Here's where I'd be

These are bands we especially dig,
not full listings. For those, please see
“Concerts and Clubs”.

Wednesday, Jan. 23

PLAN A: Will Hoge, Jason Isbell @ The Casbah. Will Hoge is a Tennessee singer/songwriter who writes songs like “Dirty Little War” (which is apparently about a dirty little whore) and “Sex, Lies and Money” (which is pretty much about sex, lies and money). PLAN B: Republic of Letters, Eight Minutes to Twilight, The Midwinters @ U31. U31 is trying to christen itself the best thing to happen in North Park since asphalt. No better way to ingratiate your club to the indie-rock community than with a showcase of top-shelf local talent. That is, unless you wanna throw in some free drinks, too. PLAN C: Little Man T @ Bamboo Lounge. The first thing I thought of when I heard the tinkling bells that open Little Man T’s debut Mon Autre Moitié (French for “My other half”) is the beginning of Cypress Hill’s “Rock Superstar.” Breathe it in, because that’s the last time you’ll ever see Cypress Hill and San Diego’s self-described “Neo French Jazz Quartet” share the same sentence. BACKUP PLAN: Mike Keneally, Tom Griesgraber @ Belly Up.

Thursday, Jan. 24

PLAN A: Steve Poltz @ Belly Up. Look about three inches to your left. PLAN B: From The Jam @ House of Blues. Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler are British mod/punk icons The Jam minus frontman Paul Weller. Which is kind of like peanut butter and bread going on tour without the jelly (or jam, as it were). Filling, but not quite as tasty as the original. PLAN C: Poison the Well, The Locust @ Epicentre. If you think “melodic hardcore” is an oxymoron, then, well, you’re probably right. But it’s also a pretty good description of the Miami sound machine that is Poison the Well. The only thing remotely melodic about The Locust is that ringing sound you get in your ears after one of their shows. BACKUP PLANS: David Banner @ Belo, Finch @ SOMA and Egypt Central @ The Jumping Turtle.

Friday, Jan. 25

PLAN A: Yeasayer, MGMT @ The Casbah. Yeasayer is the hottest New York band around. No, wait. MGMT is the hottest New York band around. No, Yeasayer. No, MGMT. Yeasayer. MGMT. I could do this all day. PLAN B: DJ Z-Trip @ On Broadway. Zach Sciacca is a monster of mash-ups that puree hip-hop, rock and pop into pure sonic gravy. He treads where few dare—meshing Led Zeppelin with Public Enemy and Prince with Murs, remixing Nirvana (“Lounge Act”) and Rush (“Tom Sawyer”), collaborating with Lyrics Born and Linkin Park—and even fewer succeed. PLAN C: Ozomatli @ Belly Up. Everyone’s favorite socially conscious 4,827-member multi-culti Latin rock/hip-hop/funk/jazz ensemble sets up shop for a two-night residency. BACKUP PLANS: Hot Buttered Rum @ Winston’s and Fred Eaglesmith @ Acoustic Music San Diego.

Saturday, Jan. 26

PLAN A: Naughty by Nature @ Belo. If we’re going to get something (other than a tetanus shot) out of hosting the army of tattooed slackers attending the Action Sports Retail trade show this weekend, it might as well be “Hip Hop Hooray.” PLAN B: Gram Rabbit @ The Casbah. It’s possible that Gram Rabbit has spent entirely too much time cavorting in the desert sun of their Joshua Tree stomping grounds. That would certainly explain the psychedelic disco rock, the bunny costumes, the bunny ears and the vaguely disturbing video for “Bloody Bunnies.” Or maybe they just really like rabbits. PLAN C: The Toasters, Buck-O-Nine @ SOMA. Ska is not dead! For tonight at least. BACKUP PLANS: Stanley Clarke @ Anthology and Miss Lisa @ On Broadway.

Sunday, Jan. 27

PLAN A: Talib Kweli @ House of Blues. Talib Kweli hates being called a “conscious” rapper—his next album will reportedly be called Prisoner of Conscious—so I’ll split the difference. The man’s lyrics are conscientious. His flow will knock you unconscious. Songs like “Get By” will become embedded in your subconscious. That’s all I got, Talib. Hope you’re happy. PLAN B: The Audition, Envy on the Coast, Danger Radio @ SOMA. You know that whiny little brother who’s always hanging around, pulling on your sleeve and asking to be in your next MTV video? That’s probably how Fall Out Boy feels about fellow Chicago pop-punkers The Audition. PLAN C: Local 94/9 Showcase feat. Hotel St. George, Desert Diamonds, The Tighten Ups, Team Abraham @ The Casbah. Want to check out some local bands that don’t suck? Bands like Hotel St. George, Desert Diamonds, The Tighten Ups and Team Abraham? For free? Local 94/9 has your back. BACKUP PLANS: Mountain @ Belly Up and Autotonic @ Bar Pink Elephant.

Monday, Jan. 28

PLAN A: The Buzzkill Romantics, irradio, Sky Parade @ The Casbah. The Buzzkill Romantics (oh, sweet irony) have the honor of headlining both an album-release party (theirs, for The Aftermath of Love) and a farewell show (also theirs) in the musical equivalent of a mother dying during childbirth. PLAN B: Ryan Perrey, Vv Morgue, Kittycat Lollipop, Deadbeats @ Scolari’s Office. Ryan Perrey hates being called a “singer/songwriter,” but the Austin singer/songwriter also doesn’t have the same pull as Talib Kweli, so tough titty said the kitty. Still, I feel sorry for him. The poor bastard had no idea what he was getting himself into sharing a bill with two electro goths (Vv Morgue and Deadbeats) and an industrial new waver (Kittycat Lollipop). Live and learn.  

Tuesday, Jan. 29

PLAN A: The Mars Volta @ SOMA. Only a band like The Mars Volta can write a progressive-rock album (their spankin’ new The Bedlam in Goliath) based on terrifying experiences with an Ouija board (called the “Soothsayer”)—that nearly, allegedly, tore the band apart—and get away with it. PLAN B: White Williams, Health @ The Casbah. Check out White Williams’ wicked cool sunglasses on Page 32. PLAN C: Molotov @ House of Blues. Baxter, you know I don’t speak Spanish. Which is why I’ll just have to take the Miami Herald (“If only [America] had a band with Molotov’s guts”), The New York Times (“a mixture of punk fury and sardonic comedy”) and (gasp) USA Today (“propulsive funk rhythms and rock muscle with searing lyrics”) at their word.  BACKUP PLAN: Pressure Drop @ Zombie Lounge.