WHAT:
WHERE: Error Records ($5)
WHEN: Monday, June 10th at 7:30 p.m.
“Death polka” is an interesting genre, and one that isn’t difficult to figure out. Ando Ehlers specializes in the genre, and will be bringing it to Error Records tonight. Locals The Stars, They Beckon and Nature vs. No One accompany, as well as out of town post-punkers Mattytilldawn round things out.
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WHAT:
WHERE: The Clark Bar (free)
WHEN: Tuesday, June 11th at 7 p.m.
The Champaign-Urbana Singer-Songwriter Collective series continues at the Clark Bar with a couple of familiar faces. This duo of Anne Clements and Lori Bernard will lead the way in another acoustic-driven evening.
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WHAT:
WHERE: Error Records ($5)
WHEN: Wednesday, June 12th at 7:30 p.m.
Kansas City’s black metal outfit Boreas returns to C-U at Error Records with a handful of others. They’re on tour with fellow KC metal crew Keef Mountain, so they’re paying everyone a visit here while they’re at it. Local hardcore band Smoke Coke rises from the ashes for this show as well. They’ve been on hiatus for quite a while now, with some members spending time working with Laughboy. Locals Earth Witch round this one out. Awesome bill all around on Wednesday night.
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WHAT: Lord Huron, Escondido
WHERE: The Highdive ($12 advance/$14 door)
WHEN: Wednesday, June 12th at 8 p.m.
Lord Huron returns to C-U after their terrific performance at last year’s Pygmalion Music Festival. They’re back around these parts for Pygmalion’s Summer Show Series. We have a ticket giveaway for this show happening over in the SPlog, but even if you don’t win, this is a show to see this week. We’ll take a closer look on Wednesday as music writer Kirby Jayes got the opportunity to speak with lead singer Ben Schneider, so stay tuned for that.
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WHAT:
WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, June 13th at 8 p.m.
Writers in the Round Summer Series begins Thursday night at Mike ‘N Molly’s. Gloria Rubel leads the way with a handful of other singer-songwriters from the area. Rubel and Arrigo perform in the Clark Bar series sometimes, but the other two performers are newer additions to our radar. We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for more updates from this series as it continues, but for now, this is their first show of the summer months.
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WHAT:
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, June 13th at 9 p.m.
Missouri indie rock crew Moon Jr. take over the Canopy Club later this week. The band is on a decent-sized tour, and they’ll be joined by Seventeen Sisters, who recently performed at Memphis on Main, and the Pedestrians as they stop through C-U.
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WHAT: Soap, Abnormous
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, June 13th at 10 p.m.
Jazz-prog infused rock band Soap makes their way through C-U on their lengthy tour. They recently performed at Summer Camp, and now they’re invading Cowboy Monkey with local outfit Abnormous.
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WHAT:
WHERE: University of Illinois Research Park (free)
WHEN: Friday, June 14th at 6:30 p.m.
Krannert Center’s Outside at the Research Park series begins this week with former Ellnora performer Vieux Farka Touré. They announced the shows a short while back, and this is the first of two performances this summer. Taylor got the chance to speak with the artist last week, which we’ll feature later in the week leading up to the show.
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WHAT: Caveman, Common Loon
WHERE: The Highdive ($10)
WHEN: Friday, June 14th at 8 p.m.
Yet another solid Pygmalion Summer Show Series installment this week following up Lord Huron on Wednesday. This show is also at the Highdive, and features the stellar indie rockers Caveman. The band released their new self-titled record earlier this year on Fat Possom Records. If you haven’t listened yet, please do yourself a favor and spin it. It’s great. They’ll be joined by the consistently great Common Loon. There’s a ton going on here, and Caveman will be back in September for Pygmalion. Good stuff all around.
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WHAT:
WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($5)
WHEN: Friday, June 14th at 8 p.m.
Pressed And returns to C-U with a handful of great bands for this Friday night show at Mike ‘N Molly’s. The band just released their new record, Stone Candles, on Mush Records at the beginning of June, so this is your chance to hear those new songs and pick up a copy of their new record. Katie spoke with the duo a short while back, so expect that interview on the site later this week as well.
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WHAT:
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($5)
WHEN: Friday, June 14th at 9 p.m.
U of I alum Todd Kessler is set to perform at the Canopy Club to round out the week on Friday. Kessler was featured on Season 3 of NBC’s The Voice. He’ll be joined by Afternoon Moon and Rebecca Rago for the low price of 5 bones.
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EDITOR’S PICK: SUN STEREO, ELSINORE, THE DIRTY FEATHERS,
THE STRUGGLE, FEUDIN’ HILLBILLIES
Green Street between 5th and Wright (free) — Saturday, June 15th at 4 p.m.
Here’s an awesome event happening this weekend. Champaign Center Partnership’s Summer Stage featured a ton of great bands last year, and now some of them are back again this year with a few other familiar local faces. This time, they’ve stacked the bill again with solid locals, headlined by Sun Stereo with the assistance of Elsinore, The Dirty Feathers, and The Struggle. Plus, the Feudin’ Hillbillies will be performing two sets on a seperate stage. There’s a lot of appeal to this show. It’s free, you can drink on the street, watch some of the best local acts perform, and (hopefully) enjoy good weather.
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WHAT: Big Bluestem, The Fabulous Javelinas, The Young and the Fretless
WHERE: Meadowbrook Park (free)
WHEN: Saturday, June 15th at 4 p.m.
The Strawberry Jam concert, presented by Urbana Park District, is happening at 4 p.m. as well this weekend. You can enjoy some local bluegrass while eating fresh strawberries and ice cream. It’s probably something you’ve never done before, eat ice cream and watch live music, but it seems like a good combination. In addition to the musical lineup, this free summer event features a hayrack ride through the park that picks up and drops off at the Race Street parking lot. Concertgoers can also take a guided prairie tour at 5:00 p.m.
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WHAT:
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($7)
WHEN: Saturday, June 15th at 9 p.m.
Pop-rock outfit Ashland perform on Saturday at the Canopy Club with a handful of others within similar stretches of the genre. They don’t have many shows listed, but they’re performing next week in St. Louis. For now, they’ll stick around central Illinois with this show in Urbana.
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WHAT: Duke Robillard
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($10)
WHEN: Saturday, June 15th at 9:30 p.m.
Blues artist Duke Robillard brings his new record, Independently Blue, and his band through Cowboy Monkey this weekend. Robillard has been active in music since the mid-sixties, and has generally been regarded as a guitar player “keeping the blues style of T-Bone Walker.” Should be interesting, and if you’re a fan of blues, this is your show this week.
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WHAT: 
WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($7)
WHEN: Saturday, June 15th at 9:30 p.m.
Up-and-coming local hip-hop emcee Young Blu headlines this show on Saturday night at Mike ‘N Molly’s. It was unearthed a short while back that Young Blu has been in talks with Epic Records. This news comes right after his release of Green Tea X Green Trees, a split mixtape with fellow local rapper Jay Moses. You can check out what Jason Brown had to say about the release in our new music review feature, B-Sides.
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UPDATED!
WHERE: The Velvet Elvis ($5)
WHEN: Sunday, June 16th at 8 p.m.
Another stellar show lined up at the Velvet Elvis this week. C-U psych outfit Orbit Dangerfield headlines, joined by Jamaican Queens, Drgn King, Ghost & Goblin, and Kirkwood West. Jamaican Queens performed there a few weeks back, so if you missed them, here’s your second chance. Solid show from top to bottom going on here on Sunday evening.
Update: Dirty Feathers’ sideproject Olde Scratch will now be headlining the show.