WHAT – Japandroids, Love Is All
WHEN – Wednesday, April 7 at 8 p.m
WHERE – The Highdive ($12)
Whoa! Rock n’ roll to the nth degree. Check out our preview tomorrow morning.
WHAT – NOLA Relief Benefit with Zach May and the Folks, Corn Desert Ramblers, Stan McConnell of Santah, Asher Weisberg, Bob & Pricilla and Friends, Mayhew the Traitor, Ben Leddy, Claire 
Johnson (6 p.m., $7)
WHEN – Thursday, April 8 at 6 p.m
WHERE – Canopy Club ($7)
WHAT – Turn it UP! Benefit with Leiloni Stars, Vanattica, Tom Miebach, Anna Schweig, Cara Bailey
WHEN – Thursday April 8 at 7 p.m.
WHERE – IMC ($5 Adv)
Two benefit shows happening concurrently at different locations, both with very worthy causes. And both great line-ups featuring exceptional local talent. Unfortunately, you’ll have to choose a cause or run back and forth. Or if you are one of the chosen few, just send your twin sister to the other show.
WHAT – Common Loon (CD release show), Early Day Miners, New Ruins
WHEN – Friday, April 9 at 10 p.m.
WHERE – Cowboy Monkey ($5)
The official release show for Common Loon’s long-anticipated new album The Long Dream of Birds. The undercard isn’t looking too bad with Bloomington, IN’s Early Day Miners and locals New Ruins filling out a pretty fantastic bill. A steal for five bucks.
WHAT – WHEN – Saturday, April 10 at 10 p.m.
WHERE – Cowboy Monkey ($5)
Billed as Dubstep vs. Electro this “competition” should make winners out of anyone who shows up. Expect showmanship and beats aplenty.
WHAT – Very Truly Yours, This is Versailles, Withershins
WHEN – Saturday April 10 at 10 p.m.
WHERE – Mike ‘n Molly’s ($5)
Very Truly Yours are supporting their brand spanking new album Things You Used to Say. They play airy pop reminiscent of the 60’s, but also loaded with some of the not quite twee Scottish bands of the last decade. Expect a louder set from dark Chicago angular punk band This is Versailles. Locals Withershins fill out the bill.
New This Week
4/9 – Roy Zimmerman: Real American @ Allen Hall (7 p.m.) – Billed as a humerous and musical take on the current political landscape, Zimmerman has been featured on NPR, Air America and the Huffington Post
4/10 – Rock the Red Herring with Rob Jacobs, Desafinado, Asher, Elizabeth Simpson, Sign Language, Don’t Ask, Stan McConnel of Santah, Lara Driscoll & Karim Yengsep, The Joy’s Inn, Text Swords_Megan Johns, Morgan Orion and the Constellations – This event will feature bands, food and a silent auction to benefit the Red Herring.
4/21 – Adult Swim Block Party featuring Clipse and Motion Potion – Outside Staion 211 – This one should be plenty to write home about, with the South’s best rap duo (especially with Outkast on extended hiatus) set to bring their unique take on hip hop. And it’s free!
LOOKING AHEAD (new additions in bold)
4/5/10
Canopy Club – Bassnectar, DJ Vadim, DJ Mertz (9 p.m., $17 Adv.)
4/6/10
Courtyard Cafe – Jesse Johnson (Noon, free)
4/7/10
The Highdive – Japandroids, Love is All (Doors @ 7 p.m. – show @ 8 p.m., $12 Adv.)
Iron Post – In Your Ear Big Band (6 p.m., $2)
Iron Post – Eponymous (9 p.m., $3)
4/8/10
Canopy Club – NOLA Relief Benefit with Zach May and the Folks, Corn Desert Ramblers, Stan McConnell of Santah, Asher Weisberg, Bob & Pricilla and Friends, Mayhew the Traitor, Ben Leddy, Claire Johnson (6 p.m., $7)
Courtyard Cafe – The Primeridian, Organic Flow, Jip Jop (8 p.m., free)
IMC – Turn it UP! Benefit with Leiloni Stars, Vanattica, Tom Miebach, Anna Schweig, Cara Bailey (7 p.m., $5 Adv)
Iron Post – U of I Latin Jazz Band (7 p.m., $2)
4/9/10
Allen Hall – Roy Zimmerman (7 p.m., free)
Bentley’s – The Sugar Prophets (9 p.m., $4)
Canopy Club – Champaign County CASA Benefit with SCP, From the Tops of Trees, Kilroy et al., Midwestern Gentleman (6 p.m., $TBA)
Canopy Club – Mike Posner, Good Luck Jane (10 p.m., $20 Adv.)
Courtyard Cafe – Primeridian, Organic Flow, Jip Jop (8 p.m., free)
Cowboy Monkey – Common Loon (CD release show), Early Day Miners, New Ruins (10 p.m., $5)
Iron Post – Darden Purcell (5 p.m., free)
Mike ‘n Molly’s – Ussop the Liar, Neoga Blacksmith (9 p.m., $5)
4/10/2010
Bentley’s – Shandy Wilsey Band (6 p.m., free)
Bentley’s – Missing the Point, The Run Around, TBA (10 p.m., $4)
Courtyard Cafe – Khalil Ismail, The Reminders, DJ Man-o-Wax & Zain Lodhia (9 p.m., free)
Cowboy Monkey – DJ Belly vs. CZO
IMC – Roy Zimmerman (8 p.m., $15)
Iron Post – The Painkillers (6 p.m., $3)
Krannert Center – Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra
Mike ‘n Molly’s – Very Truly Yours, This is Versailles, Withershins (10 p.m., $5)
Red Herring – Rob Jacobs, Desafinado, Asher, Elizabeth Simpson, Sign Language, Don’t Ask, Stan McConnel of Santah, Lara Driscoll & Karim Yengsep, The Joy’s Inn, Text Swords_Megan Johns, Morgan Orion and the Constellations (4 p.m.)
4/11/10
Iron Post – Chip Stephens and Donnie Heitler (7 p.m., $5)
4/13/10
Iron Post – Morgan Powell’s Traditional Jazz Orchestra (5 p.m., $5)
4/15/10
88 Broadway – Tommy Castro Band ($TBA)
The Brass Rail – Withnail, Ussop the Liar (10 p.m., $TBA)
Canopy Club – This Must Be the Band (Talking Heads Tribute) (10 p.m., $8 Adv)
Cowboy Monkey – Cameron McGill and What Army (10 p.m., $7)
Krannert Center – Joshua Bell
4/16/10
Bentley’s – Dan Hubbard (10 p.m., $3)
Cowboy Monkey – Santah, David Vandervelde, Ghostfinger, Jitney (9:30 p.m., $7)
Mike ‘n Molly’s – Arkansas Dogjaw, Midmost (10 p.m., $5)
4/17/10
Bentley’s – Tiger Bones, Menthols, TBA (10 p.m., $5)
Canopy Club – The Antlers, Phantogram (10 p.m., $12)
Champaign Public Library – Elsinore (4 p.m., free)
Cowboy Monkey – Daijaku, The Madeira, Abstract Artimus (10 p.m., $5)
Exile on Main St. – Record Store Day Show with Elsinore, The Palace Flophouse, Mertz, Mike Ingram & Kayla Brown, Delta Kings, DJ LEGTWO, Take Care, Kirkwood West, Vapor Lanes, Beat Kitchen, My Werewolf Diary (Elzie from New Ruins), DJ Belly, S.Words w/ DJ Belly, Santah, Tractor Kings, DJ Tim Hayden, Rice the Sound Transmitter, Epilep[c] (12 p.m., free)
The Highdive – Shannon Curfman (7 p.m., $12 Adv)
Mike ‘n Molly’s – Heyokas, Grody Hunt, TBA (9 p.m., $5)
Parasol Records – Record Store Day Show with Elsinore, New Ruins, TBA (free)
Urban Outfitters – Boneyard Arts Festival Show with Mickey Karbal (5 p.m., free)
4/18/10
Cowboy Monkey – Robbie Fulks, Jake Fleischli (8 p.m., $10 Adv)
IMC – Lac La Belle (7 p.m., $TBA)
The Rose Bowl – Bill Kirchen ($TBA)
Urbana Free Library – The Duke of Uke (2 p.m., free)
4/21/10
Station 211 – Adult Swim Block Party featuring Clipse and Motion Potion (6 p.m. Free)
4/22/10
Aroma Cafe – Ashley Riley (7 p.m., free)
Cowboy Monkey – World’s First Flying Machine, One For the Team, The Fantastic Plastics, Mike Coulter (9:30 p.m., $5)
Mike ‘n Molly’s – Via Audio, TBA (10 p.m., $5)
4/23/10
Bentley’s – The Witala Brothers (10 p.m., $3)
Canopy Club – Local H, Kinch (7 p.m. $10)
Canopy Club – Family Groove Company, Kinetix (10 p.m., $7)
Cowboy Monkey – 90’s Daughter
Mike n’ Molly’s – Giant Cloud, My Dear Alan Andrews (10 p.m.)
4/24/10
Bentley’s – Mike Ingram and Dawna Nelson (9 p.m., $2)
Canopy Club – The Used, Chiodos, New Medicine (8 p.m. $25 Adv)
Cowboy Monkey – Matt Poss and Rolling Thunder (10 p.m., $5)
Krannert Center – James Farm
Mike n’ Molly’s – Hot Cops, Native, Derrick Hart, Trip Light Fantastic (10 p.m., $5)
Parkland College – Earth Day Battle of the Bands with So Many Dynamos, Vanattica, Seventeen Sisters, The Lost Years, Year of the Bobcat, Seldan, Shark Bandit, Heyokas, Benny Wil (3 p.m., free)
4/25/10
Canopy Club – Lebowski Achievers Festival with Neoga Blacksmith (8 p.m., free)
4/26/10
Canopy Club – Third Eye Blind, The Upwelling (7 p.m. $25 Adv)
4/29/10
Canopy Club – Hairbangers Ball (8 p.m. $5)
Cowboy Monkey – The Life and Times, Sweet Cobra, TBA (10 p.m., $7 Adv)
Highdive – Paul Thorn, Fred Eaglesmith (7 p.m., $18 advance)
Krannert Center – Margot & the Nuclear So and Soís (10 p.m., Free)
4/30/10
Canopy Club – Teach for America Benefit Concert with Jet W. Lee, Fiveohfirst, JigGsaw, and Ben and Zach (6 p.m., $TBA)
Cowboy Monkey – Mhondoro, Rumba Na Biso (10 p.m., $5)
Kalyx Center (Monticello) – Daytrotter Barnstormer Tour with Ra Ra Riot, Delta Spirit, Free Energy, Nathaniel Rateliff, Pearly Gate Music (7 p.m., free)
Mike ‘n Molly’s – The Canoes, TBA (10 p.m., $5)
5/1/10
Cowboy Monkey – Hot Cops, Molehill, Brighton MA (10 p.m., $5)
The Highdive – Dubstep Massacre with Positive Vibr8tions, Babylon System, DJ Belly, Zmick (9 p.m., $5 Adv)
IMC – Zach May and the Maps, MOON Ensemble
5/3/10
Cowboy Monkey – Roberta Sparrow, TBA (10 p.m., $5)
5/5/10
Krannert Center – Ozomatli
5/6/10
Canopy Club – Santah
5/7/10
Canopy Club – Eclipse (Pink Floyd Tribute) (10 p.m., $10 Adv)
5/8/10
Bentley’s – The Impalas (9 p.m., $5)
Canopy Club – Yourself & the Air, Jookabox, New Ruins, Joe Pug
5/13/10
Canopy Club – Justin Moore (7 p.m., $17 Adv)
5/14/10
Canopy Club – Flosstradamus, Mickey Karbal, CZO, Lucknow, Famicom (10 p.m., $12 Adv)
5/15/10
Bentley’s – Billy Galt (8:30 p.m., free)
5/19/10
Canopy Club – Mastodon, Between the Buried and Me, Baroness, Valiant Thorr (6:30 p.m., $23 Adv.)
IMC – Red Molly (7:30 p.m., $TBA)
5/20/10
Canopy Club – Fistful of Steel (Rage Against the Machine Tribute) (9 p.m., $5)
5/21/10
Bentley’s – Rocket Science (9 p.m., $2)
Canopy Club – Blessed With Pain, Seven Year Existence, Buried in Black, C.P.X. (9 p.m., $5)
5/22/10
Cowboy Monkey – The Hillbilly Jones (10 p.m., $5)
Mike n’ Molly’s – Common Loon, TBA (10 p.m., $5)
5/27/10
Mike n’ Molly’s – Gospel Gossip, Red Pens (10 p.m.)
5/30/10
Cowboy Monkey – “Hit It Run” with DJ Kosmo
Hessel Park – Battle of the Bands 2nd/3rd Place Winners (6 p.m., free)
6/2/10
Toalson Park – The Impalas (6:30 p.m., free)
6/4/10
Canopy Club – Point of Fire, Madison’s Avenue (9 p.m., $TBA)
West Side Park – Ben Bedford (noon, free)
6/5/10
Cowboy Monkey – Brat Pack
IMC – Kyle Bruckman & Rich O’Donnell (8 p.m., $TBA)
6/11/10
West Side Park – Taste of Champaign with Delta Kings, Chicago Mambo All-Stars (5 p.m., free)
6/12/10
Mike ‘n Molly’s – Poison Control Center, TBA (10 p.m., $5)
West Side Park – Taste of Champaign with Elsinore, Hurricane Gumbo, Kevin Lucas Orchestra, more (11 a.m., free)
6/13/10
West Side Park – Taste of Champaign with Bottle of Justus, Hathaways, The No Secret Band, more (11 a.m., free)
6/23/10
Morrissey Park – Run for Cover (6:30 p.m., free)
6/24/10
Garden Hills Park – Déjà vu (6:30 p.m., free)
6/26/10
Downtown Urbana – Urbana Blues, Brews and BBQ Festival with Bernard Allison, Devon Allman’s Honeytribe, Shirley King, John Lee Hooker Jr., more
6/27/10
Hessel Park – Decatur Park Singers (6:30 p.m., free)
6/30/10
Elsner Park – Point of Fire (6:30 p.m., free)
7/2/10
West Side Park – Aaron Koppel Duo (noon, free)
7/10/10
Downtown Champaign – 150th Birthday Party with Hum, Delta Kings, Duke of Uke, Tons O’ Fun Band, Candy Foster and Shades of Blue
7/11/10
Douglass Park – Candy Foster (6:30 p.m., free)
7/14/10
Powell Park – Singing in the Abbey (6:30 p.m., free)
7/18/10
Hessel Park – Jim Markum Swing Band (6:30 p.m., free)
7/23/10
Canopy Club – Central Illinois Metalfest 2010
7/24/10
Canopy Club – Central Illinois Metalfest 2010
7/25/10
Hessel Park – The Shantles (6:30 p.m., free)
7/29/10
Garden Hills Park – Mary Clark (6:30 p.m., free)
8/1/10
Hessel Park – Boneyard Jazz Quintet (6:30 p.m., free)
8/4/10
Clark Park – Exorna (6:30 p.m., free)
8/6/10
West Side Park – Road Song (noon, free)
8/8/10
Hessel Park – Lonnie Lester (6:30 p.m., free)
9/11/10
Cowboy Monkey – Cowboy Monkey’s 2nd Annual Band Hootenanny
Additions, comments, questions – email us: musicATsmilepolitely.com