I don’t know if you noticed but holy crap it’s hot out. Like so hot that whenever I walk outside my shirts instantly catch on fire and I’m forced to walk around the neighborhood with nothing to cover my disturbingly soft belly. But anyhoo, what are your plans this weekend? Here are mine
Friday
Cerebral beatsmith Daedelus is hitting up (where else) Empire Control Room tonight which should already have piqued your interest, but to sweeten the pot, local production collective Applied Pressure and Daedelus’ Mush label mate Corduroi are on hand to amplify your vibrational consumption. Corduroi has a newish album out that’s perfect for the supernova weather we’re currently experiencing, appropriately named Oceanarium, as in “large body of water I need to throw myself into in order to not spontaneously combust.” All three acts on this bill are suitable for chilling and taking it easy, though, so if you need a night of auditory relaxation and inner epiphanies, camp your butt here.
If you want something weirder to warp your evening and maybe permanently alter your consciousness, you’ll want to stop by Spider House and catch Total Unicorn, an avant electronica/performance art spectacle troupe, who are playing on a bill put together by our very own Ashley Bradley. Total Unicorn’s music would be fantastical on its own, but they play their shows while decked out in unicorn attire, with Dadaist art and text projected around them. You know what? Fuck it, I’ll just let this video do the talking:
Saturday
One time I interviewed Ian Svenonius and he told me this theory about bands basically being a government conspiracy to stop street gangs. His basic point was that if teenagers were distracted with starting bands, they’d be committing less acts of violence. The problem with that theory is groups like Sailor Poon, who aren’t just a band but a steadily growing army of malcontents eager to disrupt the system and overthrow normalcy. Or maybe that’s what’s right about the theory, since Sailor Poon keep racking up high profile gigs, kidnapping competitors and covering overrated Sonics singles. Wherever you fall on the side of this band-gang conspiracy, this show at Hotel Vegas will provide abundant evidence to support your claims, with Sailor Poon teaming up with Svenonious’ Chain and the Gang as well as local superstars Feral Future to play a show or start a riot or maybe both.
Sunday
The W has a pretty damn cool event going on for your Sunday wind down session. It’s part of a summer long thing called Last Splash Swim Club, but this month it’s featuring Jonathan Toubin and a DJ set by the Numero Group folk. For those of you who are smarter about your finances than me and my fellow record addict kin, Numero Group is a label dedicated to preserving and reissuing the best regional R&B, soul and beyond, which means that whatever they’re spinning for you is something you’re unlikely to encounter anywhere else. And you get to enjoy having your tastes broadened while you hang out by a luxurious pool. Personally, I never venture further than my bathroom while wearing my speedo, but all you braver souls with better beach bodies should be sure to indulge.
Nick Hanover got his degree from Disneyland, but he’s the last of the secret agents and he’s your man. Which is to say you can find his particular style of espionage here at Ovrld as well as Loser City, where he mostly writes about comics. You can also flip through his archives at Comics Bulletin, which he is formerly the Co-Managing Editor of, and Spectrum Culture, where he contributed literally hundreds of pieces for a few years. Or if you feel particularly adventurous, you can always witness his odd .gif battles with his friends and enemies on twitter: @Nick_Hanover