Haymarket Squares
Slidebar
The
Haymarket Squares specialize in a quick clip brand of folk music. Using
mandolin, piano, and whistling, they weave a folk tapestry while
busting lyrics about righteous anger and the songs of Britney Spears.
Not to be missed. –Brandon Ferguson
Saturday, November 10
Minus the Bear
Glass House
There
are bands that return to form, and then there's Minus The Bear when
they return to form–because this is a band of many forms, each generally
bristlier and spinier than the last. Tradition for these guys means
songs that never do what you think they do just when you think they're
not going to do something else. (Confusing? Just listen to those leads!)
Their new album, Infinity Overhead–don't call it Infinity Overload,
although that's tempting–is MtB's signature guitar-pop-prog with new
vigor and energy and just a bit of synth-processing, especially on
stand-out “Lonely Gun.” Some could call it fan service, some could just
go, “Ahhhh!” and roll over in their headphones. –Chris Ziegler
]
Lovely Bad Things
Detroit Bar
Shamelessly poppy and upbeat, the Lovely Bad Things are an indie band based in La Mirada. They take the girl group fuzziness and reverb of Best Coast, and forgoing burned-out stoniness, add a little conviction to their sound. –Brandon Ferguson
Sunday, November 11
Asia
The Coach House
Three pimply 17-year-olds with 12 chords between them, this ain't (and never was). The current lineup of British supergroup Asia features some two-and-a-half centuries of rock & roll experience between them. Touring behind their 30th-anniversary album XXX are founding members Steve Howe (originally recruited from Yes); Carl Palmer (Crazy World of Arthur Brown and ELP), John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music, Wishbone Ash) and Geoff Downes (Yes, the Buggles). Sure, they're movin' a little slower than when their 1982 debut topped the American album chart for nine weeks, but the music–“Heat of the Moment,” sports stadium perennial fave “Only Time Will Tell”–still soars. Catch 'em now–XXXX may be a bit of a push. — Jack Grimshaw
The Misfits
The Observatory
Named after the gritty 1961 John Huston film that proved to be the final screen appearance for Marilyn Monroe, these godfathers of horror punk have been blending together slash and cinema since 1977. Currently composed of original member Jerry Only, former Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadena and drummer Eric “Chupacabra” Arce, the modern Misfits' 2011 release, The Devil's Rain, features their legendary filmic references, including nods to The Ghost of Frankenstein and The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb, among other, sometimes literary, targets. As one of their most melody-heavy albums in years, it's a nice breather-brake from your manic moshing to “Astro Zombies,” so slip into your skeleton suit and thrash. –Stacy Davies
