Blowfly
performs tonight at the 31st Street Pub with Blueprint from Soul
Position and locals BZE,
J. Malls & Omar-Abdul and The
New Alcindors. Blowfly is the alter ego of songwriter Clarence Reid who
collaborated with R&B acts from the 60's and 70's ranging from Sam &
Dave to KC & The Sunshine band. Reid created the alter ego, hid underneath
a low rent superhero costume, to protect his career as a songwriter. Read Manny
Theiner's article, "Raunchy
rapper Blowfly lands at 31st Street Pub" from this past week's Pittsburgh
City Paper. The article examines Blowfly's influence on rap music (1965's 'Rap
Dirty' is considered by some to be the very first rap song) and even indie DIY
culture. The video here is not of the greatest quality but you get an idea of
what the show is about. This content is obviously NSFW due to the lyrical content
of Blowfly
BLOWFLY - WHO DID I EAT LAST
NIGHT
BLOWFLY WITH PISSPOT
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Cocorosie
I
didn't think I'd find a cuter woman on bass than Tangerine's Deanna Dean but Amy
Lavere is pretty damn cute. She also carries a big upright bass.
NAS
I
am a publisher/editor in chief/therapist. I work full time for Mercy Behavioral
Health as a milieu therapist and also put out a music zine, 20/20Proof. I took
a two year hiatus, which involved me trashing an entire magazine and starting
from scratch. The fourth issue of my magazine will finally be released Nov 10th
at Brillobox. After speaking with Don King (actually it was Jeremy Bolen) I decided
to start promoting indie shows in Pittsburgh and have booked bands like Chin Up
Chin Up, Man Man, Elf Power, Mommy and Daddy, Part Chimp, Oxford Collapse, Tight
Phantomz, Appleseed Cast, Rahim, and more. I also released a compilation of Pittsburgh
music entitled Steel City Scene Dead End World on my label 20/20Proof Records,
to positive reviews in the Pittsburgh CP and Post Gazettte. I have also written
for Deek Magazine and Venus Magazine. An excerpt from an employee of the month
write up on yours truly: 'He is best known for his witty sense of humor, analytical
responses and critical views on movies and music.' I live alone with my kitten
Basquiat, who has his own mental health issues. I love Morrissey, Tom Atkins,
and my ma. I also have a fondess for pints of Guinness and cats. 
Figurines
Hotness
Courtesy
of Unicorn Mountain - Andy
Beckerman are a small mammal. He is
Grand
Buffet and Gil Mantera's
Party Dream tag team again at the 31st Street Pub tonight. This will probably
be a better setting to catch their act than the last time I saw them together
at the Rex Theatre in Pittsburgh. In retrospect that show, with Girl Talk also
on the bill, was amazing and a lot of fun but I was miserable the entire time
with the fact that it was an All-Ages show and the Rex had their infamous drinking
cage spoiling my night. The company that accompanied me also didn't appreciate
the insanity that they were witnessing. Nothing ruins a concert experience more
than miserable company. Pittsburgh's Grand Buffet most recently toured in 2006
with Of Montreal while Gil Mantera's Party Dream toured with Art Brut and were
invited several times to play New York with The Rapture. Gil Mantera's Party
Dream were named Best Show at SXSW by the Village Voice in 2006 and were also
featured in Spin magazine.
Low
Water
The
Short Dark Strangers - Pink Dots From Mars
Derek
White
Modey
Lemon
Julie
Sokolow
Jimmy
LaValle's vast resume includes stints with Tristeza, The Locust,
GoGoGo Airheart, The Blackheart Procession, and Sigur Ros. The
Album Leaf is a solo project of his that he will be bringing to Diesel on
the South Side on Thursday May 17th. The Album Leaf's previous effort, In A
Safe Place, was less personally charged for Lavalle and more of a band effort.
There was some level of mainstream success with music from that particular album
featured on The O.C and CSI: Miami. "On Your Way" in particular was
one of my favorite tracks for months. "Into The Blue Again" sees LaValle
again handling the bulk of the vocal and instrumental duties. 
Tonight
at The Garfield Artworks are The
Old Haunts, an Olympia, WA band on Kill Rock Stars, featuring ex Bikini
Kill drummer Tobi Vail. Three local openers, Smells Like Gina, Flotilla Way
and Kill The Unicorn, open things up. Of the three, I was unfortunately only
to find music from one, Kill
The Unicorn. I really hope Flotilla Way fixes the error on their My Space
page that is preventing their songs from playing. I know they were on a Hardtravelin'
comp but that site is down now too. Oh well. The show starts at 8pm with DIY
zine/arts & crafts vendors also available. 
Pairdown
Au
Revoire Simone
Seattle's
Pretty Girls
Make Graves will be playing Mr. Smalls Theatre tonight in what will be their
last tour. The band announced on January 29th, 2007 that they were breaking
up after Nick Dewitt – drums, samples, keyboards, trumpet and vocals -
announced he was quitting the band. The band formed in 2001 from scattered pieces
of Murder City Devils, Death Wish Kids, Beehive Vaults and Kill Sadie. They
released a debut EP on Dim Mak before releasing their first full-length Good
Health on Lookout Records in April 2002. The band signed to Matador Records
who released The New Romance in 2003 followed by Élan Vital in April
2006. The band's poppy punk with great hooks and catchy choruses appealed to
audiences of both modern day music like At The Drive In and classic alternative
like Sleater-Kinney.