No shortage of opportunities to catch a live show or three in the area this week-- quite the opposite, in fact. An impressive array of flavors on display, too, with everyone from Modest Mouse to B
ert Jansch, Rodrigo y Gabriela to the Avett Brothers (oh, and Hall & Oates) passing through the region this week. For a change, the riches are spread around a bit with oft ignored locales like Salem (Holmes Brothers), Bend (The Shins with the Shaky Hands), and Eugene (Avett Brothers with Alela Diane) hosting high profile gigs this week. And what a week.
Things begin with Modest Mouse's sold out show at Edgefield. The band's 2007 release We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank boasts a few more studio tricks than we've heard from them in the past but hardly suffers from it. Those who catch the live show get an even bigger bang for the buck since they'll also be seeing former Smiths guitarist and newest MM member Johnny Marr.
Speaking of Marr, he's just one of several artists ranging from Nick Drake to Beth Orton who have been influenced by the legendary guitarist-singer-songwriter Bert Jansch. From his days in British folk-rock act Pentangle to his solo output over the course of more than twenty albums, Jansch has been an inspiration for a generation of artists. His most recent album, The Black Swan came out last year and featured guest appearances from Beth Orton, Devendra Banhart and others. Jansch plays Lola's Room in Portland along with Meg Baird this Tuesday night.
Rodrigo y Gabriela close the weekday week out with a Friday performance at the Oregon Zoo. The unlikely duo met in a Mexico City metal band, but now keep it strictly acoustic. Their self-titled debut is full of celebratory instrumentals with a flamenco flair, but hardly classifiable as such, including readings of Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," and Metallica's "Orion." To hear them is one thing, but the word on the street is that to see them is another entirely.
In the middle of it all, we re-visit our recent in-studio session with The Veils. OPB's David Christensen sits down with the band from New Zealand by the way of the UK to talk about life on the road, the American west, and a recent mini performance in a club bathroom.
Also tonight, new releases from Portland's Pseudosix, Manu Chao, Bat For Lashes, Iron and Wine, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, and more.
Stream: Pseudosix's self-titled release (out Tuesday) here
