This week sees two somewhat similar but vastly different annual spectacles—the overindulgent, Creole holiday Mardi Gras on Tuesday and the manufactured, mushy, couple-loving Valentine’s Day on Sunday. Both holidays celebrate the ceremonial excesses of life, whether it is heart-shaped boxes of chocolates or a tiny, plastic baby hiding inside a cake. But while Mardi Gras is one last hurrah before the 40-day Lenten season commences, Valentine’s Day offers no such relief to a stalling relationship.
While the club will certainly be going up on a Tuesday this week, the music starts even earlier than usual with a rare, studio-only performance from one of the members of Real Estate. Martin Courtney, who sings and plays guitar in the indie-rock band Real Estate, will play a set of songs from his debut solo album, Many Moons, at the 88Nine Radio Milwaukee Studios, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. The event, which begins at 10:30 a.m. (doors open 15 minute before), is free and open to the public. Courtney’s album feels even more laid-back and carefree than the lighthearted vibes of his proper band—it’s certainly great wake-up music.
Later, the party really gets rolling at Potawatomi’s Northern Lights Theater, 1721 W. Canal St., of all places. Perhaps, though, the most appropriate, vice-filled background for Buckwheat Zydeco, the Louisiana-born singer and accordion player is an accomplished Creole and R&B musician, whose Cajun sound was born straight out of the bayou. With the clinking sounds of slot machines not too far away, Potawatomi and Buckwheat Zydeco provide the perfect hedonistic party atmosphere for Fat Tuesday.
While getting a table at a nice restaurant for Sunday may be too difficult at this point, there’s always an option for renegade punk pioneer Henry Rollins to feed you some knowledge at Turner Hall Ballroom, 1032 N. 4th St. The 55-year-old former Black Flag singer will eschews the backing band for a spoken word performance that promises to be filled with musings on the Hallmark card holiday, the current rash of lost rock idols, and the fractured state of American politics.
The Valentine’s Day cover sets at Bremen Café, 901 E. Clarke St., make no guarantees about actually being any good. Titled “Shitty S.A.D.D. Valentine’s Cover Show,” the event offers tossed together versions of melancholy tunes from Bright Eyes, Brand New, Pedro the Lion, Tegan & Sarah, My Chemical Romance and maybe Radiohead, which may turn out to actually be pretty good. Either way, it’s a fun way to drown the sorrows of a lonely heart.
All Messed Up
Returning to Linneman’s Riverwest Inn, 1001 E. Locust St., for its sixth year, All Messed Up brings together 64 Milwaukee-area musicians and randomly sorts them into brand new groups. These 16 newly formed bands then have only a few months to play original songs at this weekend’s climactic event. The show is split between two nights, Friday and Saturday. Start time is at 7 p.m. and cover is $3 for each.
Video of the Week
The Wisconsin-area collective UNINTIMATED formed in response to Scott Walker’s policies leading up to the candidate’s run at the Republican nomination for president, but his withdrawal from the national race didn’t stop the group’s urgency to criticize the governor. A collection of protest songs from Howl Street Recordings will be released this spring as a CD/DVD/zine. Last week, FowlMouth’s “Too Tired to Riot” was the first in a series of videos to be released for this project. This week we got a new video from Haunted Heads entitled “285 Feet Tall.”
This Week in Live Music
Monday, February 8: Hugh Masterson with The Hustle at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Thursday, February 11: Escape Is Not Freedom with Asatta and Hot Coffin at Frank’s Power Plant, 9 p.m. ($5) – (2800 S. Kinnickinnic Ave., FranksPowerPlant.com)
Friday, February 12: Godspeed You! Black Emperor with Xylouris White at Turner Hall Ballroom, 8 p.m. ($25) – (144 E. Wells St., PabstTheater.org)
Also: Tigernite with The Pukes and Sheena and the Headbangers at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
Saturday, February 13: Reel Big Fish with Suburban Legends and Maxies at The Rave, 8 p.m. ($20) – (2401 W. Wisconsin Ave., TheRave.com)
Also: Avenues with The Peach Kings, The Bangups and Math Mountain at Cactus Club, 9 p.m. – (2496 S. Wentworth Ave., CactusClubMilwaukee.com)
And: The Pines with Buffalo Gospel at Club Garibaldi, 9 p.m. – (2501 S. Superior St., ClubGaribaldis.com)
