RFT Music Showcase: This Sunday

We are truly blessed to have such an abundance of great music to choose from here in St Louis. The Decemberists show on Sunday was great, and many of my friends are at the Yeah Yeah Yeahs show tonight. Have fun!

On the horizon is Twangfest, celebrating it's lucky 13th year on June 10-13. But first we have the annual RFT Music Showcase this Sunday. Here's the line-up. Anyone I should check out? I know I'll try to see Fred Friction or the Tripdaddys.

Main Outdoor Stage
1 p.m. The Beat Street Crew
2 p.m. Jon Hardy & the Public
3 p.m. One Lone Car
4 p.m. Gentleman Auction House- excellent live band
5 p.m. LOGOS
6 p.m. The Feed

The Cucina Outdoor Stage
1 p.m. Troubadour Dali
2 p.m. Funky Butt Brass Band
3 p.m. Kentucky Knife Fight
4 p.m. The Monads
5 p.m. The Educated Guess

Cicero's
6 p.m. Radical Sons
7 p.m. The 75s
8 p.m. The Blind Eyes
9 p.m. LucaBrasi
10 p.m. The Incurables

Blueberry Hill's Duck Room
7 p.m. Teresajenee
8 p.m. Earthworms
9 p.m.-midnight Tef Poe, Family Affair, Nato Caliph, Rockwell Knuckles, Vandalyzm, Black Spade, DJ Trackstar

Blueberry Hill's Elvis Room
6 p.m. Raglani
7 p.m. .e
8 p.m. Left Arm
9 p.m. Suburban Smash
10 p.m. Sine Nomine
11 p.m. Dude Nukem

Brandt's Market & Cafe
8 p.m. Tom Hall
9 p.m. Caleb Travers
10 p.m. Celia
11 p.m. Lamar Harris

Pi
7 p.m. Beth Bombara
8 p.m. Cassie Morgan
9 p.m. Magnolia Summer
10 p.m. Rough Shop
11 p.m. The Sham

Delmar Lounge
8 p.m. Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra- so reminiscent of the Decemberists on a smaller scale that we call them the Novemberists.
9 p.m. Wooden Kites Say Panther
10 p.m. Exercise
11 p.m. Target Market
12 a.m. Bunnygrunt

Pin-Up Bowl
7 p.m. DJ Thumpasaurus
8 p.m. Flex Boogie
9 p.m. DJ Needles
10 p.m. DJ Mahf

Halo Bar
7 p.m. Glass Teeth
8 p.m. God Fodder
9 p.m. Humanoids
10 p.m. Gold Tooth
11 p.m. Trip Daddys

Vintage Vinyl
6 p.m. Eric Hall
7 p.m. Jason and the Beast
8 p.m. Scripts 'N Screwz
9 p.m. The Mhurs

Racanelli's
6 p.m. Grace Basement
7 p.m. Rum Drum Ramblers
8 p.m. The Northwoods

Riddles
7 p.m. Tenement Ruth
8 p.m. Dogtown Allstars
9 p.m. Leadville
10 p.m. Theodore
11 p.m. Fred Friction

Let me know if there's anyone to check out, and I will try to do it. It's kinda exciting to just go, and hopefully be surprised by someone, but some guidance would be appreciated, also.

So Many Dynamos: So, so good.

I went to the University City Loop on Sunday for the RFT Music Awards shows that were going on all day and night with the expressed reason to see two local bands that are ready to blow up nationally: Gentleman Auction House and So Many Dynamos. Neither disappointed, even though they had the unenviable task of playing at 3 and 4 PM in the blazing sun. As the guitarist/keyboard player for SMD said, "I can't see the lights on my footpedals! It's too-- sunny!

Gentleman Auction House recorded sounds a bit like Iron and Wine with a bit more rock thrown in, with cobwebs in the corners of the cassette. Live they are more muscular than expected, which is a good thing. There is nothing worse than being excited by the potential of a recording and going to see the live version and being underwhelmed by stage presence and the snap of the beat.

SMD are right there. Soon Pitchfork will either crown them kings or talk about how their first two indie releases were better. Screw them, these guys are great, and entertaining as hell live. Wonderful photos from Wonderful Jason Stoff. They have a nervy energy that is totally contagious. To get the heads bobbing in 90 degree sunny heat is a great thing. Thank you boys, and good luck.