Noise Pop 2007

In early March of each year, the city of San Francisco swells with sound as bands take to the stage in multiple venues for Noise Pop. We’ve been looking forward to this since fall of last year. That’s because a music festival that spreads itself across the city for nearly a week isn’t enough for the Noise Pop Folks, though. They’ve also got to throw in opening and closing night events, after-hours parties every night of the festival, a showing of artwork done by musicians, a film festival and an Expo. A badge that gets you into ALL of the events all week long costs $150. Otherwise you can catch your favorite bands at various venues for prices ranging from $10 – $25.

Check out the list of who is playing where and when for Noise Pop 2007. I’m looking for advice about which these bands are good live, so tell me what you know about any of them. After the list, you can see notes on who I’ve seen and which venues I’ve been to.

Here’s who you’ll find playing where and when at Noise Pop 2007:

Tuesday, February 27th:
• Kick it all off with an opening night party at Mezzanine, the live music venue which also hosts various multi-media presentations throughout the year.
Wednesday, February 28th
• Hella plays with Pop Levi, Macromantics, and Tartuffi at Bottom of the Hill
• John Vanderslice plays with Damien Jurado, The Submarines, and Black Fiction at The Independent
• Josh Ritter plays with Will Sheff and Laura Gibson at the Swedish American Hall.
• Sebadoh plays with The Bent Mustache, Love of Diagrams and The New Trust at Great American Music Hall
• Willy Mason plays with The Watson Twins, Ryan Auffenberg and Built for the Sea at Café du Nord

Thursday, March 1st
• Alexi Murdoch plays with Aqueduct, Midnight Movies and Send for Help at Café du Nord
• French Kicks play with Scissors for Lefty, the Oohlas and Magic Bullets at Slim’s
• Langhorne Slim and Trainwreck Riders play with Poor Bailey and The Morning Benders at Rickshaw Stop
• Lyrics Born plays with The Coup at The Fillmore
• Matt & Kim play with Erase Errata, No Age, and Pants, Pants, Pants at Bottom of the Hill
• Roky Erikson and the Explosives play with Oranger, Howlin Rain and Wooden Shjips at the Great American Music Hall

Friday, March 2nd
• Annuals play with Simon Dawes, Pilot Speed, and Ray Barbie and the Matson 2 at Café du Nord
• Autolux plays with Snowden, Malajube and Death of a Party at The Independent
• Jolie Holland plays with David Dondero and St. Vincent at The Fillmore
• State Radio plays with The New Amsterdams, Street to Nowhere and the Actual at Slim’s.
• Ted Leo and the Pharmacists play with Georgie James, So Many Dynamos, and Pony Come Lately at the Great American Music Hall
• The Dandy Warhols play with Audrye Sessions, Elephone and DJ Aaron Axelson at Mezzanine
• The Donnas play with Boyskout, Bellavista and Push to Talk at Bottom of the Hill
• Vic Chesnutt plays with Zach Rogue, Thao Nguyen, and Alela Diane at the Swedish American Hall

Saturday, March 3rd
• Brightblack Morning Light plays with Women and Children, Mariee Sioux, and Karl Blau at Great American Music Hall
• Clinic plays with Earlimart, Sea Wolf and the Mumlers at The Indpendent
• Ghostland Observatory plays with Honeycut and The Gray Kid at Mezzanine
• Spinto Band plays with Dios Malos, The Changes, and The Old-Fashioned Way at Rickshaw Stop
• The Ponys play with Lemon Sun, Gris Gris and Rum Diary at Bottom of the Hill

Sunday, March 4th
• Cake plays with Money Mark, The Boticellis, and Scrabbel at Bimbo’s 365
• Midlake plays with Minipop, Ester Drang and Minmae at Bottom of the Hill
• The Dwarves play with Girl Band and the White Barons at Bottom of the Hill

So the list of the bands I’ve seen here is sad. And so is the list of the venues I’ve been to that are hosting. I’ve seen Willy Mason, who is an awesome live performer that I’ll probably try and check out again. And I’ve seen Cake – several times – and am of the firm belief that their live shows are worth seeing no matter what you think of the band. I’ve been to The Independent, Bimbo’s 365 and Café du Nord – all intimate venues with good sound, so I’m guessing the others are about the same. What do you think I should go see?