Photo by Justin Goetz
St. Louis ex-pat Josh Levi performs as Radiator Greys this Friday at RKDE above 2720 Cherokee.
With roughly one month of summer left, you haven't sweat enough. Let us help you with that.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18
A Place Both Wonderful and Strange w/ Powder River, Paperkite
8 p.m. Foam, 3359 South Jefferson Avenue. $5. 314-772-2100.
Rather than wear the Lynchian influence on its sleeve, A Place Both Wonderful and Strange prefers to proudly fly the flag of Twin Peaks while making moves with its occultist dark wave. The songs tumble down an ever-growing flight of stairs, dropping the detritus of new wave for a barren yet bold approach to electronic music. St. Louis' own Paperkite and Powder River might be the best possible openers, rounding out a show custom fit for the Black Lodge.
Radiator Greys w/ Droids Blood, Lumpy and the Dumpers
9 p.m. RKDE, 2720 Cherokee Street. $7. 314-282-8017.
As Radiator Greys, St. Louis ex-pat Josh Levi distills nihilism into an aural feast to gorge on. Not that one could choose how to consume this sensory overload of synth and weirdly wavey noise. Led by yet another ex-pat in Scott Plant, Droids Blood gnaws through its own set of spastic hardcore rife with stabbing keys and stringent riffing. Who else could glue the biting sounds of both touring acts other than Lumpy and the Dumpers? Weird is in the humid river city air tonight.
Rastasaurus
11 p.m. The Bootleg, 4140 Manchester Avenue. $5. 314-775-0775.
Led by Denver-native Justus Lacewell, Rastasaurus makes slow-winding reggae that swerves and slinks around with an American flavor of the traditionally Jamaican style. Not that this crew cares about boundaries — it aims to break right through with a seamless stitching of genres, pulling from funk and dub while gluing all its sounds with a dose of improvisation. If anything, Rastasaurus is worthy of your eyes and ears for its name alone.
Tory Starbuck Project w/ The Goes, NTH
9 p.m. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Avenue. $7. 314-352-5226.
By Christian Schaeffer
From Tory Starbuck's New Two-Disc Release Showcases His 25 Years of "Inside-Out Pop Music":
Much gets thrown in the blender, but Starbuck remains attached to his genre of choice. "It's always been new wave — it's always got some Philip K. Dick science fiction or surrealism in it," he says. "A lot of people would say, 'It all sounds the same — it sounds like you listen to a lot of Ultravox and Japan and Bauhaus!' And that's true, but each one is different; some is more muscular than others." Influences of progressive rock and fusion jazz are often understated, but Starbuck can wax theoretical about Gentle Giant and Return to Forever as easily as he can Christian Death or Brian Eno.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 19
Divine Council w/ 4Deep, Kap$ule Flexxx, DJJTR3Y
7 p.m. 2720 Cherokee Performing Arts Center. $15-$20. 314-276-2700.
When André 3000 steps to a group calling himself a "fan" of theirs, others in the industry take notice real quick. That was the case for hip-hop collective Divine Council who, after cutting their teeth on the scene in Richmond, Virginia, got a break at a CMJ showcase which led to a record deal with Epic Records. While that story seems like a fairy tale, it rings true for a crew that carries an atomic element. The unconvinced need only see the André 3000-directed video for "Decemba" released in late 2016.
Miss Molly Simms w/ Morgan Nusbaum
5 p.m. Das Bevo, 4749 Gravois Avenue. Free. 314-396-6900.
Class is in session when Miss Molly Simms, who should be considered a certified PhD in rock and roll, takes the stage or, in this case, the newly-christened space at Das Bevo. The Bruiser Queen herself Morgan Nusbaum joins Simms to round out a bill full of whole-hearted songs with a sharp edge. Notice the start time of 5 p.m., which should be music to the ears of show-hoppers or industry people looking to kick off the late shift on Saturday night.
Mojo Craft Beer and Music Festival w/ Story of the Year, P.O.D., Unwritten Law, the Orwells, Lucky Boys Confusion, Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band
1 p.m. Jefferson Barracks Park, 533 Grant Road. $55. 314-544-5714.
When the brains behind Story of the Year and the 4 Hands Brewing Company combine, craft beer mingles with what could be described as a mini-Pointfest in the heart of Jefferson Barracks Park. The latest in a year full of inaugural and fresh-faced festivals, Mojo offers a curated day of bands and more than 80 different beers, including the aptly titled "Story Of The Beer," which is of course a one-time deal to attendees.
Railroad Earth w/ moe.
8 p.m. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $25-$35. 314-726-6161.
While Roadroad Earth started at the turn of the century, the super group could still be considered the front-runner of the newgrass scene which, for the uninitiated, blends prog-rock elements with the textural range of bluegrass. And while the members can certainly play their way into oblivion, this crew sidesteps the fallacies of a jam band by working only in service to the songs. Saturday is packed enough, and if you're having that internal debate of where to go, remember that Railroad Earth also plays the Peoria Riverfront on Friday night.
Rock The Hops 2017 w/ Seashine, The Trophy Mules, Biff K'Narly & The Reptillians, Prairie Rehab, The Langaleers, Friend of Youth, Pono AM
2 p.m. Downtown Alton, Third Street. $30. 618-570-9534.
For those who dig the vibe of a craft beer fest but don't want to cross the river from Illinois to Missouri (or pay the $55 asking price), consider Rock The Hops and its diverse set of grass-fed, locally-grown bands that span the many shades of folk and, of course, rock. Seashine is of special note, as the band opened many eyes and ears to its swirling set of shoegazey songs after opening for Explosions in the Sky earlier this year.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
Waveless w/ The Funs, Glued
8 p.m. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. $8. 314-498-6989.
Waveless has been able to create songs that feel like many things to many people — post-punk, shoegaze and other stylistic bedfellows can be attached to the band's careful synthesis of reverb, delay and riffing. The Bells Of Baton Rouge, released this past April, offers a statement on the trio's darkly drifting sound while reaching across whatever gap it might have had with a listening audience.
