Eisley Free @ Cactus, 6PM! (+ Stuff Tonight/Tomorrow!)

Late notice, I know, but I only found out around lunchtime, & the day slipped away from me since then (darn day job…). Anyway, we here at SCR heard the news that Eisley, that quintet of elfin-looking post-emo popsters from Tyler, will be playing this evening up at the resurrected Cactus Music (now located at 2110 Portsmouth, about a half-block from Amy’s), reportedly at 6PM or so, and for free, free, free.

The band seems to be kind of a love-’em-or-hate-’em thing, but after much prodding from SCR old salt (and now pro rock crit) Marc Hirsh, I have to admit that I’ve come around to their strange, otherworldly, almost Neil Gaiman-influenced brand of pop-rock. Lyrics about lovelorn robots and alien invasions actually seem to make a freaky kind of sense when sung by Sherri & Stacy DuPree, and the bulk of 2003 EP Laughing City has been stuck in my head since, well, 2005 or so.

(And no, I haven’t yet listened to last year’s Combinations, despite Marc kindheartedly forcing it upon me. Sorry, man, but the iPod gets full so damn fast these days…)

Anyway, this evening’s show will be of the unplugged/acoustic variety, according to the Cactus folks — if you’re more into the electrified version, the band’s playing at full volume tomorrow (April 1st) over at The Meridian, along with The Envy Corps (who I’ve heard are good), The Myriad, and Vedera (the latter two of which I know zero about). Pick your poison.

Plus, tonight the Merid’s also got Tokyo Police Club (with Eagle Seagull) — we’ve been somewhat lukewarm on ’em in the past (search the site for the review), but I’ve liked what I’ve heard lately, so I’ve got higher hopes.

If you’re not up for that particular side of downtown, you can also head to Notsuoh for the Nick Jaina/Run On Sentence/Wild Moccasins show, which promises to be very, very cool as well. Too many dang choices…