Bimstagram, April 5

See Portland through the eyes of local music's biggest fan.

Bim Ditson goes to more shows than you. Don't feel bad: He goes to more shows than just about anyone. And sometimes, he takes pictures with his cell phone. In this column, we're letting Bim—whom you might know as the drummer for garage-pop misfits And And And—show you where he's been and who he's seen this week, and tell you where to go and who to see in the week ahead. You should take his advice. After all, he goes to more shows than you.


WHAT DID BIM SEE LAST WEEK?

3/27 @ The Tin Can Alehouse (San Diego CA)

Octa#grape

Four-track-mind hauling prickly lightning cacti up hill both ways, for honor, and secret glory. Everything about this band sounds unreal and perfect. Fucking Octa#grape 4 lyfe.

3/28 @ El Rio (San Francisco CA)

Giggle Party

They generously waited to start the show late so that we (And And And and The We Shared Milk) could still play, even though we left San Diego four hours after we should have to get there. Then they loaded a shit-ton of adult-sized party poppers on stage with them. A party was clearly ensuing. One with facepaint and Four Loko levels of stoked'ed-ness. I spilled all my beer 'cause my body wouldn't stop pogoing, and neither would everyone else's.

3/29 @ The Night Light (Oakland CA)

Halyonaire

This reminds me of that unsafe tumbleweed that sobers your acid trip, and makes you realize just how cold it got out here all of a sudden. Desert rock. Crumbling under itself as to not trip you up. Brilliant and threatening from moment to moment, sometimes for its organic droning, and often, for a long time you're finally lost.

3/30 @ Taroko Sushi (Ashland OR)

Lexi

It was their first show ever, and yeah, this set was not crystal polished. But these were undoubtedly real songs. Stripped slightly and sometimes about STDs, there was something about this lead guy that you could trust. From there we went to Skyler's (guy from 100 Watt Mind who invited us to play that night) house for his birthday party. The next thing I remember is a wiggle-board skateboard, and the ingenuity depicted above.

3/31 @ Sam Bond's Garage (Eugene OR)

Father Figure

I feel that if Father Figure assumed more power, they'd get it. There's a fine line, but the songs are there and I think they just need an owner. But maybe it had more to do with the sound guy at Sam Bond's telling the bands, right before they played: "If you're loud, I'm going to shut it down and kick you all out." On second thought, yeah, it's that guys' hospitality and the general Eugene attitude I've got problems with. Father Figure ripped regardless. 

4/2 @Bunk Bar

The Eastern Sea

This was a one of those really great surprises. Impeccable musicianship and all that shit. They climb around their songs with death-defying gentility—the trumpet juxtaposing the lead vox, as his voice becomes like a human reverb to the brass lead line, and as quickly as it swelled, it's shattered to near silence and only a muted, nail-less, picking pattern. Before now, this Austin band hadn't been to Portland. If and when they come back, I expect we'll have caught on by then and we can all go get jealous in our ears.

4/3 @ Holocene

Stepkid

What happens when one super-baller drummer turns his jazz chops inward, and spreads them out over a kit, a keyboard, some triggers, a computer, and probably some stuff I've never heard or—all done live fairly flawlessly and he doesn't need anyone? Stepkid is what, dummy. What's more entertaining than to watch a dude sing, play the melody on some keys with his left hand, and play the drums with his feet and right hand, and have it sound good.

WHAT'S BIM SEEING NEXT WEEK?

4/5 @ Tonic Lounge: A Volcano, Butt 2 Butt, Gloomsday, Dark Country

Despite the name, Butt 2 Butt plays some killer young sonics. Traded female and male art-dark vocals giving way to the crunch and gristle of ripper fuzzed-out dirt-pop. Much of  their album My Bed, My Bitch harkens the under-swell of Goo and seasons it with tasteful grains of dream-pop, blast-beaten tracks. Always back to the muddy spoken basement, though. Damn good work Butt 2 Butt.

4/6 @ Bunk Bar: Kinski, Mark McGuire

I wish I had longer hair for this. Total guitar shit, the best kind—lazy genius tone zone-boner for days. The songs are this long because fuck you, it took them six years to make this album because killer lion tapestry, they know what's up and have been there and back. This will be a great fucking show.

4/7 @ Doug Fir: Brainstorm, Houndstooth, Hustle & Drone

Show up early to see how perfect Portland ambassadors Hustle & Drone sound after getting back from their Euro tour. H&D (God I wish one of them was named Harry and another was named David) have had one of the fastest starts to a international trajectory of any Portland band in recent times, and for good reason. Like a smarter Starfucker that's slightly less for girls and still sexier than shit. If you pay to see them, you get two of Portland's best (Houndstooth's beach-handsome, and Brainstorm's boy-chant-pop) for free!

4/10 @ Mississippi Studios: Ghostface Killah, Adrian Younge's Venice Dawn

Fuck yeah!

4/11 @ The Know: Nucular Aminals, Haunted Horses, Gallons

Nucular Aminals are back from their European tour—Portland International Music Heros Return Week up in this!—and putting out a 7" on the always killer Hovercraft Records. This band has been proving itself since at least '09, and shit, they've killed it at their version of ghost math/mold-basement-spore-surf, show in and show out. Come welcome them back and buy one of their 7"'s. God knows it'll rip.

FOLLOW: Bim is on Twitter at @bimditson. He also makes chain jewelry. Visit his Etsy store here. 

WWeek 2015

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.