance by Clark, the label's president signed the singer. Clark's eponymous debut album was released in the summer of 1995. Terri Clark was a hit upon its release, spawning the Top Ten hits "Better Things to Do," "When Boy Meets Girl," and "If I Were You," as well as going gold. Clark supported the album with a tour opening for George Strait. In 1996, she was nominated for the Country Music Association's Horizon Award, as well as the Academy of Country Music Awards' Best New Female Vocalist. She won a bevy of Canadian Country Music Awards in 1996, including Album of the Year and Single of the Year; she was also named the Top New Female Country Artist of 1995 by Billboard magazine. Her second album, Just the Same, was released in the fall of 1996, preceded by the hit single "Poor Poor Pitiful Me." How I Feel followed in 1998. Fearless brought the country chart single "A Little Gasoline" in fall 2000, and Pain to Kill was released in 2003. Mercury unleashed Clark's Greatest Hits 1994-2004 the next year, followed by Life Goes On in 2005.
 

10/20/2010 • 6:30pm (doors open at 6pm).
 

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  Never Shout Never
The Maine
I Can Make A Mess Like Nobody's Business
Carter Hulsey
All Ages. $20.00 advance. $23.00 day of show.

Never Shout Never: Never Shout Never is a one-man band featuring Christofer Drew, a Missouri native whose songs straddle the border between emo and acoustic singer/songwriter fare. A product of the digital age, Drew originally built a fan base by posting his bright, soul-baring music to the Internet. After averaging over 15,000 online plays a day, he made Never Shout Never legitimate in 2008 by releasing his first recording, the Yippee EP. The Hot Topic clothing chain featured Yippee in its stores, and an appearance on MTV's TRL helped promote it. Several months later, Drew entered the recording studio with veteran producer Butch Walker to record an eight-song "mini album," What Is Love?, which cracked the Top 40 upon its release in early 2010. A slightly longer release, Harmony, appeared several months later.

The Maine: Despite sharing their name with a northeastern state, the Maine formed in 2007 in Tempe, AZ, a collegiate suburb of Phoenix. Most of the bandmembers -- singer John O'Callaghan, guitarists Kennedy Brock and Jared Monaco, bassist Garrett Nickelsen, and drummer Pat Kirch -- were in high school at the time, and the guys wasted little time turning their '90s radio rock band influences into a familiar, infectious pop-punk sound. The Maine signed to Fearless Records and released a five-song concept EP, The Way We Talk, in 2007. After performing on the Vans Warped Tour one year later, the group issued a full-length debut album, Can't Stop Won't Stop, which was produced by emo-pop veteran Matt Squire. The record peaked at number 40 on the Billboard charts and caught the ear of Warner Bros. Records, who signed the Maine to a major-label contract in 2009. After releasing a deluxe version of Can't Stop Won't Stop later that year, the group returned to the studio, eventually emerging in 2010 with the sophomore album Black & White.
 

10/22/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Roky Erickson
21 & Over. $22.00 advance. $25.00 day of show.

Roky Erickson: Like Syd Barrett, a common point of reference, Roky Erickson rose to cult-hero status as much for his music as for his tragic personal life; in light of his legendary bouts with madness and mythic drug abuse, the influence exerted by his garage-bred psychedelia was often lost in the shuffle. Born Roger Kynard Erickson on July 15, 1947, in Dallas, TX, he began playing the piano at age five; by age 12, he had also taken up the guitar. The child of an architect and would-be opera singer, Erickson dropped out of high school to become a professional musician. In 1965, he penned his most famous composition, "You're Gonna Miss Me," which he first recorded with a group called the Spades. The song and his high, swooping tenor brought him to the attention of another area band, the psychedelia-influenced 13th Floor Elevators, whose lyricist and jug player Tommy Hall invited Erickson to join; the Elevators soon cut their own version of "You're Gonna Miss Me," and took the single to number 56 on the pop charts in 1966.
 

10/23/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Blue Scholars
Grieves w/Budo
All Ages. $15.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Blue Scholars: Side by side with companion Seattle-based rap groups Common Market and Boom Bap Project, the Blue Scholars led the charge in proclaiming the Pacific Northwest as a breeding ground for "true school" hip-hop. Perceiving themselves as blue-collar intellectuals, DJ/producer Sabzi (born Alexei Saba Mohajerjasbi) and MC Geologic (born George Quibuyen) used their music as a vehicle to promote their socially conscious objectives and to build a hip-hop scene in Seattle, WA, and its surroundings. The two first met on the University of Washington campus as students in 1999, but formed the group in early 2002. They bonded more strongly as a formidable duo during the course of doing numerous live shows. Avoiding the bureaucratic red tape of record labels, they took the D.I.Y. approach and self-pressed their debut LP, Blue Scholars, in early 2004. Sabzi drew on his Persian/Iranian heritage, classical piano training, and affinity for jazz to compose light and breezy beats to complement Geologic's enlightening rhymes. The album's widespread reception exponentially increased their demand for live shows and performances, something the progressive duo didn't anticipate. They also didn't expect the Seattle Weekly to name it Album of the Year, which helped push the album to be picked up for national and international distribution in 2005. Instead of recoiling from the spotlight and the local fame, Geologic and Sabzi were bent on cultivating a movement. Sabzi teamed up with another former student of UW, RA Scion, to form Common Market in 2005. In summer 2006, they established the independent imprint and multimedia company, Mass Line Media, with MC Gabriel Teodros (of Abyssinian Creole).
 

10/24/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7pm).
 

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  The Vaselines
Dum Dum Girls
21 & Over. $15.00 advance. $17.00 day of show.

The Vaselines: The music coming out of Scotland in the mid '80s was a primitive force that could be just as naive as it was brilliant. The Vaselines were no exception to this rule. With roots in fellow Scottish bands like the Shop Assistants and the Pastels, the Vaselines brought Eugene Kelly's edgy, scratchy guitar work together with Frances McKee's poetic melancholia. Their vocals were a shining light with Eugene's dry, monotone voice trading off with Frances' more charming, off-key sound. Not a serious band by any means, their carnal obsessions were given as much time as their off-kilter pop experiments. As Eugene Kelly went on to form the equally great Captain America a.k.a. Eugenius, the Vaselines were championed by then nascent alt-icons Nirvana, which saw a huge, much deserved resurgence of interest and virtually worldwide availability of their music.- Jon Pruett
 

10/25/2010 • 6:30pm (doors open at 5:30pm).
 

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  AIRWALK presents THE AP TOUR- FALL 2010
August Burns Red
Bring Me the Horizon
Emarosa
Polar Bear Club
This Is Hell
All Ages. $17.50 advance. $20.00 day of show.

August Burns Red: They look like clean-cut suburban kids, but when August Burns Red plug in to play, they unleash a precise, powerfully emotional metalcore onslaught that has won them a loyal following among fans of adventurous hard rock. August Burns Red was formed in Lancaster, PA, in 2003, and took their name from a local news story in which a troubled teenage girl set fire to a pet dog belonging to her former boyfriend. Featuring vocalist Jon Hershey, guitarists J.B. Brubaker and Brent Rambler, bassist Jordan Tuscan, and drummer Matt Greiner, the group recorded their first demo in 2004, when some of the members were still in high school; later that year, a local independent label, CI Records, released the group's first EP, Looks Fragile After All. Steady touring and positive response to the EP led to the group being signed to noted Christian metal label Solid State Records, who released August Burns Red's first full-length album, Thrill Seeker, in the fall of 2005. Thrill Seeker also marked the recording debut for vocalist Josh McManness, who replaced the departing Jon Hershey. McManness's stay with August Burns Red proved to be short, and when their second album, Messengers, reached stores in June 2007, the group had yet another lead singer, Jake Luhrs; Messengers marked the first time that the full band collaborated on lyrics as well as music for the album's 11 songs. Not long after Messengers was released, CI Records reissued Looks Fragile After All in a special edition with new cover artwork and a bonus DVD. Another look at the session for the album, Lost Messengers: The Outtakes, appeared from Solid State in 2009, along with a new studio project, Constellations.

Bring Me the Horizon: Fronted by a floppy-haired clothing designer who looks quite a bit like an emo version of Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg and sings in an unusually high-pitched vocal style suggesting that the Darkness' Justin Hawkins was a key unacknowledged influence, Bring Me the Horizon aren't the average deathcore band. The group was formed in Sheffield, England, during 2004; singer Oliver Sykes, guitarists Lee Malia and Curtis Ward, bassist Matt Kean, and drummer Matt Nicholls originally established their own label, Thirty Days of Night, to release their debut EP, This Is What the Edge of Your Seat Was Made For, in 2005. Upon signing to the higher-profile label Visible Noise (Lostprophets, etc.), the EP was reissued the following year. Bring Me the Horizon's full-length debut, Count Your Blessings, was released in October 2006.
 

10/28/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Deerhunter
Real Estate
Casino Vs. Japan
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Deerhunter: Deerhunter is an experimental noise rock band from Atlanta, fronted by the compellingly odd singer Bradford Cox. Cox's vocal style blends vocal experimentation along the lines of Meredith Monk or Yoko Ono with a more direct and punky howl inspired by the Fall's Mark E. Smith. Cox is also a striking on-stage presence: the exceedingly skinny 6'4" lead singer has Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder of the connective tissue that gives him abnormally long and spindly limbs. (The late Joey Ramone was another well-known frontman with Marfan syndrome.) Cox often exaggerates his otherworldly look by performing in Victorian-style party frocks and engaging in Iggy Pop-style acts of ritual self-abasement while his bandmates churn out an aggressive mix of industrial-grind guitars and fractured dance rhythms that often recalls earlier Georgia art punks like the Method Actors and Pylon. Deerhunter was formed in 2001 by Cox and drummer and keyboardist Moses Archuleta; guitarists Colin Mee and Lockett Pundt and bassist Josh Fauver completed the lineup over the following years. Deerhunter signed with the local Atlanta indie Stickfigure Records for their 2005 debut: nominally untitled, the album is also known as "Turn It Up, Faggot" (a phrase that doesn't appear on the sleeve), an insult that Cox claimed was often thrown at the band during their gigs. Deerhunter then signed to the higher-profile indie Kranky (Godspeed You Black Emperor!, etc.) for their second album, Cryptograms, as well as the EP Fluorescent Grey.Mee left Deerhunter and was replaced by former cheerleader Whitney Petty. The band recorded their third album Microcastle at New York City's Rare Book Room studio; the album was released digitally two months before it arrived on CD in fall 2008; like Fluorescent Grey, it found Brad Cox and company moving in a more pop-oriented direction. The band toured extensively on the indie festival circuit, but took a break in 2010 to record their fourth album, Halcyon Digest, in their homebase of Athens, GA.
 

10/30/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Ingrid Michaelson
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Ingrid Michaelson: With her piano-fueled songwriting, witty wordplay, and slight vocal vibrato, Ingrid Michaelson carries the tradition of the female singer/songwriter into the 21st century. Befitting a musician of the digital age, Michaelson first gained wide exposure through spots on TV soundtracks, including Grey's Anatomy and One Tree Hill. Born and raised on New York's Staten Island to an artist mother and classical composer father, she began exploring music through piano lessons at the age of four. After college, she toured with a national theater troupe and spent her free time writing songs, later compiling them into an online-distributed recording entitled Slow the Rain. Michaelson blazed her own trail by independently issuing her proper debut, the engaging Girls and Boys, in 2006; following the inclusion of her music in several episodes of Grey's Anatomy, she then released a remastered version of the album on her own Cabin 24 Records in January 2007. Three months later, she won a national songwriting contest sponsored by Mountain Stage, a radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed worldwide. "The Way I Am" was then picked up by Old Navy, who used it to soundtrack one of their clothing commercials, and Michaelson began making headlines as one of the country's most promising independent artists. A benefit project comprised of live recordings, new songs, and rarities, Be OK was released in 2008. Michaelson joined the Hotel Cafe Tour that fall in support of the album, whose proceeds went toward cancer research, and later toured Europe alongside Jason Mraz. For her "proper" follow-up to Girls and Boys, Ingrid Michaelson retreated to a Manhattan studio alongside producer Dan Romer. 40 newly composed songs were whittled down to a total of 12, with more emphasis being paid to the songwriter's peppier material. Featuring a string section on several songs, 2009's Everybody proved to be Michaelson's most expansive, confident effort to date, and she followed its release with another cross-country fall tour.
 

11/01/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm).
 

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  Kate Nash
All Ages. $19.00 advance. $20.00 day of show.

Kate Nash: Kate Nash thrives on piano-driven pop songs and lyrics (delivered in a distinctive London accent). Nash soon found her success with the platinum-selling Made of Bricks. Although born in Dublin on July 6, 1987, Nash moved to North West London as a child and grew up amidst British pop culture. She learned to play the piano at school and took an early interest in acting, but a rejection from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School dashed her hopes of a theater career. Following a foot injury that forced her to remain at home while the bones healed, Nash turned her focus to songwriting instead, looking for a diversion from the boredom that came with the recovery process. She booked herself a local gig to showcase the songs she had written while housebound; soon after, Nash uploaded home recordings of those compositions to MySpace. As Nash's internet popularity grew, she began releasing tangible copies of her music. Her first single was a 7" vinyl-only pressing of "Caroline's a Victim," backed with the acoustic track "Birds" and released by the London-based indie label Moshi Moshi Records. This led to a major-label deal with Fiction, an offshoot of Polydor Records that housed such mainstream artists as the Cure and Snow Patrol. Fiction released Kate Nash's first official single, "Foundations," which reached number two on the U.K. charts and remained there for five weeks during the summer of 2007. Nash furthered her star status by appearing at various festivals that summer -- including the O2 Wireless Festival, Isle of Wight, and Glastonbury -- and made television appearances on Later with Jools Holland, The Jack Daniels Set, Popworld, and The Friday Night Project. To capitalize on the surprise success of "Foundations," her debut album, Made of Bricks, was rush-released in August 2007. It entered the U.K. charts at number one, with sales of nearly 60,000 copies during its first week, and was released in America the following January. Kate Nash began working on her second album in March 2009. By June, former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler had signed on as the album's producer, and Nash began posting rough demo recordings on MySpace as the studio sessions continued. My Best Friend Is You was released the following year, bringing with it a newfound appreciation for Motown and peppy, sugary neo-soul.
 

11/02/2010 • 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm).
 

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  Senses Fail
Bayside
Title Fight
Balance And Composure
All Ages. $15.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Senses Fail: Comprised of vocalist James "Buddy" Nielsen, guitarists Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki, bassist Michael Glita (former percussionist for Tokyo Rose), and drummer Dan Trapp, the New Jersey outfit Senses Fail developed a slick amalgam of post-hardcore chuggery and emo heartbreak that recalled such fellow New Jersey-based groups as Saves the Day. Formed in 2002 in Bergen County, Senses Fail quickly issued a debut EP and began gigging regularly while maintaining a thriving Internet presence. Drive-Thru Records took notice and signed the group in late 2002. A revamped version of the From the Depths of Dreams EP appeared in April 2003; it featured improved sound, one new song, and an acoustic version of the track "Ground Folds." A tour with the Used wrapped up the year in successful fashion, while From the Depths of Dreams cracked the Billboard 200 and helped poise Senses Fail for a commercial breakthrough.

Bayside: Long Island-based Bayside formed in the winter of 2000 and quickly started developing a local following with their melodic brand of moody, guitar-driven emo. They soon hit the road, sharing stages across the United States with bands like the Alkaline Trio, Taking Back Sunday, and Further Seems Forever along the way. Their first release, the EP Long Stories Short, came out on local indie Dying Wish Records in August 2001.
 

11/06/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Yard Dogs Road Show
21 & Over. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Yard Dogs Road Show: In 2005 the Yard Dogs embarked on their first full fledged national tour (25 shows in 35 days). Seven shows sold out, including a magical homecoming show at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. The Yard Dogs started out seven years earlier as a three piece jug band performing in road houses and dance halls. Most notably here in Oregon where they partook in modern day acid tests with the likes of Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters. After many sleepless nights they moved on. For the next year they traveled up and down the west coast, with a trunk full of instruments and props. A 1967 Ford Galaxy 500 was their tour vehicle. One cold night they pulled off Interstate 5 at a place called Dog Creek Road. After situating themselves - laying out sleeping bags, building a campfire - they fell into conversation. The possibilities were discussed. Spirits revealed themselves in the fire: dancing girls with feather fans, a man in silver sunglasses eating fire, a dreamy guitar boy with big hair, a bearded swami swallowing swords. And it was from this night of fantasy that the Yard Dogs Road Show was born. One by one these apparitions climbed aboard. Eventually the Ford was replaced with a fleet of vans. The original three were now thirteen. And the offspring of that night by the fire was a wicked and mobile cabaret. They told their stories minutes after they were lived. This was the new vaudeville, as portrayed by professional misfits and creative thrill seekers.
 

11/09/2010 • 7pm (doors open at 6pm).
 

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  Circa Survive
Dredg
Codeseven
Animals As Leaders
All Ages. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.

Circa Survive: Philadelphia's Circa Survive were formed by former Saosin vocalist Anthony Green with guitarist Colin Frangicetto -- both of them veterans of the local emo and hardcore scenes looking to indulge in the rule-breaking freedom of the neo-progressive movement of the mid-2000s. After Green and Frangicetto discovered likeminded bandmates in second guitarist Brendan Ekstrom, bassist Nick Beard, and drummer Steve Clifford, Circa Survive recorded their debut album, Juturna (named after a Roman goddess), for Equal Vision Records in 2005. Lots of touring followed, including Warped Tour dates, and the album steadily sold close to an impressive 100,000 copies. A spot on the 2007 Coachella festival led into the late May release of Circa Survive's follow-up, On Letting Go. The band eventually left Equal Vision and signed to Atlantic, and in 2010 released its third album, Blue Sky Noise.
 

11/10/2010 • 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm).
 

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  Combichrist
Aesthetic Perfection
iVardensphere
God Module
All Ages. $18.00 advance. $22.00 day of show.
 

11/17/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7pm).
 

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  Kottonmouth Kings
All Ages. $20.00 advance. $23.00 day of show.

Kottonmouth Kings: Self-described "psychedelic hip-hop punk rock" outfit the Kottonmouth Kings emerged from Orange County, CA, in 1994. Comprising former Humble Gods frontman Brad Daddy X, rappers Saint Vicious and D-Loc, DJ Bobby B, and "visual assassin" Pakelika, the group first attracted attention with the track "Suburban Life," which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Scream 2 and became a modern rock radio hit. After issuing an EP, Stoners Reeking Havoc, on their own Suburban Noize label in early 1998, the Kottonmouth Kings released the full-length Royal Highness on Capitol that summer. Hidden Stash followed a year later, and their third album, High Society, pushed them into the mainstream. Gigs with D12 and Bionic Jive followed in fall 2001, just prior to the release of Hidden Stash, Vol. 2 : Kream of the Krop. A fifth studio album, Rollin' Stoned, which was produced by Brad X, appeared in October 2002. The self-explanatory Classic Hits Live hit the streets in 2003 while the band continued their expansion of the Suburban Noize empire, putting out DVDs and CDs by rappers and punk bands. Their 2004 release, Fire It Up, came out on the stoner's holiday, 4/20. The Kings returned in 2005 with their seventh album, a self-titled effort that featured guest shots from like-minded pals like Cypress Hill and Tech Nine. Unfortunately, the combo was forced to postpone their summer tour when D-Loc sustained a foot injury. Koast II Koast became the band's eighth studio full-length in June of 2006. The compilation Hidden Stash III appeared at the end of the year with a new album, Cloud Nine, arriving in 2007. Their 2010 album Long Live the Kottonmouth Kings was released on the stoner's holiday of 4/20.
 

11/27/2010 • 8pm (doors open at 7pm).
 

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  The Frames
21 & Over. $25.00 advance. $25.00 day of show.

The Frames: The Frames are led by Glen Hansard, a Dublin-based singer/songwriter who quit school at age 13 to begin busking on local streets. By 17, he'd borrowed enough money from his parents to record a demo, 50 copies of which were pressed and distributed to family and friends. One of those copies made its way to Island Records' Denny Cordell, who successfully lobbied label founder Chris Blackwell to sign Hansard to the roster. Now signed to a major label, Hansard founded the Frames, taking the name from his childhood fascination with bicycles; he regularly repaired his friends' bikes as a kid, and with the frames scattered about his family's yard, the Hansard home was consequently known as "the house with the frames." Hansard began devoting equal time to the Swell Season, a side project that eventually turned into an award-winning, globe-traveling band. Members of the Frames were recruited to form the Swell Season's backing band, thus keeping parts of the original lineup together.
 

11/28/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  The Dropout Boogie Tour
Black Mountain
The Black Angels
All Ages. $15.00 advance. $15.00 day of show.

Black Mountain: After founding Jerk with a Bomb in the late '90s, Stephen McBean had by the mid-2000s transformed the Vancouver-area band into a group called Black Mountain. Drawing on blues, psychedelia, acid rock, and the Velvet Underground, Black Mountain's sound was a cross between the darkness and grit of the Warlocks and Brian Jonestown Massacre's trippiness. After debuting in October 2004 on Jagjaguwar with the 12" Druganaut, Black Mountain stayed with the label for an eponymous full-length, issued the following January. Joining McBean for the album were local players Matthew Camirand, Jeremy Schmidt, Joshua Wells, and Amber Webber, listed collectively to preserve the band's communal ethic. (Black Mountain ran concurrent to and intermingled with McBean's other band, lo-fi classic rockers Pink Mountaintops.) In January 2008, the group released their sophomore album, In the Future, and showed off their willingness to explore proggy (and druggy) territory with the 17-minute opus "Bright Lights." The group's third, full length album, Wilderness Heart, arrived in 2010.

The Black Angels: The sultry neo-psychedelic sound of the Black Angels came together in spring 2004. Hailing from Austin, TX, Stephanie Bailey (drums), Christian Bland (guitar), Alex Maas (vocals), Jennifer Raines (organ), and Nathan Ryan (bass) took their name from a Velvet Underground classic, "The Black Angel's Death Song." The band's self-titled debut EP was released in late 2005. After a string of North American dates in winter 2006, the Black Angels readied themselves for a performance at the annual South by Southwest Music Conference in March. Their full-length album Passover hit stores that April.
 

11/29/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  Bonobo Live Band
Tokimonsta
All Ages. $20.00 advance. $23.00 day of show.

Bonobo Live Band: With the experimental warmth of '60s French films and the pizzicato flavor of horizontal hip-hop, Simon Green's Bonobo project established a welcome niche of a pretension-free, post-party intellectual chill-out. An almost silent figure among Ibizian romanticists, Green began in Brighton, debuting in 1999 with a track on Tru Thoughts Recordings' When Shapes Join Together compilation. Though tempted by offers from Mute and XL after the official issue of "The Scuba EP" and the "Terrapin" single, Green stuck with Tru Thoughts for the acclaimed debut LP Animal Magic. Highlighted by downtempo dub, funk, and an equally likable use of sitars, Animal Magic was an obvious success and plans were quickly made for careful European support appearances, as well as a follow-up album, Dial "M" for Monkey, for Coldcut's Ninja Tune label. A tour to support the record followed and was documented on the 2005 EP Live Sessions.Whilst often touring solo, and performing DJ sets, in 2004 Bonobo opted to begin playing with a full band. The band plays live renditions of studio material, with a singer, keyboardist, guitarist, saxophonist, string section, Electronics, and drummer. Simon Green mainly plays bass guitar, and leads the band from the middle.
 

12/03/2010
 

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  The Gracious Few
21 & Over. $16.00 advance. $18.00 day of show.
 

12/16/2010 • 8:30pm (doors open at 7:30pm).
 

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  Note New Date ~ All June 6 Tickets Honored
Killing Joke
All Ages. $20.00 advance. $25.00 day of show.

Killing Joke: At the dawn of the 1980s, Killing Joke forged a new, forceful sound. They are as heavy as metal, as politically barbed as Punk, and as abusively cynical as Industrial. Their rhythms are so hypnotic and primal they can drive a dance floor, yet their songs are so full of art and intellectual politics they require attentive appreciation. They continue to be a profoundly influential band, still unmatched in perfectly produced raw aggression.
 

12/30/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 
Buy Tickets   Reverend Horton Heat
21 & Over. $12.00 advance. $12.00 day of show.
 

12/31/2010 • 9pm (doors open at 8pm).
 

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  80's VIDEO DANCE ATTACK!!
Hosted by Vj Kittyrox
21 & Over. $15.00 advance. $20.00 day of show.

Hosted by Vj Kittyrox: VJ Kittyrox is a Portland, Oregon-based Video/Disc Jockey. Spinning live since 2002, Kittyrox has performed at weekly DJ nights and private events in a variety of genres spanning from swing to hip hop to Japanese pop to top 40. Four years ago, VJ Kittyrox started up "80s Video Dance Attack," a weekly dance night at Lola's Room which features 80s music videos projected onto a giant ten foot screen. As one of the most popular dance nights in Portland, 80s Video Dance Attack is representation of how the addition of video to music can add a unique and exciting element to any private or public event.
 

Artists that have appeared at Wonder Ballroom include:
Peeping Tom, The Raconteurs, Eagles of Death Metal, Squeeze, Fountains of Wayne, Blitzen Trapper, Breeders, Colin Meloy, Daniel Johnston, Deerhoof, The Eels, The Gutter Twins, Ingrid Michaelson, Jamie Lidell, Kate Nash, The Kooks, Ladytron, Blonde Redhead, The Melvins, Melissa Ferrick, The Mountain Goats, The Old 97s, Pinback, Reverend Horton Heat, Silver Jews, Stars, Stereophonics, Tom Morello, Tiger Army, Was (Not Was), The Zombies, Roky Erickson, Viva Voce, Mason Jennings, Vagabond Opera, Devotchka, El-p, Lyrics Born, Meat Puppets, Dead Prez, Dashboard Confessional, Rogue Wave, Architecture in Helsinki, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Dengue Fever, Sparklehorse, and many more.

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