Words by Brendan

The holiday weekend has come and gone. You’re back from wherever you went to stand around a grill and drink beer with those relatives you only see twice a year. Or maybe you’ve been in town all along and you’re still catching up on lost sleep from a hectic weekend (like me). Whatever your status, it’s back to the summer concert season this weekend, and you’ve got plenty of options coming up in the next few days. Garage rock at the 31st Street Pub, folk rock at the Carnegie Museum, our own freakin’ birthday party at the Brillobox (hellz yeah!!!), and so much more. Stream some mp3s right here and read on after the jump for all the details. I guarantee you’ll find something that strikes your fancy.

Nobunny / Boneyard
Ladybug Transistor / A Burial At Sea
Bill Callahan / Drover
Satin Gum / Dance Me Home
The Slow Reel / We Get Along
Ursa Major / Underground
Cut Copy / Where I’m Going

Thursday 07.07.2011

Nobunny / Scattergun / Secret Tombs / 31st St. Pub / 9:30 / $7
Heavy garage rock, and nothing but, that’s what this show will be all about. If that sounds like your bag, you gotta hit the 31st Street Pub tonight. Nobunny is the recording moniker of Justin Champlin, and since 2008 his crazy, guitar- and drum-heavy garage punk jams have been released on a cavalcade of labels, forming a “who’s-who” of the underground garage rock scene: Hozac, Goner, Burger, 1234 Go!, and even a vinyl release of a live album by Jack White’s Third Man label. Hot shit, man. The live show is guaranteed to be nothing short of wild, loud and raucous. Also playing are Pittsburgh’s Secret Tombs and Chicago’s Scattergun, rounding out a full garage rock bill. Fucking sweet.
Facebook event
Nobunny on the web: Facebook / Twitter
Scattergun on the web: Facebook / Website
Secret Tombs on the web: Blog / Last.fm

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The Ladybug Transistor / Joy Toujours and the Toys du Jour / Carnegie Museum of Art – Sculpture Court / Doors 7:30 / $12-$15
The Ladybug Transistor have been undergone some personnel changes over the years (two former members are from Pittsburgh, another member passed away in 2007) but they have always made pretty, dreamy indie pop songs with flourishes of psychedelia and expressive lyrics. Their latest album, Clutching Stems, came out just last week and you can stream the whole thing (and buy it!) over at Merge Records’ website. Tonight, they kick off the Sound Series at the Sculpture Court, a summer concert series at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Oakland. This outdoor venue should be really neat for a concert! Also playing are Pittsburgh’s eclectic indie pop band (with the coolest name ever) Joy Toujours and the Toys du Jour. Tickets are $12 for students/CMP members and $15 general, but if you want to see this show AND the Bill Callahan show at the same place tomorrow night (see below) you can get a discount package price of $20 or $25, respectively. Do it! For more info on the band/show, check out The Warhol Museum’s website and this feature in last week’s Pgh City Paper.
Facebook event / Buy tickets online / Buy 2 day concert pass online
Ladybug Transistor on the web: Facebook / Website
Joy Toujours and the Toys du Jour on the web: Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp

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Friday 07.08.2011

Bill Callahan / Hidden Ritual / Carnegie Museum of Art – Sculpture Court / Doors 7:30 / $12-$15
This former Smog frontman is a veritable Draw Us Lines fave. CC is a big fan (see his review) in particular, and I’ve really enjoyed listening to his latest LP, personally, despite not knowing much of his other material. I wholly imagine that a set in this intimate venue will be incredibly engaging, powerful, and life-changing, and I mean that. Fan or not, this will be a very interesting show. Opening for Bill is Austin, TX’s Hidden Ritual, who sound like an intellectual psych-rock band, based on the few songs I found online. That’s intriguing enough for me to check it out. You oughta, as well.
Facebook event / Buy tickets online / Buy 2 day concert pass online
Bill Callahan on the web: Facebook / Website
Hidden Ritual on the web: Facebook / Blog / Soundcloud

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Triggers / Satin Gum / Thee Audience / Brillobox / Doors 9:30 / $5
It’s sometimes tough to describe the subtleties of indie pop that various bands embody, but suffice it to say that Triggers have some seriously catchy and upbeat pop-rock songs, and their live show wholly reflects that. I’ve caught them at Howler’s before, and I can only imagine that the awesome sound/atmosphere at the Brillobox will perfectly complement their poppy guitar/keys-heavy sound. Playing with them are one of my fave local bands, punk-poppers Satin Gum, as well as local indie rock band Thee Audience, who I don’t know too much about but whose only album available on Bandcamp was a great soundtrack to my coffee shop working yesterday afternoon. A great evening of indie rock is what you’re in for if you head to the Brillobox on Friday, and you can’t go wrong with that.
Facebook event / Buy tickets online
Triggers on the web: Facebook / Twitter
Satin Gum on the web: Website / Facebook / Bandcamp
Thee Audience on the web: Facebook / Bandcamp

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Saturday 07.09.2011

Draw Us Lines 1st Birthday Party! / Brillobox / Doors 9:30 / $7
This one is our pride and joy. Three of our favorite Pittsburgh bands, drinks, free stickers and buttons, Echo Chamber CDs, and YOU! Read my full preview of the show and one year recap from last week here, and get your ass out to the Brillobox tomorrow night so we can celebrate together. You won’t want to miss this!
Facebook event / Buy tickets online
The Slow Reel on the web: Facebook / Bandcamp
Meeting of Important People on the web: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp
Big Hurry on the web: Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp

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Sunday 07.10.2011

House of Assasins / Carnegie Library – Main Branch / 2:00 pm / FREE + all ages
Try as I might, I couldn’t seem to find too much about this band on the interwebz, and I usually pride myself on my internet stalking abilities (sorry … ladies), so there you have it. They have a MySpace page, which I outright refuse to link to, and the Carnegie Library website has more info for the event which lists them as a “psychedelic country/cosmic American” band. Whether they’re accurate or not, I’m sold. Early afternoon on a Sunday, for FREE, at the public library—can’t go wrong, folks. See yinz there.

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Ursa Major / Ghastly City Sleep / Edhoculi / Gooski’s / 9:30 / $5ish
I finally caught locals Ursa Major for the first time just a few weeks ago (see my show review here) and was thoroughly pleased. Doo-wop, indie rock, soul, funk, punk, garage rock—all good stuff. I’m looking forward to seeing them again, and word on the street is that their newest LP will be released sometime this summer. Don’t know much about the other bands, but I’m sure it’ll be an interesting show. Plus, Gooski’s is fun and I don’t make it out there as nearly as often as I’d like, so there ya have it. I’ll probably be there.
Ursa Major on the web: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Bandcamp

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Monday 07.11.2011

Cut Copy / 1,2,3 / Altar Bar (18+) / Doors 6:00 pm / $27-$30
This show was originally scheduled for Club Zoo in The Strip, but was then moved to Altar Bar, in the same neighborhood. I’m not sure why but, either way, it’s a good place to see some seriously catchy indie rock/pop. I happened to see 1, 2, 3 at their album release show last weekend (review forthcoming, I swear!) and really enjoyed it. Great success. Opening for popular indie poppers Cut Copy should be great exposure for this Pittsburgh-based band, and checking out this show should be a great move on your part, of course.
Facebook event / Buy tickets online
Cut Copy on the web: Facebook / Twitter / Website
1, 2, 3 on the web: Facebook / Twitter

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So many choices, so little time! Where will yinz be this weekend? Let us know, and see ya around town.

Filed under: Live Music