Smile Politely

The Overture: Aug. 26-Sept. 1

Patrick Singer

WHAT: Mayhew the Traitor, A Cool Hand

WHERE: The Clark Bar ($5)

WHEN: Tuesday, August 27th at 7 p.m.

The Champaign-Urbana Singer-Songwriter Series continues this week with a couple of duos on Tuesday. Husband/wife duo Mayhew the Traitor joins in with Justin Tanaka & co. with A Cool Hand.

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WHAT: The Lonely Wild, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Mille Nomi

WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($7)
 
WHEN: Thursday, August 29th at 8 p.m.
 
California’s The Lonely Wild makes their way through on their tour to Champaign at Mike ‘N Molly’s. They’re joined by Roadkill Ghost Choir’s indie folk rock, and they hail from Florida. Local indie rockers Mille Nomi round out the bill as the opener.
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WHAT: The Delta Saints, Cody & The Gateway Drugs

WHERE: The Canopy Club ($8 advance/$10 door)
 
WHEN: Thursday, August 29th at 9:30 p.m.
 
Nashville blues rock outfit the Delta Saints crash land in Urbana on Thursday night this week. They made a recent visit to Europe recently, and just started their Fall tour this week. An appropriate local pairing, Cody & the Gateway Drugs are set to open. Read our interview with Cody Sokolski himself here.
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WHAT: Jay Moses, Frankie Leone, Klevah 

WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($5)
 
WHEN: Thursday, August 29th at 10 p.m.
 
A couple of awesome local rappers are teaming up with Frankie Leone this week at Cowboy Monkey. Locals Jay Moses and Klevah have had very good 2013’s, and should continue their path as there’s still some time left in the year for them to do so. Both have released some material this year, with Moses’ #TheGenius and Klevah’s The W8 mixtape. Moses still has #TheGenesis lined up for later this year, so we’re waiting for that at this point. Solid show top to bottom.
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WHERE: The Highdive ($5 advance/$8 door)
 
WHEN: Thursday, August 29th at 10 p.m.
 
The next installment of the Certified Dope series comes on Thursday over at the Highdive. They’re calling it Kings of Twerk Back 2 School Party, featuring Chicago’s Legends of Trap and Juke with the rest of the DJs named above. You can grab your advance tickets here if you want to save a couple of bones. 
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WHAT: The Maderia, Go! Tsunami, The Caramel Mints

WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($7)
 
WHEN: Friday, August 30th at 9 p.m.
 
Surfy Murphy’s Beach Riot IV! is going down on Friday Night, sponsore by WPGU’s Surfabilly Freakout radio show. The desert rock of The Madeira headlines, and they’re joined by Go! Tsunami! and C-U’s the Caramel Mints. Should be a pretty wild time if the radio show is any indicator of it. If you’ve never turned in, its one of the more consistent things that has remained at WPGU over the past few years. Go crazy at this one on Friday night, folks.
 
 
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WHERE: Memphis on Main ($5)
 
WHEN: Friday, August 30th at 9:30 p.m.
 
I feel like Roberta Sparrow has played “last shows” in Champaign-Urbana a handful of times, but they keep coming back. We’re not complaining, and they’re going to be releasing a new album on Friday night at Memphis on Main with Earth Witch. They’re calling it A Fury To Behold. Head over to Memphis to catch some punk rock music on Friday night.
 
 
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WHAT: Los Guapos

WHERE: Cowboy Monkey (free)
 
WHEN: Saturday, August 31st at 6:30 p.m.
 
Afro-Cuban jazz outfit Los Guapos are ready to perform this Saturday at Cowboy Monkey. No supporting act is lined up at this point to go along with them, so they’ll be flying solo for this show, which is also free of charge. Not too shabby.
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WHERE: Error Records ($5)
 
WHEN: Saturday, August 31st at 7 p.m.
 
Error Records rounds out the month of August with a show presented by Wicked Designs 217, headlined by Upon a Broken Throne. They have a new record out soon, called You and What Army, which is available in a couple of weeks. Local metal outfit Eminent Slaughter joins, with the help of a couple of others in Skywalker and Plagues of Purging.
 
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EDITOR’S PICK: WITHERSHINS, JET W. LEE, THE RUTABEGA, MOTES
Mike ‘N Molly’s ($7) — Saturday, August 31st at 8 p.m.

Solid show going down in the Mike ‘N Molly’s beergarden this weekend as summer is nearing an end here on the last day of August. You don’t have that much more time to get out there and appreciate one of the best spots in Champaign — not only to see music, but in general as well. 

Great rock show all around, headlined by local space-rockers Withershins, who have a new single out, and Silver Cities still rings strongly in our ears. Slow-core/indie rock locals Motes perform as well, and Chicago’s Jet W. Lee is lined up to join in, too. The Rutabega just so happen to be releasing a new record, so they’ll be performing songs from that as well. 

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WHERE: The Canopy Club ($7)
 
WHEN: Saturday, August 31st at 9 p.m.
 
Jazz/funk/rock outfit Tauk headlines this show over at The Canopy Club with a trio of others. They’re on tour with Acoustics Anonymous, so here is there stop through C-U. Dramatics and Tropical Fish join in what rounds out a full bill for only $7. Not too bad.
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WHAT: Ryan Groff, Chandra Watkins
 
WHERE: indi-go Co-op (free)
 
WHEN: Sunday, September 1st at 6 p.m.
 
Elsinore’s Ryan Groff takes the stage for this event at indi-go Co-op in Downtown Champaign on Sunday evening. Not only will he be performing (in what I would imagine would be new Elsinore tracks from their upcoming PUSH/PULL release), but he’ll be joined by violinist Chandra Watkins as the opener, and there will be a reading from William Gillespie as well.

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