What's up?

After a relatively slow summer, it seems like things are heating up, with a bunch of interesting shows already booked for late August, September, October and beyond. As always, call ahead to confirm.

• Aug. 16: Guelph's Barmitzvah Brothers, Low Frequency, Pilot and Saint Bernard of Love play the Avant-Garde Bar.
• Aug. 17: Arrr! Andrew Vincent and The Pirates play The Aloha Room.
• Aug. 19: UKRAINIA! kikshas out the jams at The Avant-Garde Bar.
• Aug. 20: A killer evening of experimental folk drone and noise awaits at the Avant-Garde Bar (try the cheesecake) as Charalambides' Christina Carter, Fursaxa, NY noise-meister Carlos Giffoni, Zaimph (a.k.a. Marcia Bassett of Double Leopards, Hototogisu, and Shackamaxon - "mirage-like guitar, fried electronics and disembodied vocals" was one description I culled from the Internet) If Then Do/Akisakila and Crystal Eagles; The Sewer Rats release their new CD with The Gutter Demons, The Rookers, The Botched Suicides and The Sweet Janes at Mavericks Bar.
• Aug. 25: Quebexico, The Sick Fits, The Sweet Janes and Bible Belt (who apparently actually are from the Bible Belt - North Carolina, to be precise) play Maverick's.
• Aug. 26 Double Pumpers, Sleeping Pilot, The Fucking Machines and Army of Saint Joan play Babylon.
• Aug. 27: Clark and The Hi Lo Trons play a release show for the former's much-lauded new album at Barrymore's, Vanity Press is also on the bill. Cafe DeKcuf punks it up with Harshey, BlackSheep, Sunday Riot, The Manglers and the Rock'n'Roll Debacle.
• Aug. 29: Of Montreal and The Management play Barrymore's.
• Sept. 3: The Empiricals have a party to celebrate a release of their tasteful instrumental music on CD. Jake Lovetart rounds out the bill with more ... um ... tasteful music ...
• Sept. 10: That needs more cowbell! White Cowbell Oklahoma play Barrymore's with The Long Timers and The Mighty Eagle Band. The Riptides and The Ripcordz let 'er rip at Mavericks.
• Sept. 12: Highly regarded Vancouver folk-roots band The Mohawk Lodge and Precious Fathers play a free show at Zaphod's.
• Sept. 14: Lefty McRighty and the Boxcar Cadavers play Zaphod's with a couple of other bands TBA.
• Sept. 16: Good2Go, Steeltown's Dead City Citizens and Radiodazed play Zaphod's. Acid Mother's Temple plays Babylon with Aqui. C'mon, The Setbacks and Whitey Houston (yes, that's "Whitey," not Whitney!) play Mavericks.
• Sept. 17: Cuff The Duke and The John Henrys play Barrymore's; The Unireverse (featuring Daydream Square man Michael Caffery) play the Avant-Garde Bar ... you definitely want to doublecheck this one, because according to the Universe website, they're playing the following week with Corpusse - hmm ...
• Sept. 21: Khanate, Sleeping Pilot and Montreal's "two-man mindfuck" Cousins of Reggae (featuring Blake Hargreaves of Dreamcatcher, if that's any help) play Mavericks. The Bloody Hollies play Babylon with local punks The Sick Fits and The Banditas.
  
• Sept. 23: New Model Army play Babylon.
• Oct. 1: The Dirtbombs play Babylon with Four'n'Giv'r.
• Oct. 2: Ted Leo and The Pharmacists medicate Babylon with a reconvened North of America.
• Oct 19: The Bellrays play Babylon.
• Oct. 22: Tangiers and The Deadly Snakes play Zaphod's. Tricky Woo play The Dominion. You could do both without much overlap!
  
• Oct 28: Atomic Bitchwax and Castor space-rock Babylon.