A tale of two street fairs, their music
Here’s the dilemma: Just by coincidence, two excellent street fairs are happening this weekend that both feature two days of live music from some of the best local bands around.
Consider your attendance mandatory.
Downtown, on the 1000 block of West First, the second annual PEACH Safe Local Flair Street Fair presents bands tonight and Saturday night. About a seven minute drive southeast, music will be sounding at the fifth annual Perry Street Fair near Ninth and Perry on the lower South Hill. Both events are free to the public.
One of the standout bands at the Perry Street Fair is sure to be Burns Like Hellfire, which takes the stage Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Shop. This local rock group is popular in town, though it only plays locally maybe once a month.
And the members of Burns are playing less this summer, as they’re concentrating on recording their first full-length debut album, “One For the Losers.”
The members of Burns – Brian Young, Bill Barrington, Cameron Norton, Jamie Maker (of the Makers) – have been good friends for years.
Their brand of rootsy rock goes over well with both younger and older audiences. They’ve been booked with punk bands, but they could easily blend on a country bill, and there are plenty of classic rock elements, too. Burns also headlines tonight at 9 p.m. at Mootsy’s, 406 W. Sprague. Popular local punk band the Kitten Killers opens the show. There is a $5 cover.
Here’s a look at the schedule for bands playing this weekend at The Shop, 924 S. Perry, for the Perry Street Fair:
Saturday
10 a.m. – Laddie Ray Melvin, Brad Keeler, and Lyle Morse
12:45 p.m. – Sidhe
2 p.m. – Train Wreck
4 p.m. – The Agitators
6 p.m. – Burns Like Hellfire
8 p.m. – Milonga (followed by a showing of the movie “Three Amigos” at The Shop)
Sunday
Noon – Mad Mamma Moon
2 p.m. – Jazz Attack
4 p.m. – Coeurimba
Here’s the rundown for the PEACH Safe Local Flair Street Fair:
Friday
(on the Saturn stage)
5:30 p.m. – Longnecks
7 p.m. – The Agitators
8:30 p.m. – Jupiter Effect
Saturday
(on the Montvale Stage)
Noon – Carlos Alden
1:30 p.m. – Travis Finch
3 p.m. – Matthew Lindley Mistake
5 p.m. – Mercy Lewis
6:30 p.m. – Mad Mamma Moon
8 p.m. – Matt Kelly
(on the Saturn stage)
Noon – The Duckets
1:30 p.m. – United Effect
3 p.m. – Catalyst
5 p.m. – The Side Project
6:30 p.m. – Raggs
8 p.m. – Ctrl Z (see Spin Cycle on page 9 for more on this female-fronted rock band)
Take back the mike
Of the 500 singers who tried out for KHQ’s “Gimme The Mike” competition, which airs live on KHQ at 6:30 p.m. Sundays, only 25 were selected for a chance to compete in the finals.
That means the remaining 475 should be lining up this weekend to audition for a similar event, Popstar USA. The winner of this talent competition receives an all-expenses-paid trip to audition for “American Idol.”
Auditions are today and Sunday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at CenterStage, 1017 W. First. The semi-finals will be Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at CenterStage and are open to the public. The finals are July 30 (location to be announced).
The competition is divided into two age categories: 16-24 and 25 and older. The winner of the 16-24 age group wins the trip to “American Idol.” The winner of the 25 and older group gets a recording studio package.
Sign up at www.uspopstar.com.
Club hoppin’
• Vinyl vendors, collectors, and anybody that has anything to do with music should scoot Saturday to Unified Groove Merchants, 2607 N. Monroe, for Grand Groove’s annual music swap. Haggle for recorded music, audio and video equipment, and instruments starting Saturday at 9 a.m. For more information, contact Grand Groove (aka Tony Brown) at 230-5269.
• Mizuna Restaurant, 214 N. Howard, presents live music in its new alley patio this weekend with acoustic rock by Save Lefty tonight at 8 p.m. and flamenco guitarist Abe Kenney on Saturday at 8 p.m.