Go To There: July 24 - 29

By Gene Wagendorf III

Sister Crystals

Wednesday, July 24th: Twin Peaks and Sister Crystals at Schubas (9pm, 18+, $10)
Both of these bands recently dropped excellent records and both put on killer live shows. Twin Peaks have been getting major buzz for their glam-garage debut, Sunken, and this show should give you a good idea what to expect later this year at Riot Fest. Dream-poppers Sister Crystals just released a self-titled LP full of spacey jams and plenty of Lauren Whitacre's swoon-inducing vocals.


Thursday, July 25th: Xoe Wise at Lincoln Hall (8pm, 18+, $10)
Pop songstress Xoe Wise cites influences as dissimilar as Madonna and Mazzy Star, but one listen and it makes sense. Minimal beats and throbbing synths backlight her seductive croon- one that's more than worthy of the spotlight.


Friday, July 26th: The Peekaboos at Empty Bottle (9:30pm, 21+, FREE w/ RSVP)
Tongue-in-cheek punk band The Peekaboos released Stay Positive back in January and it's proved to be one of those records that won't go away (not that we want it to!). Slapstick vocals soar over buzzsaw guitars and speedball drumming- everything you need for a good time. Songs like "Let's Talk About Your Big Butt" and "Let's Pet Puppies" won't have you questioning existence or scheduling therapy sessions with your inner child, but they do go perfectly with a cold beer.


Saturday, July 27th: Meat Puppets and The Hecks at Wicker Park Fest (All Ages, $5)
Thanks in no small part to Nirvana's legendary MTV unplugged performance, Meat Puppets "Lake of Fire" has become a staple on any good '90s rock mix. Twenty years later the Puppets are touring in support of their thirteenth studio record and still rocking hard. The headline a stellar day of music at six corners, including Santah, Pet Lions and Cults. Aside from Meat Puppets we're most excited to see local weirdo two-piece The Hecks, whose Moniker Records debut Trust and Order was one of the strongest releases of 2013.


Sunday, July 28th: The Runnies at The Whistler (9:30pm, 21+, FREE)
Singer Mary McKane leads The Runnies with a dynamic voice that shifts from deep and moving and just fucking snarling. The organ trio spits lo-fi garage rock on their excellent debut record You Can't Win (available free at Candy Dinner). Let's see: free record, free show. It add up. Go.


Monday, July 29th: Snacks and Basic Cable at Wally World (9pm, All Ages, $5)
Rowdy-as-fuck punk band Snacks (featuring members of Massive Ego and Close Hits) is reuniting for this DIY show and who knows when (if ever) they'll play again. We last covered them going absolutely ape-shit at the since-closed Treasure Town. Here's a sample: "By set's end the singer was crumbled to a fetal position, dotted with confetti and pants-less, howling into the mic over violin shrieks and tumbling percussion." Insane as their live show gets, Snacks were never a band that hid behind riotous schtick. These boys can flat out fucking play. Gnarly punks Basic Cable play this show too, following up on a storm-unleashing set at Milwaukee Avenue Arts Fest. The group features members of Running, Heavy Times, E+ and Loose Dudes. 'Nuff said?