As our awesome RFT Music contributor and MC for a day, Allison Babka, put it, "I have an RFT Music Showcase hangover." Many thanks to all the bands that took the time and effort to haul their equipment down to Washington Avenue, everyone involved in making it all possible and of course all the folks who came out to show their support for local music.
Besides the showcase, this past weekend also played host to some pretty huge shows including Pokey LaFarge at Casa Loma Ballroom and James Murphy at 2720. Click the links to see some slideshows, and be a part of the next one by attending some upcoming events. Our recommendations await after the jump.
Note: Though we wish we could, we can't feature every great show happening in town in just one measly post. Look for plenty more recommendations this Friday in our weekend show post, and peruse the St. Louis concert calendar for more ideas any time.
Did we leave something significant out? There's a chance it didn't make it onto our radar! Send your show tips anytime to [email protected].
Fake Problems Monday, June 3, 7:30 p.m. w/ The Menzingers, Restorations, Captain We're Sinking @ The Firebird - $13-$15 By Scott Heisel From this 2011 show preview: It grows more difficult by the day to define just what exactly "indie rock" is, but in a dream world, Fake Problems is the model. On 2010's Real Ghosts Caught on Tape, the band fused influences as disparate as Brand New and Vampire Weekend into a bouncy, bubbly pop stew with punk undertones. This diversity is the reason the band can go from spending a summer on the Warped Tour to a Pitchfork-friendly headlining stint with Pomegranates and Laura Stevenson and the Cans. It's rare that a band tagged with the indie-rock label actually knows how to rock, but Fake Problems has no problem cranking amps to eleven -- or at least to a healthy eight.
Sete Star Sept Tuesday, June 4, 9 p.m. w/ Gutterpriest, Shaved Women @ Blank Space - $5 By Mabel Suen If the descriptor "Japanese noise grind" doesn't already grab your attention, then nothing else we could possibly say could when it comes to this one. Sete Star Sept consists of drummer Kiyasu tearing drums a new one while vocalist/bassist Kae lets out scratchy guttural groans that seem blissfully out of place coming from her petite frame. The duo makes a stop in St. Louis fresh off of the Chaos in Tejas Fest. Expect a heavy, shreddy set that's as raw and real as it gets.
Baroness Wednesday, June 5, 8 p.m. w/ Coliseum @ The Firebird - $16-$20 By Rick Giordano From "Black and Blue: Baroness emerges from the wreckage with new lineup:" In August 2012, less than four weeks after releasing a new double album through Relapse Records titled Yellow & Green, the members of Baroness were in one of the most horrific bus crashes to happen in heavy music since the world lost Cliff Burton in 1986. The band was on tour, driving through Bath, England, when reduced visibility and treacherous roads sent the tour bus plummeting off of a 30-foot embankment...After a ten-month delay, Baroness will finally be touring in support of the new album, which has been receiving heaps of critical acclaim in both heavy-metal and mainstream circles since its release.
The School Thursday, June 6, 9 p.m. w/ Vanilla Beans, Sleepy & the Bedtimes @ Off Broadway - $7-$10 By Mike Appelstein "Don't Stop Indie Pop!" That's what it says on the Fat Tulips and Confetti seven-inches from the early '90s, and that's what the School professes in the here and now. Hailing from Cardiff, Wales, this female-fronted septet specializes in tuneful, heart-tugging pop songs. The obvious comparisons are to Camera Obscura and Belle & Sebastian, but there are also elements of '60s French pop and classic soul. The School is produced by Ian Catt, the man behind classic releases by Saint Etienne and Trembling Blue Stars, and records for Elefant Records, which has been one of the foremost proponents of this type of music for over two decades. St. Louis rarely gets up-and-coming indie-pop bands of this caliber on their debut American tours, so do not miss.
