Since Halloween falls on a weekend this year, we decided to present a show on a Thursday. I am what they might refer to as temporally limited. But even though Scarface will not be banging sacks of flour over the heads of young trick-or-treaters, I will play “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” if you attend. Yes, you. It’s free. Did I mention that the lineup is heavy in the way that Marty McFly meant it, which is far more meaningful. It’s the final night of Spaceships’ Residency at the Melody Lounge in Chinatown. If you don’t know the excellent Yin and Yang garage rock duo of Spaceships, I’ll refer you back to this Douglas Martin review of the band. To quote the dirty shodden garage king: “Spaceships go a long way to capture the greatness of 90’s lo-fi without brazenly imitating the decade’s marquee indie acts. (Because honestly, where would Yuck be if Yo La Tengo had never murdered the classics?) They play with Clinton-era indie, garage, and even grunge with a true punk’s sense of irreverence, exceedingly competent at getting the sound and feeling right, but also defiantly infusing their own personality.” Next up is Red Ferguson, whose Ghost Town Sessions EP was one my favorite things that involved a guitar all year. If you don’t already know, the LA duo decamped to a ghost down in the middle of the desert with a rented generator and enough acid to fry a mid-sized cult. The result was hallucinogenic seeing-ghosts-in-the-cactus jams that floated without flailing. Think Atoms for Peace if Thom Yorke’s preferred drug was Ayahuasca and not Ativan. The video for “Cold Steps” is below. I recommend you acquire the rest of their EP at Bandcamp. No money down, word to L. Hutz.
Lastly, there’s Toy Light, nee Walker Ashby, who belongs on a Rated Rookie Donruss card. He is only six months out of UCLA and already having a better year than Julius Randle. I profiled him earlier this year, so read that if you are into that whole following lines on a screen schtick. There are also shades of Radiohead in the music. But also shades of astronauts having an existential crisis. He has the celestial yawp thing down pat and is a gifted composer who will probably be too famous to ever play a free show again. Same with all of these people. Did I mention the show costs no money? Also, I will be playing Halloween rap songs and maybe “Monster Mash,” so you know that it will be real and spectacular. There is also the off-hand chance that I will be dressing up as Jesus from Yeezus. If you attend, please bring me a croissant.
