st. louis: the noise fm

you've heard me wax both poetic and not so poetic about this former-lawrence, now chicago-based threesome. this time around i'll keep it short and sweet, just like the band members. (love you guys.) it was a thursday night show in my good ole hometown of st. louis. i only have one class on fridays... and it's not until one. SCORE. a drive home for the evening to watch my good friends tear shit up was definitely on the list. as you've all heard by now, st. louis is completely hit or miss for mid-level indie, touring bands. there aren't many locals that have a solid draw, so the traveling bands are usually on their own at bringing out people to the show. cicero's, although small and dark, is one of my favorite small venues in the city. the door guy has worked there for ages; he knows me by name, and also knows my birthday. he offered to buy me a drink the next time i'm there since i'll FINALLY be 21. yesss. and it's become a a bit of a nostalgic place. all of "my bands" play cicero's, and the soundboard, which is covered in stickers, boasts names of all of them. some are still around and going strong while others have since broken up, gone separate ways, or formed new bands completely. but i always enjoy cicero's, even when i'm one of the only people there. yes. literally. if i remember correctly, there were three other bands besides the noise boys and they brought no one. i thought i was going to have the privilege of a private noise fm show, but a group of about five or six people showed up just in time for their set.

and to be honest, i feel bad that people missed out. i know how hard it must be as a band to put on a happy face and play to an empty club. but this was a fucking amazing show. i'm not one to dole out compliments to bands. you have to earn my respect and work to keep it. i've seen plenty of shitty bands to notice when a good one comes along and really brings it to the table. this show with an audience of probably fifteen or twenty was one of the best i've ever seen the noise fm play. maybe it was the sound. maybe it's where i was standing. maybe i was just in a really awesome mood. whatever you wanna call it, it was a flawless set and i was really glad i made the drive to see it.

www.thenoisefm.net
check their twitter too, it's hilarious: twitter.com/thenoisefm

worth your listening time: chicago's model stranger

download their album here!

ryan silver: the dakota sessions -- FREE EP!

my friend ryan just released his brand new ep, the dakota sessions, for FREE! what have you got to lose? go download it HERE!

look for my two cents on it in the next couple of days.

march (and april and may) madness!

we’ll just pretend that i have an endless supply of money and gas, and will never have homework or need sleep. the ideal calendar:

wed 3/9 – menomena/maps & atlases @ mojo’s

thurs 3/10 – the noise fm/squid the whale @ cicero’s

mon 3/14 – ra ra riot/pomegranates @ mojo’s 

tues 3/15 – daniel and the lion @ cicero’s

fri  3/18 – civil twilight @ off broadway

sat 3/19 – building rome @ the firebird

wed 3/23 - the heyday @ cicero's

fri 3/25 – margot and the nuclear so & so’s @ the firebird

thurs 4/7 – gold motel @ the firebird

wed 4/20 – ari herstand @ off broadway

fri 4/22 – ha ha tonka @ off broadway

sat 4/23 – foals/freelance whales @ the firebird

sat 4/30 - ha ha tonka @ mojo's

sun 5/1 – william fitzsimmons @ the firebird

tues 5/3 - fake problems @ off broadway

tues 5/3 – strand of oaks @ off broadway

thurs 5/19 – urbanites @ cicero’s