When the Lights Go Down in The City
This will be an eventful week for America, with citizens preparing a suitably scary, sexy or amusing costume, stocking up on candy for the Trick-or-Treaters, and hoping your fake fangs don't fall out of your mouth at an inopportune time. Oh yeah, and we're picking our next President on Tuesday, that too.
Here are a few music picks to help alleviate the stress that haunts you.
Tonight we'll be at Great American Music Hall, shaking and nodding to Metric front-woman Emily Haines' sassy, sultry vocals. Sure, there are also three very talented men in Metric, but what's better than a female calling the shots in a rock band?
Just so there's no confusion, the band playing Friday night at The Grand is DIO, as in "Rainbow in the Dark", not the Hawthorne, CA-based band formerly known as Dios. We're so glad Ronnie James Dio served the Short List-nominated indie band with a cease-and-desist order, forcing them to change their name to Dios Malos. It's all clear to us now. Sorry Mr. Dio, we'll be telebrating on Friday night.
Saturday afternoon free music: Get to Amoeba Records by 2pm to see Santa Rosa boys The Velvet Teen for free, then blow the rest of your paycheck by buying records.
If you'll be donning a Halloween costume that's flexible enough to allow you to navigate through crowds and shimmy up to the bar, there are several shows on Sunday night, including The Cramps at The Warfield, the Alternative Tentacles 25th Anniversary Party with Jello Biafra and The Melvins at Slim's, and Giant Sand and The Handsome Family at Great American. If your costume involves an especially tall hat or unwieldy wig, use your head and don't stand in front of anyone at the rock show.
Once you've recovered from your wild election night elation and/or suicidal despair, you'll be itching to be entertained again. Let your joy and pain out at Slim's on Wednesday night with the gypsy/punk/art-rock freakout of Gogol Bordello. Thursday offers a few indie-rock choices: Bimbo's has Delgados, Crooked Fingers and Radar Bros., while The Fillmore brings you Camper Van Beethoven.
The coming week proves to be scary in one way or another, music lovers, so stay strong.
SFist Krissy, contributing.