WHAT: Graphic Violence, The Ars Nova, TristianLake
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($1)
WHEN: Monday, April 7th at 9 p.m.
Monday Night House Party at the Canopy Club continues this week with a trio of bands. Graphic Violence is a band out of nearby Villa Grove, The Ars Nova are a fairly active local band, and TristainLake rounds things out.
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WHAT: Excision, Dirtyphonics, ill.Gates
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($27 advance/$30 door)
WHEN: Tuesday, April 8th at 9 p.m.
Bass music extraordinaire out of British Columbia Excision makes his way through at the Canopy Club tomorrow night with a few others. This is one of two tour stops in our fine state, Tuesday at Canopy and another in Chicago right after.
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WHAT: Phantogram, Teen
WHERE: The Virginia Theater ($18-26)
WHEN: Wednesday, April 9th at 7:30 p.m.
If it wasn’t for Skeletal Lightning Fest, this would be the show of the week, in my opinion. Phantogram has gradually exploded (I realize that might not make sense, but it’s true) over the past few years, and they’re throwing down at the Virginia Theater on Wednesday in between their Chicago and St. Louis tour stops. They’ve performed in C-U a few times, including once at Pygmalion a few years back (holy shit — that song), and another with the Antlers at the Canopy Club. They recently released their second full-length Voices, which has people stirring this year. Pretty awesome get for Star Course, no doubt.
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WHAT: Czar, Airacobra, Latem, Orator
WHERE: Error Records ($5)
WHEN: Thursday, April 10th at 7:30 p.m.
Chicago metal/doom crew Czar is performing at Error Records on Thursday evening. They released their follow up to their debut Vertical Mass Grave at the end of last year called Noiainia, which was recorded with C-U’s very own Matt Talbott of HUM. Killer.
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WHAT: DTCV, Bookmobile! Spaceships, Crank Wizards
WHERE: Mike ‘N Molly’s ($7)
WHEN: Thursday, April 10th at 9 p.m.
James Greer & his crew DTCV are a bunch of awesome folks, and they’re making their return to C-U after their spot at Pygmalion last year. (Check out our interview with Greer, as he was a part of Pygmalion Lit Fest as well.) Touring mates Spaceships join in, as well as two solid locals in Bookmobile! and Crank Wizards. Four bands, seven bucks? Deal.
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WHAT: Colt Ford, John King
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($20 advance/$25 door)
WHEN: Thursday, April 10th at 9 p.m.
Country act Colt Ford will take over the Canopy Club on Thursday night, and apparently, he released “his best album ever and all it took was a return to his roots”, so, there’s that.
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WHAT: DoCha Chamber Music Festival
WHERE: Orpheum Theater (free)
WHEN: Friday, April 11th to Sunday, April 13th
The DoCha Festival is happening this weekend, and you can check out all the information on the weekend linked above. If you’re curious, you can check out our coverage in the past here.
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WHAT: AER, Ground Up, DJ Smiles
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($15 advance/$18 door)
WHEN: Friday, April 11th at 7 p.m.
AER is on a tour stint, as you can see posted with this photo here, and Urbana is one of the earlier stops they have thus far. They’re a duo out of Massachusetts, and they’re hitting a bunch of college towns on tour in support of their self-titled record they recently released.
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WHAT: Tractor Kings, The 92s, Carbon Tigers, Fauve
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($7)
WHEN: Friday, April 11th at 9:30 p.m.
A group of locals and one out of town act take over Cowboy Monkey on Friday night. Champaign-Urbana mainstay Tractor Kings lead the way with two awesome (student) locals the 92s and Fauve. Chicago’s Carbon Tigers round things out for this one.
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EDITOR’S PICK: SKELETAL LIGHTNING FEST
Error Records & Urbana-Champaign IMC — Friday, April 11th-Saturday, April 13th
Skeletal Lightning Fest is back for round TWO this year after a successful go at things last year for the inaugural event. Midwest DIY acts converge on Champaign-Urbana this weekend, and this year’s festival is headlined by influential screamo outfit Circle Takes The Square, Chicago’s Weekend Nachos, Enabler, Joie De Vivre, Tiny Moving Parts and plenty of others. Friday night’s show (headlined by Weekend Nachos) at Error Records is sold out, but you can still grab tickets to Saturday and Sunday at the IMC until Thursday (on sale online up to noon CST). Check out the festival schedule here, and come back later this week for a full festival preview, and our review coverage of the festival next week with photos and our thoughts.
Big tip of the cap to Sean Hermann and his crew for this festival. It’s a solid option with a ton of great acts, and it adds a ton to the C-U music landscape.
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WHAT: MKD, Shadows on a River
WHERE: Institute 4 Creativity ($5)
WHEN: Saturday, April 12th at 9 p.m.
MKD features a few musicians you might recognize in Mitch Marlow, Kent Whitesell and Dietrich Lawrence, and they are performing as a Boneyard Arts Festival afterhours party on Saturday night. They’re joined by Shadows on a River for it as well.
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WHAT: Bones Jugs N Harmony
WHERE: Krannert Center for the Performing Arts (free)
WHEN: Saturday, April 12th at 10 p.m.
Pygmalion Music Festival Afterglow performance at Krannert Center is happening this week. This time around, it features Bones Jugs N Harmony at Stage 5, which is typically a good spot to see a show.
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WHAT: Miss Haze, DJ Tim Williams, DJ Belly
WHERE: Cowboy Monkey ($5)
WHEN: Saturday, April 12th at 11 p.m.
San Fran DJ Miss Haze makes her way back through Champaign-Urbana this week. She’ll be joined by a couple of seasoned veteran local DJs in Tim Williams and Belly. Head back later this week as we’ll have a talk with her before her show this weekend.
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WHAT: Lord Snow, Hank., TBA headliner
WHERE: Hank. Haus (free/donations)
WHEN: Saturday, April 12th at 11:55 p.m.
This is a Skeletal Lighting Fest afterparty featuring Lord Snow, Hank. and a as-of-this-minute unannounced Skeletal Lightning act. TBA SLF headliner? We’ll have to wait and see who they’ve lined up.
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WHAT: David Alan Byrnes
WHERE: Memphis on Main (free)
WHEN: Sunday, April 13th at 7:30 p.m.
Nashville’s David Alan Byrnes is lined up at Memphis on Main on Sunday night. It’s a free show, but there are VIP options available with info at the Facebook event if that’s something that really interests you.
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WHAT: Down With Webster, Upside
WHERE: The Canopy Club ($10)
WHEN: Sunday, April 13th at 9 p.m.
A band out of Toronto, Canada makes it’s way through for a Sunday night show in Urbana this week. Down With Webster is an electro-rock outfit, and they have a few dates lined up prior to this one. They’re joined by openers Upside.