Early Week Rundown: Fat Worm of Error + Sad Gorilla + The Protomen + Miniature Tigers + Yppah + Tontons + More

Early in the week, I realize, but there’re some very cool shows going on in the next couple of days, and I didn’t want to do my usual thing and totally ignore stuff that happens before Thursday or so. Here’s what’s up in the next couple of days, just to tide you over ’til the weekend:

Mon., August 23:
Fat Worm of Error/Chokecherry Date/Sad Gorilla @ Notsuoh
Fans of all things experimental and strange, Monday is looking damn good for you. I’ve only listened to bits & pieces of Massachusettsians Fat Worm of Error so far, but it’s intriguing stuff, with lots of skronking, clanking, screeching, and creaking rambling along under occasional warbly vocals. In essence, they’re the perfect Notsuoh band — and yes, I kid, but gently, ’cause it sounds like this’ll be a neat show.

Dunno Chokecherry Date at all, except that I’m told they used to be called Pear Prickly Pear, but the (early) cherry on top of this thing is opener {Sad Gorilla}, better known as Lucas Gorham of {Grandfather Child} fame, going nuts on his lonesome. Check it out, seriously.

The Protomen/Jonny Nero Action Hero/MC Router/Human Instrumental Project @ Super Happy Fun Land
Yep, yep, yep — The Protomen were slated to bring their Mega Man-themed electro-rock to Super Happy Fun Land a while back, but their bus tragically broke down en route, so they had to reschedule to, um, tonight. Woo! I can’t really speak to the Mega Man side of things, ’cause it honestly came around after I’d mostly had to put down the Nintendo controller, but I have it on good authority that they do an awesome job with it. From where I sit, the music they play comes off like Andrew W.K. fronting The Polyphonic Spree as they play “Paradise by the Dashboard Light”…if it were all about video games, that is. And yes, it’s pretty freaking fun.

Plus, there’s {Jonny Nero Action Hero}, aka Jonathan Updegrove, formerly of Audio in the Pregap and .belville, playing one last time in H-town before he skips town for cooler climes (Oregon, I believe?), and {MC Router}, who I’m told does some pretty damn entertaining nerdcore stuff. If the previous show was where all the avant-garde heads need to be at, well, this’s the show for all the video game/computer geeks.

Oh, and there’ll apparently be ice cream…

Tues., August 24:
Miniature Tigers/The Gold Sounds @ Mango’s
I know I’ve mentioned ’em repeatedly in recent months, but I have to do so again: I freaking love Brooklyn-dwellers Miniature Tigers. They’re one of a handful of indie-pop bands out there right now (like Freelance Whales and Say Hi) who combine gorgeously candy-sweet melodies with head-nodding rhythms and squirrely, quirky/cute lyrics, and I can’t help but grin and sing along every time I hear ’em. I missed ’em when they played Summerfest, sadly, but you definitely shouldn’t miss ’em this time out.

Added bonus: Deer Park boys {The Gold Sounds} are opening, which is extra cool. The two bands are about like chalk and cheese, with the Sounds Stones-y swagger standing in contrast to the Tigers’ Beatlesque-ness, but hell, it should work damn well regardless. “She Got Me Singin’ So Low” blows the roof off every damn time.

Twin Sister/Memoryhouse/Yppah @ Walter’s
Haven’t yet heard much by Twin Sister or Memoryhouse yet, sorry, but {Yppah} utterly bowled me over at the last Lost In Space Fest — I was expecting some sort of solo sampling project, and I’d heard good things, but wow… The live band is flat-out phenomenal, sort of this warm, funky, shimmery electronic/pop thing, like a more laidback, jazzy Chemical Brothers. There’s a reason the guy/band is signed to Ninja Tune, y’all.

Wed., August 25:
The Tontons/We Leave at Midnight @ Walter’s ($5; 8PM)
Another one I’ve hit relatively recently, but hell, they’re worth it — {The Tontons} freaking rule. Bombastic, lysergic psych-rock melted in together with old-school soul and some indie-rock sharpness besides; singer Asli Omar is easily the best frontwoman I’ve seen in years, honest. If you’ve never seen ’em, you owe it to yourself.

Billy Idol @ House of Blues
Hey, it’s Billy Idol. Granted, he may be looking a bit, um, leathery these days (at least, he sure did in The Wedding Singer), but “Dancing With Myself” and “White Wedding” are still awesome, awesome songs.

All I’ve got for now…