Events: Now Through Saturday

First of all, I just want to mention that central Conn. or the area surrounding it is looking pretty good over the next few days. And with that, props to the Hartford Party Starters Union - they've got some parties planned that I am fully prepared to promote at least if not attend. (READ UP)

Tonight (Tuesday) we have 1) Tim Palmieri (vocals, lead guitar) of The Breakfast at The Space in Hamden, Conn. The Breakfast are a jam band...? Doors at 6 p.m., tickets are $8.

2) Manic is also putting on a show tonight at Cafe Nine in New Haven, Conn. with Tim Barry of Avail - doors at 8 p.m., $8 21+

For Wednesday, we've got a couple of options: 1) If you bought tickets to Vampire Weekend at Smith College, I'm assuming it's on the top of people's lists for a Wednesday night. According to Northampton Box Office, the show's not sold out yet. Even if it is come 7 or 8 p.m. the night of, there will most likely be scalpers. I'm not trying to call them out - I love the self-titled debut - but maybe they'll have new material by now?

2) We also have The Honors, along with a bunch of other names on the supporting bands list at The Space. The Honors are from Boston, Mass., have been touring the are for a while and will continue to do so well into the summer. They're an indie rock, alt band who The Space says sound like The Killers. Their frontmen even share the same name. Doors at 7 p.m., $10

Thursday will bring Kiss Kiss back to the area, hip-hop to CCSU and local VRSA into Cafe Nine.

1) WFCS 107.7 is hosting a hip-hop concert in Alumni Hall in the student center at CCSU at 11 p.m. - it's free! And they want you to know they have free food! Names like Milo Sheff, Kamoflauge, Grown Tone and QP as well as few CCSU student rappers are lined up for Thursday's show. Also, local DJs Wayne DeRoy and Earle Nelson will be spinning.

2) Kiss Kiss is always a good time. I've seen them once, but went with 2 people who have seen the band a few times before and keep coming back. More recently, they released their new record The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth. Plus, Kiss Kiss admittedly loves The Space and its crowd, so it looks to be good night. Doors at 7 p.m., $10

3) VRSA will be playing Cafe Nine with the Cloud Professors. Die Hipster Productions are putting on the show. Show at 9 p.m.

For Friday we have the Pains of Being Pure at Heart - I've been listening to their debut record for about 2 months and I've come to the conclusion that this show is probably too good to pass up for only $8. It's at the Wallingford American Legion - good times there, I hear. If you miss this show, however, the PoBPaH are playing the Iron Horse Music Hall on April 26 with Ponytail. 

2) Speaking of, Ponytail will be performing a free show at Wesleyan's Eclectic Society, a frat house-turned-venue. The shows always start way later, but the Web site says 9 p.m.

On Saturday, one of the Turkey's favs Bear Hands is making an appearance at Meriden's Daffodil Festival with Bottle Up and Go. 

2) Lastly, the Hartford Party Starters are putting on a show in Hartford, Conn. (yeah, Hartford) on Saturday with electronic/experimental band TheDeathSet and Ninjasonik.

Bear Hands, Kiss Kiss @ The Space, Jan. 8

We got photos from Thursday night's show at The Space in Hamden - it wasn't actually as dark in there as these photos would have you believe. Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Bear Hands headlined. 

While Ed probably disagreed, the performance by the four-piece kept on pace with the night's earlier Kiss Kiss. The band said they finished up two new songs that week - "Belongings" and "Life at the Impound" - which they were enthusiastic about trying out at this live performance. Bassist Val Loper quickly claimed that "Belongings", a tune that doesn't stray far from the quartet's catalogue and is slightly more upbeat than the latter, was more of a success.

I'd argue that both, spread between the likes of "Bad Blood" and "Long Lean Queen" off their Golden EP kept the energy high and the crowd enthralled. I'll look forward to seeing these guys again, hopefully in Brooklyn, though Thursday's performance in their native Connecticut was gratifying.

Kiss Kiss, the acoustic Brudher and the overwhlemed See/Saw rounded out the ticket. 

Kiss Kiss - from Thursday's performance, I now understand what they mean when they say that the band is like a black house cat. Stylistically, they produce an elegant and glossy sound. Their music is a degree of deeper-brooding than My Chemical Romance, but much more open to the Eastern European mystery and old-world fun. 

Murder by Death & Kiss Kiss photos from Sunday

Sunday night Murder by Death played the Webster Underground in Hartford. O'Death, Kiss Kiss, Bottle Up & Go and some other band opened up the night. I'm not really a huge fan of any of these bands (aka don't know their songs), but Kiss Kiss and O'Death both put on impressive shows. Murder by Death was great too. I don't want to sell them short, but coming strictly from a "I don't know any of your music" perspective those two were the standouts.


Murder by Death




Kiss Kiss

For more photos of both these bands, as well as the O'Death and Bottle Up & Go check out the full album.

And if you happened to miss Sunday's show and you're in Providence or willing to drive there, Murder by Death, O'Death and Kiss Kiss will be taking their tour to the Living Room.