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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.
Where's Bim Been This Week?
3/2 @ The Eastern Oregon Film Festival in La Grande: The Dirty Moogs
Bim says: You wouldn't get the right feeling about the Dirty Moogs if I told you that they are a school teacher, a lawyer and another nondescript fellow from Boise—that is what they technically are. It's the kind of band that can really do a "craftwork" cover. Add to the keyboard mountain and fog and lights and stage-dancing, hilarious faux-German accented stage-banter, and we're getting closer to the truth of the experience. La Grande parties way harder than Portland. Who knew?
3/3 @ Rontoms: Animal Eyes, Talkative
Bim says: I know that I've already filed this complaint, but what's the deal with Rontoms clearly spending a cash-mountain on the patio to make their summer shows pop off harder than a Cook's cork, yet doing absolutely nothing to help the sound-tragedy that is their current indoor sonic situation? It's alarming that Theo has been able to book it as well as he has. High five, Theo! As far as this show went, Animal Eyes and Talkative both combated the room well, but bands that are playing what I think can legitimately be called an "established" show-series shouldn't shoulder a technical burden that can be relatively cheaply patched with some of that Tecate cash.
3/4 @ Minden Manor: Minden (Into The Woods Video Shoot)
Bim says: The first 40 oz cracked at about 2 pm. While we're all here, show me your rad cat that plays fetch, now onto makeup, hair and somebody light up that grill. I'll bet we can fit a gaggle of people with cameras in your living room while you play some songs, and I'll bet you can still find room to explore. Okay now that the work's done it's time for grilled meats, whiskey, beer, and hell, I'll play some dice on your kitchen floor.
3/5 @ Double Dragon: Fanno Creek
Bim says: I fucking love Portland. Well, I love the fact that here, I'll find myself having to choose between delicious sandwich shops for the better live music (although there was a dude working at Double Dragon who had a Bunk Sandwiches shirt on—maybe this is some sort of trick). I'll take this trickery any day of the week, and most especially on a Tuesday. There's something inside show-goers that makes them love to cram themselves into tiny places, to stare at the back of the tall peoples' heads, in order to hear a band. I'm most definitely in that category. Capacity is, apparently, a thing of folklore when you're a sandwich shop, and it's your first show.
3/6 @ Record Room: The Woolen Men
Bim says: The Woolen Men capture themselves perfectly. It's what comes of three notably well-listened musicians sticking together for so long—to alarmingly little local avail until recently—and busting ass the whole time putting out golden album after gilded genius, trusting that listeners would catch up to them. That honest perseverance and truth to purpose is why they're the best, well that, and it doesn't hurt that all three of them are killer songwriters and performers. Everything is finally in place, and in my opinion, the Woolen Men are Portland's best band, new or old.
What's Bim Seeing Next Week?
3/8 @ The Know: Sons of Huns, Ape Machine, Bison Bison [Tour Kick-off]
I fucking love Sons of Huns. Being someone that hasn't yet gone through a real metal-enlightenment period yet, I'm pretty sure that they'll be the reason I do, when I do. And while listening to Ape Machine, I can feel myself succumbing to the wrath that awaits me. I don't claim to know much about metal, so I'll leave it there and try to learn a bit more at this show.
3/9 @ The Know: C Average, Nasalrod, Humors
Damn yeah C Average at The Know! I was 8 years old when they released their self titled album. That's to say, I was barely starting to play D&D, and they had already translated it into music. I don't think I was living in Portland the last time these Oly WA based KRS ultra-vets played here. Fuck it, I'd bet good money you weren't either. WTF, The Know? You're killing it this week!
3/10 @ Rontoms: Thanks, Slim Fortune
Thanks is impossible to find with your Google-goggles, but you've never found anything new and ripper with those anyway (unless you consider rad cats either of those things). I'm lucky enough to have seen this supergroup of underground musicians—containing folks from the late My Autumn's Done Come (now rebuilt and called The Century), Death Songs, and another one that I am forgetting the name of--who have all, save one member, been on my musical radar consistently for years. In Portland music, I'd consider that a very long time. This incarnation is liberatingly stoked and ready to facilitate the party.
3/11 @ White Eagle: Bubble Cats, Jolliff
White Eagle on a Monday is somewhere between watching a band at a house where young folks live and an Elks Club. Jolliff is misrepresented slightly by their somber offerings on Bandcamp. Live, they bring appropriate dynamics and variety. If the moment requires, they'll smash the shit out of everything. But I have only seen them once; I can't rightly say that I'm a Jolliff expert. I will be if they keep playing shows, though.
3/12 @ Bunk Bar: Like A Villain, WL
WL is like if Slowdive had some balls. I happen to be of the opinion that shoegaze is on it's way back—of course, though, the mimicry should be loose—and this time they'll move around more while they play. I think WL is part of that welcome rebirth but I also am risking your opinion of them by saying all this because it seems that shoegaze is often mistaken for other kinds of music. When I say Asobi Seksu, don't babble shoegaze back at me. As my father always said: "A wall of guitars" does not alone make a shoegaze band," clearly in reference to Dream Pop misnomers. (My dad would never say that, BTW.) Like A Villain is incredible and makes this show a widespread.
3/13 @ Backspace: Thollem Electric, Eddie Thomas & The Locols
Thollem is not for new ears, it's challenging and anti-possible music—electronic, improv and analog effects are all terms that apply to, but do not explain, Thollem—because he lives in the mild part of an explosion, the safety in his playing in always melting, and always done solidly.
FOLLOW: Bim is on Twitter at @bimditson. He also makes chain jewelry. Visit his Etsy store here.
WWeek 2015