What’s Going On: 05/29 – 06/05

1. Foals w/ Surfer Blood & Blondfire
Where: Crystal Ballroom
How Much: $20
When: Wednesday, May 29th – 8pm
Why: Sure it’s all gloom and doom out there (it is, afterall, still technically spring…), but it will be hot and sweaty in the Crystal Ballroom tonight with the Oxford five-piece. Foals are currently crossing the States in support of their third studio album, Holy Fire. Check out the video for “Inhaler”–you might just need one after.

2. 4th Annual SMMR BMMR Fundraiser
Where: Tonic Lounge
How Much: $5
When: Saturday, June 1st – 8pm
Why: Holy moly, is it that time of year again already?! Well, no complaints here–that just means a rock’n'rollin’ good time is heading our way. Get off your butts and come help raise funds for the 4th Annual SMMR BMMR with Portland favs Mean Jeans, The Trashies, Therapists, and White Fang!

3. !!! w/ White Arrows
Where: Bunk Bar
How Much: $15
When: Monday, June 3rd – 9pm
Why: Bunk Bar’s got your Monday night dance party right here! This show will most definitely sell out, so you best grab your tickets now. This promises to be an intimately awesome evening with dance-funk tunes from !!!‘s fifth studio release, THR!!!ER, and LA’s psych-trop pop group, White Arrows.

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on May 29, 2013 at 11:11 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Local Natives @ The Crystal Ballroom 4/25/2013

Sold out weeks in advance, there was restlessness in the air at the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday night as the crowd waited for headliner Local Natives to take the stage. So many fans have been waiting to get a piece of Local Natives but it’s been a while.  The five-piece indie rock outfit is known for their satiable live performances but haven’t been through Portland in nearly three years. Their debut release, Gorilla Manor, was received with praise but the band remained under the radar to the average fan.

Queue Hummingbird. Nearly three years after the release of Gorilla Manor, Hummingbird was perhaps one of the most anticipated albums of the 2012. Whether or not the album delivered and fulfilled the hype, Local Natives took the stage to one of the most uproarious crowds seen at the Crystal Ballroom in recent memory.

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This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on April 26, 2013 at 10:07 pm, filed under ELEVEN, Live and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 01/23 – 01/30


1. Banana Stand Media & ELEVEN PDX Present: Grandparents w/ Still Caves & Paper Brain
Where: Holocene
How Much: $5
When: Thursday, January 24th – 8:30pm
Why:  What could be better than two awesome local music-loving entities come together? Not much. Well, maybe this show and these mind-blowingly awesome bands. Come celebrate the release of Grandparents – Live from the Banana Stand! Teamed up with local favs Paper Brain and Still Caves.

2.  School of Rock: Best of Portland 2
Where: Crystal Ballroom
How Much: $13/$17 – All Ages
When: Friday, January 25th -8pm
Why:  Portland teens play local jams with local heroes! All proceeds go to benefit Music in the Schools and PROWUS Music Scholarships. Music and appearances by: Red Fang, Blind Pilot, Typhoon, Radiation City, Blitzen Trapper, Portugal. The Man, Sons of Huns, Guantanamo Baywatch, Laura Gibson, Wild Ones, and more!

3. The Walkmen w/ Father John Misty
Where: Roseland Theater
How Much: $22/$25 – All Ages
When: Saturday, January 26th – 9pm
Why: At first glance it seems a little pricy when you’re used to shelling out $5-$15 to see bands around town, but big time national touring acts are gonna cost ya. Truly a heck of a deal to get two talented acts–for the price of one! If you haven’t seen the video for Father John Misty’s “Hollywood Forever Cemetery”, you should.

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on January 23, 2013 at 11:11 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

The All American Rejects + Boys Like Girls @ The Crystal Ballroom 11/28/2012


On a dark and rainy Halloweekend eve, I headed over to the West side to check out The All American Rejects and Boys Like Girls at the Crystal Ballroom. The band ascended up the stairs from the green room and over to the stage in full fledged costumes and makeup. Red lights flooded the stage giving The All-American Rejects an eerie glow as they started out with “Dirty Little Secret” and continued with a scattered mix of everything from their Self-Titled album from 2002, such as “Swing, Swing” and “My Paper Heart”, which everyone was singing along to, all the way up to their latest release Kids In The Street. Halfway through the set the skeletal Tyson Ritter jokingly reprimanded the crowd for not dressing up for Halloween, and asked if everyone was scared when they came out on stage. Despite the crowd not being dressed in a festive manner they still rocked out and jumped up and down furiously on the ballroom floor. Near the end of the set Tyson asked the crowd to open up the curtains to see our beautiful city, and made his way over to the windows and sang while overlooking the city. The Rejects closed out their set with “Gives You Hell” with the whole crowd singing along perfectly.

Next up Boys Like Girls started up their set with power pop punk filled energy with one of their hit songs “The Great Escape” from their debut Album in 2006 as well as playing “Hero/Heroine” soon after. The crowd went absolutely insane and fans were jumping at the chance to catch one of the many guitar picks Morgan Dorr and Martin Johnson were throwing out like candy. That devotion and dedication is still somewhat surprising because their last full release Love Drunk was three years ago in 2009, especially after going on a short hiatus a year ago. Despite the short break, new songs from their latest EP were sprinkled in the set and really showed the maturation of the band with their latest single “Be Your Everything” which sounds more alt-country rock than pop punk as well as “Life Of The Party” which really garnered a positive response from the crowd.

All in all theshow was a mix of getting to hear songs from bands that some fans have grown up listening to as well as watching these artists progress into their latest releases.

 

 

 

Words and Photos by Kimberly Lawson. More photos on Flickr.

 

 

 

 

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on October 31, 2012 at 1:10 am, filed under Live and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 09/05 – 09/12

1. MFNW 2012
Where: Venues
How Much: Tickets
When: Wednesday, Sept 5th – Sunday, Sept 9th
Why: ‘Tis the season for MFNW, and tough decisions will need to be made. The festivities kick off tonight with: Passion Pit at Crystal Ballroom, Sloan at Doug Fir, Against Me! at Hawthorne Theatre, Superhumanoids at Mississippi Studios, and Red Fang at Roseland Theater. Check out the full schedule! Shameless plug:  ELEVEN PDX sponsored event – Friday, 09/07: Pains of Being Pure at Heart w/ AAN, Daughn Gibson, and Moon Duo at Star Theater. You’ll sleep when you’re dead.

2. Divers w/ Something Fierce & Occult Detective Club
Where: The Know
How Much: $6
When: Friday, September 7th – 8pm
Why: If MFNW just isn’t your thing, check out this solid line-up at The Know. Power-pop fused with garage-punk from Texas – with emphasis on the punk – can be used to adequately describe both Occult Detective Club and Something Fierce, respectively. Divers, on the other hand, is reminiscent of The Boss in his glory days (with just a little punk on the side).

3. Wild Ones w/ Hausu & Sweeping Exits
Where: WTF Bikes
How Much: Free
When: Saturday, September 8th -8pm
Why: Yep, they have shows there! It’s not the first one, but it’s the first one in a while. The show is free and there’s talk of a “surprise guest”. If that doesn’t strike your curiosity, I should have had you at Wild Ones and sealed the deal with Hausu and Sweeping Exits. If you haven’t heard of these bands, I’m guessing you live under a rock. Check ‘em out and check out the show!

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on September 5, 2012 at 11:11 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 08/29 – 09/05

1. KPSU Presents: Onuinu
Where: The Bing Lounge
How Much: Free w/ RSVP
When: Wednesday, August 29th – 7pm
Why: An intimate evening in-studio session with buzzbuilder Onuinu. Free with RSVP (details for RSVPing here) , all ages, and free beer provided by Lagunita’s Brewing Company (for those 21+, obviously). Unfortunately there are only 150 spots, so hop to it! In the likely event that it’s at capacity, grab some friends, drink some beers and stream the show live in the comfort of your own home. 

2. Superfest 4!
Where: Crystal Ballroom, Backspace, PSU Park Blocks
How Much: $20/weekend pass
When: Thursday, August 30th – Sunday, September 2nd
Why: Think of the best dance party you’ve ever been to. Got it? Now picture that lasting four days and then maybe you’ll have a little taste of what Superfest 4 will be like. This all-ages DIY music festival and benefit for Music in the Schools is bringing you an electronic dance party with some of the best local talent around. Kicking off Thursday night at Crystal Ballroom with Glass Candy and Chromatics, find tickets and more info here.

3. Ty Segall w/ The Memories
Where: Bunk Bar
How Much: $10/$12
When: Sunday, September 2nd – 9pm
Why: The unstoppable Bay Area wunderkind sneaks in and out of town before MFNW this year, so catch him while you can. It’s been a busy 2012 so far: Hair, the collaborative album with White Fence, Ty Segall Band’s Slaughterhouse, and the upcoming solo release, Twins. Oh yeah, he’s been on tour pretty much the entire time. Grab your tickets, they won’t last.

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on August 29, 2012 at 11:11 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 04/18 – 04/25

1. Jeff Mangum
Where: Crystal Ballroom
How Much: $35
When: Thursday, April 19th – 8:30pm
Why: Catch Neutral Milk Hotel’s elusive frontman in his second intimate evening before he heads down to play at Coachella this weekend. Joining the night’s festivities are friends Andrew, Scott, and Laura (members of Elf Power & The Gerbils). A portion of ticket proceeds and $1 from every box set will be donated to benefit Children of the Blue Sky and others in need.

2. Record Store Day!
Where: Your local record store
How Much: As much as you’re willing to spend
When: Saturday, April 21st
Why: It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Hardly needing an explanation, RSD celebrates its 5th year kicking out the limited releases and special goodies from new, old, and local artists. Neighborhood record shops all around town will be open earlier than normal for listening parties, live performances, and all kinds of surprises. Check out a list of participators here!

3. Frankie Rose w/ Dive, Orca Team & Ghost Mom
Where: East End
How Much: $10
When: Monday, April 23th – 9pm
Why: Founding member of the Vivian Girls, drummer, and sometimes vocalist for Crystal Stilts is currently on the road in support of her latest solo album, Interstellar. Filled with multi-tracked vocals and breezy melodies, its sugary-sweet synth-pop that you’ll have no problem shaking your hips to.

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on April 18, 2012 at 11:11 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

Gotye w/ Kimbra @ Crystal Ballroom 04/09/2012

Everywhere I go, someone’s asking to stamp my hand. Through the ticket booth, again as I’m entering the Crystal  doors, and again after I climb the two flights of stairs up to the ballroom and turn right to enter the fenced off 21+ section that opens up to the balcony stairs. I’ve got dark stains on the inside of my wrist and two piled on the top of my hand. I think I’m valid now as I grab a beer and push my way to the frontest of front rows I can go to catch Kimbra, who’s band is pounding out bass-heavy bubble ballads. She’s a flame on stage, flitting back and forth with boundless energy and an incredible range, purposely quivering through pitches, the highs and lows seeming humanly impossible. Most impressive was “Settle Down,” an incredibly poppy pattern of hard-hitting keys, enthusiastic vocals and overdubbed beat boxing spit out by the artist herself.

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This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on April 11, 2012 at 11:00 am, filed under ELEVEN, Live and tagged , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 01/18/12 – 01/25/12

1.  West Coast Beard & Mustache Championship
Where:  Crystal Ballroom
How Much:  $5
When:  Saturday, January 21st—9pm
Why:  Put Burt Reynolds and ZZ Top to shame with the 2nd annual competition of everything facial hair. Freestyle stachin’ and beard mashin’ galore this Saturday at the Crystal ballroom. I’m sure there is a scientific term for a beard fetish, but I’m scared to google it. Anyhoo, this party is going to be worth growing to.

2.  Sons of Huns w/ Belt of Vapor & Wizard Rifle
Where:  East End
How Much:  $6
When:  Saturday, January 21st—9pm
Why:  The ferocious guitar and drum styling’s of this rock ‘n’ roll trio never cease to amaze. After killing it last weekend at Big Ass Boombox, these dudes obviously have no plans of slowing down anytime soon. Get your butts there and have a good time!

3.  Youth w/ Still Caves & Chairs Missing
Where:  Rontoms
How Much:  Free!
When:  Sunday, January 22nd—9pm
Why:  A perfect psych-pop evening with locals Youth and Still Caves. Joining them is San Diego’s Chairs Missing—a tasty psych folk-pop trio with organic textures and sounds galore. The snow will be gone and it’s free! No excuses!

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on January 19, 2012 at 10:10 am, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

What’s Going On: 01/11 – 01/18

1.  School of Rock and PDX Pop Now! Present:  Best of Portland
Where:  Crystal Ballroom
How Much:  $14/$20
When:  Friday, January 13th—7pm
Why:  Local teens playing the best tunes from the best local bands like YACHT, Purple Rhinestone Eagle, and Horse Feathers. Joining the kids on stage will be members of:  Typhoon, Radiation City, Menomena, M. Ward, The Thermals, and more! Proceeds go to benefit PDX Pop Now! and PROWUS Music Scholarships!

2.  Forest Park Record Release w/ Your Rival & Duck Little Brother Duck
Where:  Mississippi Studios
How Much:  $5
When:  Saturday, January 14th—7pm
Why:  The captivating vocals of Maya Kiko Stoner and Katherine Paul should be enticing enough to get you to this anticipated record release. It might be a chilly winter evening, but once the dynamic guitars and slow-building yet powerful drums fall on your ears you’ll have no problem warming up. [If you need more Forest Park, they also play Friday the 13th w/ members of Typhoon and Like A Villain, as well as performances by Aan and Youth]

3.  Thee Cormans, Cécilia Und Die Sauerkrauts, Thee Headliners & Chemicals
Where:  Kenton Club
How Much:  Free!
When:  Sunday, January 15th—9pm
Why:  Here it is—the first ridiculously awesome show of the year! Five bands, one DJ, and so much dancing you’re gonna be one hot and sweaty mess by the time the night is over. Kicking off at 9:30 w/ French-pop garage group Cécilia Und Die Sauerkrauts and you definitely don’t want to miss LA surf creeps Thee Cormans!

This entry was written by elevenpdx, posted on January 11, 2012 at 1:57 pm, filed under Upcoming and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.

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