The Toadless Boy

To fulfill this site’s community service requirements, I present the Community Concert Calendar. Please imagine some poor audio quality generic track playing while cheesy clip art accompany these dates; or better yet, an unlicensed copy of Neil Sedaka’s “Calendar Girl.”

Believe it or not, there are tons of great shows coming to or around Iowa City. You should go. Either way, I don’t care, I plan on being at most of these with a good-looking girl (or two).

Saturday, March 22 - The Envy Corps at The Picador in Iowa City
These guys are from Ames but apparently only have an album in the UK. I really like their sound. It doesn’t sound very Ames-ian but you can hear some of that Midwestern influence. They definitely sound like they should be out of this state and keep touring nationally/internationally. I’m unfortunately going to miss them and they won’t be around Iowa until May as they’re going to the UK to tour.

Wednesday, March 26 - Throw Me the Statue at Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines
Thursday, March 27 - Throw Me the Statue at Redstone Room in Davenport
That’s officially three times I have mentioned this guy. You are now legally bound to go see him. I will most likely be at the Thursday show in Davenport.

Friday, March 28 - The Redwalls at the Picador in Iowa City
I’ve seen these guys from Chicago. I think they are shying away from this with their new stuff but it’s pretty easy to accuse them of being unoriginal. Their first two albums could be labeled as Beatles and Dylan ripoffs. It was way beyond influence. I’m excited about their newer stuff and Aaron should be in town to see this show.

Monday, March 31 - The Felice Brothers at Bob’s Underground Cafe at Grinnell College
My brother was making a Bright Eyes comparison. These guys are definitely that folksy-Americana sound but certainly less emo. It has that combination of technically bad vocals and sass that I have a special place in my heart for.

Wednesday, April 2 - Bon Iver at Bob’s Underground Cafe at Grinnell College
Saturday, April 5 - Bon Iver at University of Iowa’s Black Box Theatre
Bon Iver is on the mellow end of my style but I’m totally there. Depending on other concert conflicts and availability, I will attend one of these shows. The Grinnell show is free but the Iowa show is closer.

Thursday, April 3 - Neva Dinova, Headlights, Evangelicals, The Western Front at the Picador in Iowa City
I’m mostly familiar with Headlights (from Urbana-Champaign) and I will be at this show.

Friday, April 4 - Dan Deacon at Gardner Lounge at Grinnell College
Saturday, April 5 - Dan Deacon at the Picador in Iowa City
Dan Deacon opened for Girl Talk last time he was in town and the show was crazy. Dan involves the crowd and plays on the floor allowing folks to gather all around him. He does looped dancey stuff and sings in to a microphone with heavy effects, oftentimes sounding like a cat or a child. I am hoping to go to both shows just because I can’t get enough of the guy. The Grinnell show is free. Thanks, hippies.

Friday, April 18 - Enon at Gardner Lounge at Grinnell College
I got in to these guys during early college. They have a female and male vocalist that trade off on songs. They also have one of the most fun songs ever in “Disposable Parts.”

The Title:I hate to title all these after TV quotes especially from the same TV show. J and I have just dropped this phrase from The Soup’s coverage of Bad Girls’ Club all month long.

The Album Art: I visited Aaron in Evanston at the start of the month. I couldn’t get ahold of him when I got in to town because he had lost his cell phone. Aaron had a small suspicion it fell out of his car in his apartment parking lot. Surprisingly we dug around with a snow shovel in a plowed snow bank and found it. As Aaron climbed the apartment stairs happy he had his phone, I shot these two pictures. EDIT***As usual, you can click on the album art above to see the album art ideas left on the cutting room floor.
Aberinkula (The Mars Volta)
The Mars Volta has a new album out and its good timing. I think of winter ending and that first warm day of the year when I listen to The Mars Volta. We did have one of those in February.

Dancin’ On My Grave (Ghostland Observatory)
If Ghostland Observatory would stop making music so easy to dance to, maybe I’d stop doing it on their grave

Trouble Kid (Hefner)
My officemate at work was away in China for the month, and though I missed him, I was able to listen to some music on my speakers all day. I don’t think I accomplished anything during these three minutes.

Lolita (Throw Me the Statue)
Read this entry and go see them in Des Moines or Davenport at the end of March

Cupid (Amy Winehouse)
WOXY was playing some sweet love songs on Valentine’s Day and for not being an Amy Winehouse fan I sure loved this reggae-ier version of a classic.

Detlef Schrempf (Band of Horses)
I know when I think great slow southern rock, I think Detlef Schrempf.

Le Le Low (Hot Hot Heat)

Geeky Pop Song (The Capricorns)
Two girls with Casios dating younger men. Someday…

Living A Lie (Aqueduct)
I’ve mentioned this guy enough and this is one more chance for you to check him out if you are still ignoring me.

Return the Favour (The Hives)
Have you watched any basketball on ESPN in the past month? Well then you have heard the new Hives album. I really would be interested in knowing their contract deal with that album. Although, today I heard them playing some Kanye. I guess they realized some Swedes don’t really transition to basketball very well.

Lady Picture Show (Stone Temple Pilots)
I posit that STP is one of the best bands (until No. 4) of the modern era.

Torches Together (mewithoutYou)
I was without my iPod one day and had to drive down the street with J’s. I was surprised to find this album on there and she said it was because she liked “the Torches song”.

He Keeps Me Alive (Sally Shapiro)
I think one is meant to cry to the beat of this song.

Turn Into (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
This is a great album ender…

Closer (Travis)
…although this one is titled “Closer” (I know it’s said differently).

EDIT! That was fast. They’re sold out already.

I don’t know if this will be enough warning or anyone will read this in time, but if you still have a flannel shirt, Lollapalooza is coming to Grant Park in Chicago August 1-3. No lineup listed but it has been awesome the past several years.

They are selling tickets on the site for $60 right now which ends up being about 1/3 of the actual ticket price. They may already be sold out but check it out. I got two for Aaron and me.

Go to Lollapalooza.com/goldrush. Try refreshing it a few times if it doesn’t come up.

Today I figured out who is penning all the gut-busting Non Sequiturs. That wily Wiley is my tenth grade social studies teacher:

Apparently, he’s been planning this gag really far ahead. Judging from the era of letter stencils and quality of laminating, he must have hung that sign on his classroom wall in the late 80s, thinking, “This will look great next to the tar-covered ‘Smoking is glamorous’ lady.”