THE ADOLESCENTS
Who would’ve thunk The Adolescents would become such a family-friendly affair? Orange County’s beloved punk rockers’ current incarnation features Frank Agnew and his son Frank Agnew Jr. along with founder/vocalist Tony Reflex. Reflex spends his days teaching third graders instead of high-schoolers because “they aren’t as jaded.” This from the same guy who declared “We’re too often asked/ We can’t change the world!” Of course, he also said “We rule and you don’t.” Sharp as a tack and always ready to attack, the Adolescents give punk a good name. Guess you can focus on the family and fight for social/political justice after all. Just leave the kids home tonight. Burt’s Tiki Lounge, 726 S. State, 10 p.m. Tickets: SmithsTix.com (with The Dollyrots and Skint)
Also Thursday: Peter, Bjorn & John, Apostle of Hustle (Gallivan Center—see Music, p. 50); Band of Heathens (Pat’s BBQ); James Dean Hicks, Richard Leigh, Marc Beeson (Zoom, Park City)
Friday 8.3
THE CARIBBEAN
We must, we must, we must subvert our pop. It’s better, it’s better, it’s better for the listener. They’ve endured too many flat, predictable singers who sound not at all like Sesame Street’s Ernie after a semester of post-modern literature and music theory. Which is pretty much what The Caribbean’s Michael Kentoff’s high-pitched delivery brings to mind (that, and a blush of Grandaddy). His narrative lyrics are laid out in that careful, instructive tone reserved for precocious children who are anxious to pick up sticks and throw down jams. To wit, the Washington, D.C., trio’s material is ripe with informed, yet playful, intentions. 2007’s Populations (scheduled to hit streets this October) picks up where 2005’s Plastic Explosives left off, full of dreamy and complex compositions—perfect for a Miranda July film. Like it or not, it’s a wonderful expression of experimental pop. Nobrow Tea & Coffee, 315 E. 300 South, 7 p.m. 364-3448, all-ages.
Also Friday: James Miska Farewell Show (Red Light Books); Atherton CD Release (Post Theatre, Fort Douglas); Eisley (In the Venue); Toby Keith (Usana Amphitheater); Iota (Bar Deluxe); MS Benefit: Shackelton (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Vile Blue Shades (Monk’s); Band of Heathens (Spur Bar, Park City); Cross Canadian Ragweed (Suede, Park City); The Brobecks, The John Whites (Velour, Provo)
Saturday 8.4
Jonathon Jones of Waking Ashland (Kilby Court); Rita Coolidge (Sandy City Amphitheatre); L.A. Guns, Firehouse, Warrant (Ogden Amphitheatre); The Supersuckers (The Canyons Resort, Park City); Afro Omega (Bar Deluxe); Radio Moscow, The Wolfs, Red Bennies (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Vile Blue Shades (Burt’s Tiki Lounge)
Sunday 8.5
COLIN HAY BAND
Colin Hay’s latest solo album Are You Lookin’ at Me? takes a page from Ray Davies’ songbook, with the artist from down under not really singing but talking on the title track about wanting to be a cowboy until the Beatles came along. The impressionable Lone Ranger fan went on to front one of Australia’s most successful bands, Men at Work, teaching North America about the glories of Vegemite. Other songs off Me showcase Hay’s gravely voice and the sensuous, romantic side that Zach Braff’s Garden State helped re-popularize with his heartbreaking contribution “I Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You,” as well as lush acoustic/electronic arrangements. And if you just can’t get over the absence of sax, there’s always that used “Who Can It Be Now” 7-inch collecting dust in your cabinet. Suede, 1612 Ute Blvd., Park City, 9 p.m. Tickets: SmithsTix.com
HAMMER SMITH BAND
Widely cited as a “wizard” and an “ace,” L.A. everyman Chris “Hammer” Smith is no joke. The seasoned harmonica player has contributed his mouth-harp chops to works by Joni Mitchell, Paul McCartney, John Hiatt, Walter Becker ... even Queen “U-N-I-T-Y” Latifah. Smith’s solo work is equally solid, if not quite as diverse. His latest album Livin’ On My Own is 14 original blues tracks plus one Willie Dixon cover, each verifying more than 30 years of experience. While Smith’s vocals at times veer high above subtle, there’s no doubt he believes each and every word of “I Should’ve Done Her Better.” Zanzibar, 679 S. 200 West, 9 p.m. Info: 746-0590
Also Sunday: UPROK Doin’ It at the Park (Liberty Park); Sierra Leone’s Refugee All-Stars (Red Butte Garden); Holiday Parade, Dangerous Summer (The Circuit)
Monday 8.6
Rush (Usana Amphitheatre); Reel Big Fish, Less Than Jake (Great Saltair); Black Cobra, Blackhole (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Bishop Allen, Page France (Velour, Provo)
Tuesday 8.7
Utah Wilderness Day Celebration: Greg Brown, Kate MacLeod, Chatham County Line (Gallivan Center); Ezra Furman & The Harpoons (Kilby Court); Evans Blue, Framing Hanley (Avalon Theater); Street Dogs (In the Venue); Marc Broussard’s Soul Revue (The Depot)
THE RENTALS
Simple, carefree songs from the early ’90s provided the perfect counterpart to works by grunge-era legends whose anguished craftsmanship fell short on sunny days and butterfly-filled first dates. The Rentals’ “Friends of P,” for example, and “Last Romantic Day” off the indie-pop group’s first release in eight years, The Last Little Life EP, seems like a better fit for riding bikes in the park with your sweetheart than, say, Alice in Chains’ “Heaven Beside You.” Former Weezer bassist Matt Sharp rallied a crew of old and new band mates (not including one-time keyboardist Maya Rudolph, of Saturday Night Live) to record and tour in support of songs fueled by the same zany Moog, males/female harmonies and witty lyrics that aren’t always as nice as they sound: “Boy, you show your age/ in the bright lights/ she’s got bad form/ and a short fuse/in the sunshine/ she’s a cold muse.” Hmm. Better rethink that bike ride. In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, 7 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 24Tix.com
Also Wednesday: Plants, Stage Hare (Kilby Court); Fear Before the March of Flames (Avalon Theater); Larry Carlton & Robben Ford (The Depot); Larry Keel & The Natural Bridge (Spur Bar, Park City)
COMING UP
In Gowan Ring, QstandsforQ (Slowtrain, Aug. 9); Black Light Burns (Avalon Theater, Aug. 9); David Grisman Quintet, Sam Bush (Gallivan Center, Aug. 9); Iceburn (In the Venue, Aug. 11); Spindrift, The Furs (Kilby Court, Aug. 11); Michelle Malone (Urban Lounge, Aug. 11); Mark Mallman, The Redwalls (Burt’s Tiki Lounge, Aug. 14); Broken Teeth (Club Vegas, Aug. 15); President Brown (Suede, Aug. 15); ZZ Top, Stray Cats, The Pretenders (Usana Amphitheatre, Aug. 15); Ryan Shupe & The RubberBand (Midvale City Park, Aug. 18); Poison, Ratt (Usana Amphitheater, Aug. 18); Fountains of Wayne (The Depot, Aug. 21); Medeski, Martin & Wood (Deer Valley Resort, Aug. 26); Kittie (Avalon Theater, Aug. 29)
