A Fistful of Lazy Saturday

(Editor’s Note:  You know the deal.  It’s Lazy Saturday.  Our definition of this content is evolving.  The current iteration, carried over from last week, is an old picture that doesn’t make direct linear sense and three or four live tracks that stick to some sort of loosely defined theme.  The picture above is of the first recorded “indie” band, The Black Tuba.  They went to art school together and were united by a shared love of goofy facial hair and atonal sousaphone solos, just like many of the darlings of today’s scene.  There are no extant recordings any of The Black Tuba’s records, but noted 1840s fanzine, The Omphalos Orates, essentially the Pitchfork of the 19th century, gave their debut a 9.7, so they must not have sucked.)

There are some great shows on the horizon for Clevelanders.  On  a day where the post doesn’t have “lazy” in the title, we’ll give you a more comprehensive list of things on the horizon, but for today, we wanted to highlight three upcoming gigs that we’re particularly excited about, working outwards both geographically from Cleveland and temporally from right now.

Andrew Bird will be at Cleveland’s Allen Theater on April 2.  Mrs. Citizen and I will be in attendance and I will have a full report for you, faithful reader, on or around April 3.  Given the staid nature of the venue, this will be one of the rare occasions when a Dick walks out of a show without a set list.  (I will not be crawling through an orchestra pit to grab a piece of paper to prove my manhood to you, sadly.)  If the Birdman does not play “Tables and Chairs,” however, I will abandon all decorum and rip my velvet covered seat out of the floor.  If that happens, you’ll probably be reading my review in the local police blotter, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. He’s all over the map this summer, including some dates with the Decemberists, so he’s probably coming close to your house.  You should go.

“Tables and Chairs” – Andrew Bird, The Netherlands, 2005

Two of our favorite groups of Scots, Mogwai and The Twilight Sad, will be in Buffalo on May 5th.  Kevin and I will be there, diligently documenting the evening (and, probably, going oan a pure mad whitey).  To say that we’re excited to see two muscular acts, tearing through rocking material with both aplomb and aggression is an understatement.  If you see us in Buffalo, take a wide berth; the combination of songs like “Cold Days in the Birdhouse” and a dozen pints might make us slightly more truculent than usual.  These fellows are also criss-crossing the country, so be certain to check them out.

“You Don’t Know Jesus” – Mogwai, Germany, 2006

Mike Watt is playing three shows in California in April.  None of the Dicks will be there.  If you go, take a picture and shoot it our way.  Hopefully, the inimitable Mr. Watt will decide to come somewhere close to Cleveland so that I can jam as econo as possible.  Highlights of this particular version of all-time fave “Piss Bottle Man” include Watt saying that the song’s about his dad at the beginning and quoting Flavor Flav at the end.  The background vocals get a little dicey, but it’s punk as hell, so deal with it.

“Piss Bottle Man” – Mike Watt, Chicago, 1995