With school, work, family, and a pork fat hangover lingering in your belly, who has the time to find out about the best shows happening in Champaign-Urbana? No need to fear, because the editors at Smile Politely have taken care of it.
When: Friday, July 10; 9 p.m.
What: Monstrosity w/ Torn the Fuck Apart and Leproso
Where: The Canopy Club; $10
Soon enough, the fall music festival season will begin in Champaign-Urbana, and let’s just say we have a way of getting things started with a bang. The Central Illinois Metal Fest returns this year, with another bone-crushing, anal-probing lineup of death metal that only your angry brother with not one, but two sleeves of tattoos will love — but not before a badass pre-party at the same place that will host the actual event three weeks from now. Monstrosity, out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been melting faces and scaring women since the late 1980s, when death metal was still just coming into it’s own. Considered a pioneer of the genre, this is simply one band that, if you are into this sort of thing, you won’t want to miss. Plus, a band called Torn the Fuck Apart opens the show. And that, friends, simply rocks balls.
When: Saturday, July 11; 9 p.m.
What: Dead City Dregs, jigGsaw, Augmentor, Clarabelle
Where: 700 W. Illinois St., Urbana; Free
This house party is going to be one sweaty mess, but hopefully it’s the best sweaty mess you take part in all week. St. Louis-based band Dead City Dregs will be coming through to play in Urbana, ramping up for a CD release show the next day in Chicago. It will be nice to get away from the venues we all know and love and to try something different. Local bands JigGsaw, Augmentor and Clarabelle are all opening, so sweatiness will start early. Enjoy.
When: Saturday, July 11; 9 p.m.
What: Mhondoro Rhythm Success, Zmick, Datagun
Where: The Canopy Club; $7
Yeah, they play around here quite a bit and yeah, if you don’t see them this time you can catch them another time in the near future, but why not make this one the time to catch them? There have been nothing but good things said about Mhondoro Rhythm Success, their funky African sounds and their live shows, so it should be the best dancing in town. Datagun and Zmick are opening, so if you want a really long show, come early (even though, from the sound of Datagun’s MySpace, their electronic, noisy and dance-y amalgamation should be something completely different from the other two. Enticing). Otherwise, Mhondoro will suit you just fine.
When: Saturday, July 11; 9 p.m.
What: Hot Cops CD release show featuring New Ruins, Scurvine, and The Chemicals
Where: Cowboy Monkey; $5
The last time I saw Hot Cops was at the Great Cover Up, when they were wearing dresses, so this should be a better representation of their talents.
Check out “Exploding Monkeys” to see what the Cops’ new record sounds like, and even if they don’t get you going, surely one of the other great bands on the bill will.
When: Saturday, July 11; 6 p.m.
What: Big Bluestem CD release party
Where: Iron Post; no cover
If the rock doesn’t interest you tonight, head on over to the Post for some good ol’ roots picking and singing. Big Bluestem String Band is releasing Under the Prairie Moon, and the cover is a low, low price of free.