Prelude to Your Weekend: listenlisten + Wild Moccasins + AU + Legendary Shack Shakers + John Evans + I Am Mesmer, Tonight

Ready to get the jump on the weekend before it comes up and blindsides you with the bazillion or so good shows that’re going to be going on? Well, you’re in luck — to get started on your Weekend o’ Good Shit one day early, you can head yourself on up to either The Mink or Walter’s on Washington this evening, Thursday, February 5th.

At the former, you’ll get to witness the gentle-yet-bleak, “old-timey” folk sounds of listenlisten, one of H-town’s most unique, most jaw-droppingly cool bands (whose upcoming full-length Hymns from Rhodesia I swear I’ll be reviewing real damn soon, honest…), along with those exuberantly poppy, catchy-as-hell kids in The Wild Moccasins, who’re one of a crop of young, vibrant indie-pop bands (see also: Young Mammals; News on the March; The McKenzies; Piano Vines; The Western Civilization) that are well on their way to making the whole pop thing a going concern in this city for the first time in way too long. I’m afraid I don’t know much at all about headliners AU, but they define themselves as, “…a loosely defined amalgam of players that can swell to double digit numbers with full choir in tow and sees some of Portland’s finest lending a helping hand.” Whatever the hell that means. They’re from Portland, which pretty much guarantees they’ll be entertainingly odd.

Anyway, the show kicks off early, at 7PM, and promises to end early enough for oldtimes like myself to get their much-needed shuteye (around 10PM). Door’s $7. Oh, and the show flyer singes my brainstem, so don’t stare too long.

As for Option #2 mentioned above, if The Mink doesn’t float your boat this evening, you could head to Walter’s, instead, to check out the psychobilly stylings of Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers, whom Wikipedia tells me (and as we all know, Wikipedia never, ever, ever lies) are a favorite band of horror maestro Stephen King. Do with that bit of trivia what you will.

Sweetening the pot are local heroes The John Evans Band, who are the guys I’d be somewhat inclined to check out, personally, being that everybody I freakin’ know seems to think they’re incredible & I have yet to see ’em, and I Am Mesmer, which I think is some kind of a solo project by Geoffrey of the Sideshow Tramps where he wears a creepy-ass Mardi Gras mask. For that one, the Super Unison crew say the show starts at 9PM (doors at 8PM), and tickets are $12.

Obviously, whichever way you go, you’re set. Now go, a’ight?