Yr. Weekend, Pt. 3: Smashing Pumpkins/Jimmy Eat World + Darkest Hour + Doggebi + Krampus Day + More

Sunday, December 5th is indeed upon us, and it’s looking pretty damn busy, at least as Sundays go. Here goes:

Buzzfestivus, featuring Smashing Pumpkins & Jimmy Eat World @ Verizon Wireless Theater
Um. Wow? I have to admit, that’s not a bill I’d ever have expected to see: heart-on-sleeve emo/indie-rock heroes Jimmy Eat World playing alongside epic alternarockers Smashing Pumpkins. If you’d suggested it to me out of the blue, I’d have laughed in your face, most likely.

But hey, there it is. And as somebody who’s a fan of both bands — SP are freaking iconic, at this point, and I once embarrassed myself in front of my whole college by playing “Disarm” at some goofy talent night thing, and while Jimmy Eat World’s albums have been up-and-down lately, Chase This Light is very nearly the ideal of a sweet, fiery, melodic rock album — it sounds pretty good. Admittedly, I’m a little wary of most things The Buzz is behind, but hell, I can’t fault their band choices.

Darkest Hour/Revocation/Veil of Maya/Periphery @ Warehouse Live (Studio)
Dunno much about the openers, sorry, but Darkest Hour are utterly badass, in my book. Thundering, stomping, growly, thrash-tinged metal that somehow doesn’t get old after the first couple of tracks, they’re one of the handful of truly influential metal bands from the past decade or so (and considering the now-gigantic pile of bands that excludes, that’s saying something).

Binarium Sound Series, featuring Doggebi & Unconscious Collective @ The Mekong Underground (8-10PM)
Nice one at The Mekong Underground (aka “one of the unused retail spaces in the same plaza as Khon’s”) tonight, another part of the Binarium Sound Series. This show features {Doggebi}, which is the team-up project of experimental flautist Michelle Yom and longtime scene denizen Spike The Percussionist, and which is pretty intriguing (if damned difficult to describe) stuff, at least from where I sit. Think strange, eerie flutes weaving in and out of sparse, metallic clanking sounds, and you’ll be close.

They’re playing with a band I’m not familiar with, a Dallas group called the Unconscious Collective, which looks like it’s made up primarily of grindcore dudes, and the Binarium site promises that all parties with finish up with a mass jam session. If you’re into improv or noise, hey, here’s where you need to be.

Krampus Day Fest @ Super Happy Fun Land
Krampus rules! Not a clue in the world who’s playing — the SHFL site offers no help — but I still like the idea of a “Krampus Day” with a festival to match. I spent part of my childhood in Germany & learned about Krampus there, but apparently he’s not that well-known here in the States. Basically, if you’re a good little boy or girl, St. Nick comes to your house & gives you nice things. If, on the other hand, you’re a bad little boy or girl, he hands you over to his, um, “associate” Krampus, who then smacks you with a stick and/or drags you down to Hell in his sack. Always refreshing to hear about the darker sides of our cheery holidays, ain’t it?

Runners-Up:
Slave To The Metal 2010, featuring Cindercell, Under Nothing, Altercation, Blood Rooted, Witness to the Fallen, Sibylline, Alter Deception, Legion, Kleos, Agony Within, Myth and Legend, Metalloyd, Obama Nation, Knocturnal Maddness, Swinging Teresa, Doomsday Brigade, Sculpting Atrocity, Solomon, Yesterday Never Came, I’m Not Paul Bradshaw, Allegory, Necrofaith, Holy Hell Rod, Seven Years to Burn, Last Ones Left, & Artifacts @ The Meridian (2PM-2AM)
Thunder Alley, featuring Always At Sea, Mugrero, & The Bad Ones @ Mango’s
Step Rideau and the Zydeco Outlaws/Mark May Blues Band/Voodoo Brass Band/Zydeco Dots/C.J. Chenier/Tommy Dardar @ Dan Electro’s Guitar Bar