What: Hoots and Hellmouth w/ Annie and the Beekeepers
When: Monday Sept. 14; 6 p.m.
Where: Canopy Club; $5 in advance
Philadephia-based Hoots and Hellmouth plays music from the same vein as The Avett Brothers and Joe Pug with slightly less sentiment and a little more party. Clapping and tapping will be a must during their set of Northeastern blues.
What: Pygmalion Day 1
When: Wednesday Sept. 16; 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: Canopy Club; $5
Wednesday night kicks off 2009 Pygmalion Music Festival with Common Loon, Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band and a Polyvinyl Records Showcase of Owen, Japandroids and Headlights. The Physical Challenge DJs close out the night starting at 1 a.m. For those of you who have not yet attended Pygmalion, now is the time. Each year the festival brings more and more international acts to Champaign-Urbana, and this year is no exception. Japandroids recently signed with Polyvinyl Records, and have been praised for their garage rock and the surprising amount of noise two men can make.
Owen consistently melts hearts with his lovesick sets, and Headlights’ own floral brand of pop will win you over quicker than a bag of candy corn — and just as cheap.
What: Pygmalion Day 2
When: Thursday Sept. 17; 11:45 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Where: Blues, Sandella’s Red Herring, Krannert Art Museum, Courtyard Café, Canopy Club, The Highdive; prices vary
There are 33 shows going on Thursday, so I’ll leave it up to you to check out the schedule and plug everything into your planner.
Some shows to deeply consider attending — Joe Pug at Canopy and Starfucker at Courtyard Café. Although from opposite ends of the musical spectrum, both artists are incredibly talented musicians and welcome performers at this year’s Pygmalion festival.
Starfucker mixes a little Ladytron with a contemporary electronic twist. Their trippy experimental tunes will mesmerize everyone at the show, and possibly even turn everyone to stone. Anything could happen.
Joe Pug brings Midwestern romance into an inevitably stunning performance at Canopy Club. His simple words and gentle guitar are moving, to say the least. He brings a silent strength to the stage, and after listening to his EP for weeks straight I’m giddy at the prospect of seeing his live show Thursday evening.
What: Pygmalion Day 3
When: Friday Sept. 18; 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Where: Blues, Sandella’s, Channing-Murray, Red Herring, Canopy Club, Cowboy Monkey, Mike N’ Molly’s, Bentley’s; prices vary
Friday features a vast array of local standouts from jigGsaw, Kilroy et al, You and Yourn (formerly Casados), Hathaways and Oceans to Zach May and The Maps, Angie Heaton and The Delta Kings.
What: Pygmalion Day 4
When: Saturday Sept. 19; 12 noon to 2 a.m.
Where: Parasol, Exile on Main Street, Krannert, Courtyard, Red Herring, Canopy Club, Cowboy Monkey, Mike N’ Molly’s, Bentley’s; prices vary
The big show closes down with headlining act Iron & Wine with the Books at Krannert, plus a couple of kick-ass in-stores at Parasol and Exile.
Looking ahead…
SEPTEMBER
9/21 Richard Buckner @ Canopy Club
9/23 Buckcherry with Saving Abel, Red and The Last Vega @ Assembly Hall
9/23 The Rural Alberta Advantage @ Canopy Club
9/23 The Insomniacs @ The Iron Post
9/24 Yourself & The Air + Jet W. Lee @ Courtyard Cafe
9/25 C-U Folk & Roots Festival @ Various Locations
9/25 Jason & the Punknecks @ Memphis on Main
9/25 Eclipse (Pink Floyd Tribute) @ Canopy Club
9/25 Mhondoro @ Cowboy Monkey
9/26 Sufjan Stevens @ Highdive – SOLD OUT
9/26 MOMO + Berimbau Bandit and the Caxixikid @ Courtyard Cafe
9/26 C-U Folk & Roots Festival @ Various Locations
9/26 Koffin Kats @ Cowboy Monkey
9/29 Oso Closo @ The Iron Post
9/30 RAIN (Beatles Tribute) @ Assembly Hall
9/30 Digital Primitives @ Independent Media Center
OCTOBER
10/1 Eric Person and Meta-Four @ The Iron Post
10/1 Eric Radoux @ Courtyard Cafe
10/1 Joan Red, Frequency 54 et. al. @ Independent Media Center
10/2 Vertebrats Reunion @ Cowboy Monkey
10/3 Vertebrats Reunion @ Cowboy Monkey
10/3 Hollywood Lies in Concert @ Independent Media Center
10/3 Lydia + TBA support @ Courtyard Cafe
10/4 Youth Group @ Canopy Club
10/8 ZOSO (Led Zeppelin Tribute) @ Canopy Club
10/8 Flotation Walls + World’s First Flying Machine @ Courtyard Cafe
10/8 Oh My God @ Cowboy Monkey
10/9 Light Pollution + I Need Sleep @ Courtyard Cafe
10/10 Action Design, Sick of Sarah + Donora @ Courtyard Cafe
10/11 Jennie and the Sure Shots @ Independent Media Center
10/13 Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers @ Highdive
10/16 Blitzen Trapper @ Canopy Club
10/16 Black Whales @ Cowboy Monkey
10/17 NIL8 @ Cowboy Monkey
10/17 Lookbook @ Courtyard Cafe
10/17 The Lifeline et. al. @ Independent Media Center
10/22 Avett Brothers @ Canopy Club
10/24 Great Lake Swimmers + The Wooden Birds @ Courtyard Cafe
10/24 Hallelujah the Hills @ Cowboy Monkey
10/25 Yonder Mountain String Band @ Canopy Club
10/25 David Bazan @ Highdive
10/27 Mason Jennings @ Highdive
10/28 O.A.R. w/ Elmwood @ Assembly Hall
10/29 Thao with the Get Down Stay Down @ Canopy Club
10/30 Batrider + Scotland Yard Gospel Choir @ Courtyard Cafe
NOVEMBER
11/1 Disco Biscuits @ Canopy Club
11/5 Generationals, Spinto Band + Pepi Ginsberg @ Courtyard Cafe
11/6 Neko Case @ Canopy Club ($25 in advance, tickets on sale 8/29)
11/13 Ruby Rodeo Love @ Courtyard Cafe
11/14 Heavy Trash (Jon Spencer of JSBX) @ Cowboy Monkey
11/18 Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers @ Highdive
11/21 Hot Club of Cowtown @ Shady Nook Pub, Saybrook