There are some thrilling Pride events heading your way this weekend, and trust me, that thorough events list is a-coming.
But before all that, a friendly reminder about the other glitzy-grimy concerts and shows this week and weekend that’ll get your motor running: cosmic hip-hop extraterrestrial wordsmiths, Grass Widow for charity, your DAD, hardcore-with-horns, supersexy beatmakers, and more.
It just so happens that most of the essential concerts this time around are located in the Mission District; you might want to hunker down in the hood for a week, surviving on Pimm’s cups, spicy burritos, and a smug sense of self-satisfaction. Here are your must-see Bay Area concerts this week/end:
Hélène Renaut
Hélène Renaut premieres a dreamy-creamy new video for her song “The Deer Convention,” made by local filmmaker Zach Von Joo, at this Lost Church appearance. Renaut, who has a sweet French ’60s folk-pop singer thing going on, Françoise Hardy and the like, is Brittany-born and San Francisco-based. Is Zou Bisou Bisou passé now, or can we still reference it? How about that slow-twisty tween beach dance scene in Moonrise Kingdom? Ooh-la-la.
Wed/20, 7:30pm, $10
Lost Church
65 Capp, SF
www.thelostchurch.com
This is not the video (that premieres at the show, of course, and at midnight on the Web)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kMwNsBIV9c
La Plebe
Described by openers the Fucking Buckaroos as “phenomenal hardcore-with-horns,” La Plebe lives up to its reputation. The decade-old act is very much worth checking out, like Rancid in Spanish with the added depth of brass. This show kicks off the band’s summer tour, so send ’em out in raging SF style.
With Fucking Buckaroos, Dazu
Wed/20, 8:30pm, $8
Sub-Mission
2183 Mission, SF
(415) 255-7227
www.sf-submission.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoSYwe77_to
Baby and the Macks, Dresses, DAD
This show introduces Baby and the Macks (Anna Ashe’s new soul band), welcomes back SF’s Dresses, and celebrates avant-pop Oakland phenom, DAD. And you know how we all love celebrating DAD in June.
Thu/21, 9pm, $7-$10
Amnesia
853 Valencia, SF
(415) 970-0012
www.amnesiathebar.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6OMLcf46U
Grass Widow
Premiered last week, Grass Widow’s “Goldilocks Zone” video is creepy, retro sci-fi fun, a perfect sensation for the melodic local post-punk band with those eerily enveloping vocal harmonies. The track is a cut off newly released record Internal Logic, for which there’ll be a proper album release show July 20 at Rickshaw Stop. But before that, catch the trio just prior to its summer tour with a show at Verdi Club – a benefit for The Haley Butcher Organization, which helps terminally ill children.
With Carletta Sue Kay, Hindu Pirates, Nicole Kidman (Jon Barba), Shannon and the Clams
Fri/22, 8pm, $12
Verdi Club
2424 Mariposa, SF
(415) 861-9199
www.verdiclub.net
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFJazD46uvA
Sister Crayon
Sacramento quartet Sister Crayon mixes uber-sexy textured electro music bursting with hypnotic beats (on traditional kit and drum machine) and the delicately swelling, airy vocals — à la Blonde Redhead — of Terra Lopez. The band, which opened for Built to Spill on its last tour, is coming off two sold-out hometown shows in SacTown, a free covers EP, and a video for their smooth if silly cover of Biggie’s “Going Back to Cali.”
With Sea of Bees, Jhameel
Fri/22, 9:30pm, $12
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17th St., SF
(415) 621-4455
www.bottomofthehill.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BklxcL7li_o
THEESatisfaction
Seattle-based duo THEESatisfaction likely created the cosmic sound of the future, showcased in debut full-length (though many DIY CDs and records came before it) awE naturalE. That shiny long-player is packed tight with anthemic, wordy, sisters-with-attitude extraterrestrial wordsmithery. Whatever you do, don’t funk with that groove.
With Le Vice
Fri/22, 9pm, $14
Independent
628 Divisadero, SF
www.independentsf.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGWFBt_IPOg
The Men
Not to be confused with JD Samson’s electro-poppy Men, the Men is scuzzy, smash-your-instruments, hollering rock’n’roll hardcore. Yet it’s outta step with conventionally noisey acts of that genre; just check out the melodies and Buzzcocksian chords in latest release Open Your Heart (March 2012, Sacred Bones). It’s aggressive sonic assault for music nerds.
With Wax Idols, Burnt Ones
Sun/24, 9pm, $12
Bottom of the Hill
1233 17th St., SF
(415) 621-4455
www.bottomofthehill.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NEjJJYp9fo