SPRING GUIDE 2008

Photo by Michael Persico

Spring Live Music Roundup

Steven Malkmus, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Man Man, Les Savy Fav, Shelby Lynne, Explosions in the Sky, Yo Majesty, Cure, Clinic, Pelican and more.

by Doug Wallen

If spring hasn’t sprung for you, don’t fret. The rainbow barrage of post-SXSW touring bands will invade your dance card from now until summer with blog-fueled hype, immense oversaturation and dizzying amounts of contrast.

Ex-Pavement heartthrob Stephen Malkmus kicks it all off (Sat., March 29, 8pm. $15. Fillmore at the TLA) with a jam-tastic new album and familiar new drummer—Sleater-Kinney alum Janet Weiss—in tow. Another genre icon, Jay-Z, follows close behind with Mary J. Blige (Sun., March 30, 6:30pm. $59.75-$150.75. Wachovia Center). From there it’s an open field, from the infamous screech of Japan’s the Boredoms (Wed., April 2, 8pm. $16. Starlight Ballroom) to the rainy-day psychedelia of Beach House (Thurs., April 3, 6:30pm. $10. Barbary) and the kaleidoscopic house of Sasha & John Digweed (Thurs., April 3, 8pm. $30. Fillmore at the TLA).

Then Juno’s real breakout star—sorry, Ellen Page—Kimya Dawson packs fans of all ages into church seating (Sat., April 5, 2pm. $12. First Unitarian Church), Les Savy Fav smuggle in label mates the Dodos and the Big Sleep (Sat., April 5, 8pm. $16-$18. Fillmore at the TLA), Kinks leader Ray Davies pushes his second solo album (Sat., April 5, 7pm. $39.50-$65. Tower Theater), Shelby Lynne brings a rare shot of country to town (Sat., April 5, 8pm. $25-$27. Trocadero), and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony apparently still exist (Sun., April 6, 7pm. $27.50-$30. Fillmore at the TLA).

Local lads Man Man celebrate their Anti- debut Rabbit Habits (Tues., April 8, 7:30pm. $10-$12. Starlight Ballroom) the same week Spoon and the Walkmen face off in an indie wet dream (Thurs., April 10, 7pm. $15. Electric Factory), and Hot Chip play songs from their chilled opus Made in the Dark (Thurs., April 10, 8pm. $16. Starlight Ballroom).

Soul Coughing cult hero Mike Doughty returns from the dustbin (Fri., April 11, 8pm. $20-$22. Fillmore at the TLA) the same night Saul Williams unleashes his ambitious Niggy Tardust (Fri., April 11, 8pm. $15. Trocadero). Superdrag (Sat., April 12, 9pm. $20. Johnny Brenda’s) and Nada Surf (Sun., April 13, 7pm. $15-$17. Trocadero) find life after their fluke ’90s hits, L.A. hipster king Steve Aoki and entourage invade Fishtown (Sun., April 13, 9pm. $8. Barbary), Rogue Wave play their moody indie rock (Tues., April 15, 8pm. $13. First Unitarian Church), and Autechre reconfigure electronic music for bristling effect (Wed., April 16, 8pm. $20. Transit).

Elsewhere, Jerry “the Geator” Blavat hosts one of his patented doo-wop reunions (Sun., April 13, 7:30pm. $41-$81. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts) and British buzz princess Kate Nash charms the pants off us Yanks (Sat., April 19, 8pm. $15-$17. Trocadero) before Alicia Keys arrives at Temple’s campus (Mon., April 21, 7:30pm. $49-$126. Liacouras Center) and Bowfire mix up all sorts of world music (Wed., April 23, 8pm. $45-$55. Keswick Theatre).

On the indie rock tip, the Constantines bring their blue-collar swagger (Sun., April 20, 8pm. $10-$12. Johnny Brenda’s), Tapes ‘N’ Tapes answer their post-blog backlash with a sturdy second album (Tues., April 22, 8pm. $13. First Unitarian Church), Destroyer tour behind one of the year’s best records (Thurs., April 24, 9pm. $12. North Star), and a reunited American Music Club slip back into the thoughtful melancholy of their glory days (Fri., April 25, 8pm. $10. Johnny Brenda’s).

On a grander scale, British old-heads the Moody Blues lord over Upper Darby (Fri., April 25, 7pm. $49.50-$79.50. Tower Theater), Feist perfects her squirrelly pop (Sun., April 27, 8pm. $29-$40. Academy of Music), Atmosphere continue to steal hearts (Mon., April 28, 7pm. $18.50-$20. Trocadero), Ministry go through the motions of their supposedly final tour (Tues., April 29, 7pm. $39.50-$100. Fillmore at the TLA), and glossy emo forebearers Saves the Day simply keep on trucking (Thurs., May 1, 5:30pm. $18-$20. Fillmore at the TLA).

And punks of all ages and stripes should drool over the very different Anti-Flag (Sat., May 3, 6:30pm. $17-$18. Electric Factory), Converge (Sat., May 3, 7pm. $15. Starlight Ballroom), and ahem, My Chemical Romance (Tues., May 6-Wed., May 7, 6:30pm. $35. Electric Factory).

More intimate will be Tokyo Police Club’s curt indie pop anthems (Mon., April 28, 8pm. $12. First Unitarian Church), Stars of the Lid’s warm ambience in a church setting (Sat., May 3, 8pm. $20. St. Mary’s Church), the Kills’ newly beat-driven blues (Sat., May 3, 8pm. $12. Johnny Brenda’s), and El Perro del Mar’s reverby bedroom pop (Tues., May 6, 8pm. $12. Johnny Brenda’s). Fresh off touring with Justice, Australia’s Midnight Juggernauts are equally dance-y and fun (Wed., May 7, 8pm. $10. Johnny Brenda’s), and Matador Records’ underrated Cave Singers make another case for their scattershot folk (Wed., May 7, 8pm. $8. North Star).

If you’re not completely spent, Pelican’s fiery post-metal might do the trick (Fri., May 9, 7:30pm. $19-$21. Electric Factory). If not, there’s a strong hip-hop bill of El-P, Dizzee Rascal and Busdriver (Fri., May 9, 8:30pm. $15. First Unitarian Church), plus Panic at the Disco and other radio invaders outdoors (Fri., May 9, 7pm. $30. Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing), hilarious rap goddesses Yo Majesty (Sat., May 3, 8pm. $12, Johnny Brenda’s), and grizzled folkie Loudon Wainwright III (Thurs., May 15, 7:30pm. $35-$45. World Cafe Live), not to mention—drumroll please—the Cure (Sat., May 10, 8pm. $40-$65. Wachovia Spectrum).

Capping off the spring collection is Welsh troupe Los Campesinos’ giddy indie pop (Sat., May 17, 7:30pm. $12. Johnny Brenda’s), and Islands’ frazzled genre hopping (Fri., May 23, 8pm. $12. First Unitarian Church).

By the time you get to Clinic (Fri., May 30, 9pm. $13. Johnny Brenda’s), touring behind the most thrilling album of their wobbly career, it’s just about time for summer. And not a moment too soon.