Sons of Huns, Hundred Dollar Jayhawks
Saturday, May 19
Pete’s Place, 356 State St. SE
10 p.m., free, 21+
Both the Cherry and Rose Cities seem to have a claim on garage metal lords “Sons of Huns,” but with the Huns recently minted as a “Best New Band” in Willamette Week’s end-all-be-all list, Portland may have won the tug-of-war. With that in mind, I still expect the band’s strong connections to our music scene to maintain a healthy dose of Sons O’ Huns in Oregon’s capital until, of course, they reach Metalocalypse popularity. I’d also like to note that five of the thirty bands on WW’s list the past three years have Salem roots: Youth (2012), Sons of Huns (2012), Brainstorm (2011), Typhoon (2010) and Wampire (2010). This fact is especially impressive when one realizes that musicians move from all over the world to be a part of the Portland music scene. It’s also a painful reminder that Salem doesn’t have the infrastructure or support to retain a lot of its home-grown talent.

Comedy is FREE!
Saturday, May 19
The Triangle, 3215 Liberty Rd. S
9 p.m., free, 21+
Anthony Lopez is scheduled to headline the 13th installment of the “Comedy is FREE!” at The Triangle, which also includes local regulars Jared Richard, Nariko Ott, Xander Devaux, and Whitney Streed and host Jesse Priest. For many of us, attending a comedy show isn’t a regular affair. Why is that? Also, why is that when a lot of these local comedy events tend to be free? What is there to lose (besides the performer’s dignity)? The evening will be capped by the band Boys Club, which the act advertises as “Salem’s favorite Ween tribute band.” Anyone else feel like that’s a challenge?

Sonny Hess
Saturday, May 19
Mac’s Place, 201 N. Water St. Silverton
9 p.m., $5, 21+
A pioneer for women in the traditionally male-dominated world of rhythm and blues, guitarist and vocalist Sonny Hess has remained a fixture on the Northwest blues rock circuit for decades, and for good reason — she can wail. Bring an extra few bucks, because the concert will serve as an album release for the regional legend. If you want to check out picturesque Silverton in the daylight, the 6th Annual Silverton Wine & Jazz Festival is happening earlier that day, with high school, college and professional performers. For more information on that event, visitwww.SilvertonWineAndJazz.com.

Rare Monk
Friday, May 25
Boon’s Treasury, 888 Liberty St. NE
9 p.m., free, 21+
Portland experimental rock outfit Rare Monk is fresh off trips to SXSW and NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) and ready to bring their funky psychedelic and danceable tunes toBoon’s Treasury. A quick read through their biography shows that the members are quite the wheelers-and-dealers with songs on X-Games and DC Shoes commercials and sponsorships with Ninkasi Brewing and Gallien-Krueger Amplifiers. In this day and age, musicians have got to diversify their scope to cobble together a living, and Rare Monk is headed in that direction with creative and polished music and business sense to match.

Dana Carvey
Friday, May 25
Spirit Mountain Casino, 27100 SW Salmon River Hwy
8 p.m., $15, 21+
Hey, it’s Garth! And … Pistachio Disguisey? Dana Carvey has had an enviable career by most comedians’ standards with a long run on Saturday Night Live and an iconic role as Garth Algar from“Wayne’s World” and its sequel. Unfortunately, he never quite worked out as a leading man (see Opportunity Knocks, Clean Slate and The Master of Disguise). However, Carvey has remained a force on the stand-up circuit over the years – most likely stemming from the two undeniable successes listed above. Anybody unsure of Carvey’s comedic genius needs to search “Garth Foxy Lady” on Youtube.com.

DarkHorse
Saturday, May 26
Clockworks Cafe, 241 Commercial St. NE
7 p.m., free, all-ages
If you’re a fan of early 70’s light folk rock like James Taylor, Cat Stevens or Simon & Garfunkel, you may want to give upstart local band “DarkHorse” a chance at a free show at Salem’s cultural hub. The band’s rhythm section may lack a bit of finesse, but that quintessential 70’s male folk singer drawl and the arrangement’s quasi-psychedelic finish is everpresent, and at least on recordings, spot-on. Some soothing tunes and a spring stroll around downtown may be enough to smooth over the fact that you were not able to get away for Memorial Day weekend.

The Peculiar Pretzelmen
Saturday, May 26
Brown’s Towne Lounge, 189 Liberty St. NE
9 p.m., free, 21+
Salem’s favorite adopted local band The Peculiar Pretzelmen are touring through Salem to perform at friend, fan, and Brown’s bartender Fawn’s birthday party. For those who don’t know, The Pretzelmen actually hail from Los Angeles, and play a brand of raunchy, howlin’ junkyard blues that screams “alternate-history vaudeville side show” until its vocal cords are shredded. At its root,though, the band is a collection of great entertainers that write good songs and always put on an energetic and fun show. If you can brave the crowd, The Pretzelmen are definitely worth a gander.

“We play original compositions that are influenced by traditional American pop from the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s,” said LAKE’s Elijah Moore. “Lyrical content that makes you think; lots of group vocals;male and female leads. There’s also a fair amount of world music in our music as well.”

Moore said the band — which is signed to influential Olympia-based label K Records — has “played most of the U.S., and a little in Canada, the U.K., Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic.” They also are in the midst of a regional spring tour.

Though the band lacks a strong connection to the Cherry City — Moore mentioned that his uncle once owned a donut shop here — they still have a sizable following in Salem, most likely based on a combination of its critically acclaimed music, link to K Records, friendship with local heroes Typhoon, and longevity and persistence (they’ve been around and active since 2005).

Moore said that fans will be in for a few treats at the upcoming show.

“We’ll be selling a special tour-only cassette with download of new material, we are currently working on two new releases and plan to be playing lots of new material plus the regular favorites from our last three albums,” said Moore. “We’re also still very excited about our 2011 release Giving & Receiving.”

Limited seating is available, so interested parties are recommended to arrive early or purchase tickets in advance at Christo’s Pizzeria & Lounge.

LAKE
May 24th, 9 p.m.
Christo’s Lounge
1108 Broadway St. NE
503-371-2892

Saturday, May 5
Suga-T
Club 501, 3755 Portland Rd. NE
8 p.m., $6, 21+
Known for her part in the 90’s rap outfit The Click with her brother E-40 (remember the track Hurricane?), Suga-T has now parlayed her success within the hip hop community to start a fragrance line and is currently touring to promote her new venture. Local promoter Ryan Laws jumped at the opportunity to bring the Bay Area icon to the Cherry City, and put together a crowded bill of regional talent, including Black Businezz and Roulette Delgado from Portland and DevittoP from Salem. If you’re planning to attend, note that there are prizes for the best-dressed woman and man. If I were judging, whoever had the largest Rod Strickland Trail Blazers jersey would win. Just sayin’.

Saturday, May 5
Curtis Salgado
Mac’s Place, 201 N. Water St. Silverton
9 p.m., $10, 21+
One-time lead singer for Santana and the inspiration for John Belushi’s character in The Blues Brothers, harpist and singer Curtis Salgado is a legend in his native Northwest. Though he underwenta liver transplant six years ago due to cancer, he actively tours, dropping by the mid-Willamette Valley every few months. If you’re a Blazers fan, you may have witnessed Salgado and all of his Portland pride performing the team’s theme song during commercial breaks in the last couple of years. He’s everywhere. However, this gig at Mac’s Place is no ordinary performance — it serves as a release for his new album “Soul Shot” — so Northwest blues junkies take note.

Sunday, May 6
Willamette Master Chorus – Basically Bernstein
Hudson Hall, Willamette University
3 p.m., $20 ($5 for students), all-ages
Willamette’s Master Chorus has put together a shindig to celebrate all things Bernstein with an abbreviated version of “Mass,” and selections from “The Lark,” “Candide,” and “West Side Story.” Bernstein is considered by many to be the first American born-and-bred composer to achieve international acclaim. The concert is at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 5, which is Cinco De Mayo, and the general public’s preferred activities for that specific evening tend to be a bit more rowdy than what this concert has to offer. However, after an afternoon of debauchery, sitting in a dark auditorium and diggin’ on some Bernstein sounds pretty great.

Tuesday, May 8
Land Where My Heart Lies
Salem Cinema, 1127 Broadway St. NE
8 p.m., $12 (advance) or $15, all-ages
Musician and filmmaker Tinh Mahoney has put together a night of live music and visual art to benefit the Village School Foundation, a nonprofit organization that builds schools and provides scholarships to eager students. Mahoney describes the film as a “visual poem”, depicting the scenery and the people of the Bin Thuan province of Vietnam. The night also will feature a “question and answer” segment with Mahoney, who is a more-than-competent guitarist and representative of Vietnamese music. Truly an educational multimedia experience. For more information and to see a preview of the film, visit TinhMahoney.com.

Wednesday, May 9
Joe Manis Trio
Christo’s, 1108 Broadway St. NE
7 p.m., $5-9, all-ages
You’d think that Eugene-based saxophonist and 30-year-old Joe Manis was pushing 50 with such a resume. His repertoire includes performances with The Temptations, The Ken Schaphorst Big Band, The Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, and extended stints with Thomas Mapfumo and the Blacks Unlimited, and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Manis will bring his critically acclaimed andinternationally traveled trio to the Christo’s Wednesday evening jazz series. Tickets are $7 in advance, $5 for students and $9 at the door. Advance tickets can be purchased at Christo’s before the day of the concert.

Saturday, May 12
BurgundyFest
Roxxy Northwest, 1230 State St. SE
8 p.m., $10, 21+
Did you know that BurgundyFest, the festival for all things “Anchorman” (the 2004 comedy starring Will Ferrell) is right here in the Cherry City? For 10 “frog backs” you can attend the Ron Burgundy-inspired festivities and all that it includes — a costume contest, Anchorman-themed music, trivia, a jazz flute performance, a Channel 4 photo booth, and even a (plush toy) Baxter Punt contest. I assume there will be an extra layer of excitement with the recent news that a sequel has been announced. For more information and tickets, visit www.BurgundyFest.com.

Saturday, May 12
The Sale
Venti’s Taphouse
9 p.m., free, 21+
Bouncing between reggae and acoustic pop and male-and female-fronted vocals, The Sale features partners and co-conspirators Bre Paletta and Justin Bennett and what they describe as “hypsie-rock”. Chris Lay (drums) and Michael Dougherty (bass) round out the band. The show will serve as a sort of homecoming for the Portland-based project, since Bennett graduated from Dallas High School in 2001, and his early musical incarnations were Salem-based. Combined with an endless amount of micro, a love-fest may be brewing at the taphouse.

Monday, May 14
Rob Wynia and the Sound
Roxxy Northwest, 1230 State St. SE
8 p.m., $10, 21+
Progressive grunge-era rock band Floater has amassed a dedicated cult following within the past 20 years, which often extends to each of the members’ side and solo projects. With that in mind, expect a packed house of eager fans when Floater’s Rob Wynia brings his latest incarnation of his solo project to Salem’s Roxxy Northwest. In the past, Wynia has incorporated spoken word to support his solo musical efforts. He’s also been known to delve into electronic and tribal music when unleashed from the confines of his main project. Now, by evidence of the tracks available on his Web site, it seems he has given in to his pop sensibilities, complete with strings, piano and all of the intangibles of alternative ballads.

“Our organization hopes to provide a day in which students can relax and have a good time before finals and the end of the year,” said student organizer Jillie Jennings. “We also strive for this event to be very community-oriented and bring people together from Willamette (University), Salem, and Oregon at large.”

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. around the campus and is free for all, but donations are accepted for various charitable foundations. The headlining bands are scheduled to start at 5 p.m. and last until the end of the festivities. Besides the aforementioned musical groups, Jennings says the festival “has an art and earth component, and unlike many other festivals, showcases student talent in addition to professional bands.” Willamette also will have several games and earth-and art-themed activities, booths and food carts on location for the occasion.

Over the years, Wulapalooza has evolved from booking popular local bands to regional touring acts to nationally recognized performers. Electro-pop duo Yacht, whose 2009 release “See Mystery Lights” was praised by The New York Times, Rolling Stone and Pitchfork and alternative rockers/Beaverton, Oregon hometown heroes The Helio Sequence are signed by legendary Northwest record label Sub Pop.

Notable performers at Wulapalooza in recent years include Das Racist and Horse Feathers in 2011, Portugal. The Man, The Dodos, Japandroids and Typhoon in 2010, The Mae Shi and Mirah in 2009, The Blow, Panther and Blitzen Trapper in 2008, and The Long Winters and Viva Voce in 2007.

“All of the bands are chosen as a collaborative effort,” said Jennings. “Our music committee and co-chairs bring ideas to the group and ask the group for other ideas … Bands are chosen based on price, availability and of course, their music.”

For additional information about Wulapalooza — including a complete schedule of the event — visit its Web site at www.Willamette.
edu/org/Wulapalooza.

Friday, April 20
No Kind of Rider
Boon’s Treasury, 888 Liberty St. NE
9 p.m., free, 21+
Portland’s No Kind of Rider may be selling itself a bit short with its chosen name. While the band may never demand the exclusion of brown M&Ms in its dressing room, it has showed enough talent and promise during the past few years to shed the “local band” tag and make an impact outside of the Bridgetown-entertainment-metro area. The band blends tasteful alt-rock sensibilities with fuzzy synths and powerful but mathematical drumming. The result sounds like a 90’s video game character morphing into a real human, with all of the coinciding physical and psychological trauma that would have come with such a process [you’ll understand the comment if you check out the band].

Friday, April 20
The Fools, Bonneville Power, Cherry City Deadbeats
The Triangle, 3235 Liberty St. S
9 p.m., free, 21+
Local bands Cherry City Deadbeats and Bonneville Power have come together to help celebrate what could be popular local bluesy-garage-punk band The Fools’ final show. For the occasion, Deadbeats frontman Timmy Myles will handle the skins for The Fools so that regular drummer Matt Williams can slay with guitarist Sheene Coffin. The shindig also marks the last time you can check out drummer Sam McBride with Bonneville Power, which is fresh off a west-coast tour. It’s a free show with three great local bands… excuses are futile.

Saturday, April 21
Righteous Animal, Sunmarine
Christo’s, 1108 Broadway St. NE
10 p.m., $5, 21+
If you were active in the local music scene circa 2006-07, both of the names on this bill should be familiar. Mick Bare’s (The Falcon, $100 Jayhawks) second Salem-based rock n’ roll incarnation, Righteous Animal, will return along with alternative rock band Sunmarine for a friend’s birthday party that is open to the public. It also happens to be the day before Sunmarine’s Matt Williams’ 21st birthday [sorry bud], but the concert could/should serve as your own party — an after-party for the excellent Wulapalooza [see related story] which ends right as this shindig begins.

Friday, April 27
Lone Madrone, Otis Heat
Christo’s, 1108 Broadway St. NE
7 p.m., $5, all-ages
Salem’s only Italian restaurant/music venue is hosting a night of Portland talent with the acoustic-powered, foot-stompin’ Americana combo Lone Madrone and soulful, funky-experimental outfit Otis Heat. Though it may seem like a strange pairing stylistically, both bands have a refined sound, fit well within the confines of the venue and are at the top of their game. Also, would you rather listen to three hours of local bands trying to sound like the same national act they’re trying to rip off? Variety is a good thing.

Friday, April 27
Zero Season, Henry’s Child
Duffy’s Hangar, 2275 McGilchrist St. SE
8 p.m., free, 21+
Local alternative hard rock band Zero Season — formerly known as Shift — is celebrating the release of its debut album with buddies Henry’s Child at Duffy’s Hangar. Shift was known locally for winning a state-wide talent search called “Rise Up” in 2008, which earned them some recording time that likely resulted in this album now years later. The real surprise on this bill is Henry’s Child, a regionally successful progressive rock band from the mid-90’s that released the album “Clearly Confused” on Elemental Records (Floater, Jolly Mon, Sweaty Nipples) way back in 1996, and was one-and-the-same with Floater during both bands’ early incarnations. Is this a one-off reunion, or part of a comeback?

Saturday, April 28
LOVEDRIVE
The Roxxy Northwest, 1230 State St. SE
9 p.m., free, all-ages
The Roxxy Northwest has a knack for scheduling great tribute and cover bands of the arena rock era, and the booking of Scorpions tribute LOVEDRIVE is no exception [the band uses all capitalizations for its name; I’m not shouting at you]. The show is free as is the case with many Roxxy Northwest concerts so if you get teary-eyed listening to “Winds of Change”, pump your fist from the opening riff of “Rock You Like A Hurricane”, play air guitar to “No One Like You” or bang your head to “The Zoo”, April 28 should be circled on your Schenker brothers “rock face” calendar [the dates may be a bit off, since it was made 30 years ago].

Monday, April 30
David Sedaris
Historic Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
7:30 p.m., $25-52.50, all-ages
Discovered by National Public Radio host Ira Glass in the early 90’s while reading his journal aloud at a small club in Chicago, humorist and author David Sedaris has reached a massive audience behind his self-deprecating, humorous storytelling and iconic voice. Seems like an improbable story — being discovered while reading his journal, and getting famous through NPR. Sedaris is also the brother of and oft-collaborator with actress Amy Sedaris, whose middle-aged-crack-whore-predator character “Jerri” on Comedy Central’s “Strangers With Candy” disturbed the heck out of a younger me, which, by association, has admittedly made me tentative to listen to much of David’s work [listening appears to be the preferred method of consumption by David Sedaris junkies, which explains a swiftly-selling ticket at his Historic Elsinore Theatre appearance].

Blitzen Trapper began as local band Garmonbozia in Salem in the 1990s, and after a move to Portland, eventually signed to semi-major label Sub Pop Records and received acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone and Spin magazines. Rolling Stone listed the band’s album “Furr” the 13th best of 2008, and its title track the fourth best of the same year. The band’s latest album, “American Goldwing” was released in September 2011.

The event also includes popular Portland acts WEINLAND, The Dimes and Tango Alpha Tango, as well as mid-Willamette mainstays Ty Curtis, Symmetry/Symmetry, Matthew Price, Jamalia, and Ben Rue. For a full schedule, visit www.OregonGarden.org.

The event has 46 breweries scheduled to participate, including mid-Willamette brewers like Gilgamesh (Turner), Ram (Salem) and Calapooia (Albany).

If you aren’t drinking, tickets to the show are $5. Beer tasting packages, which include admission, are $15-25 and can be purchased at the Web site listed above. The event is 21-and-older accept before 3 p.m. on Saturday.

The show also features The Shaky Hands frontman Nicholas Delffs’ buzzed-about new project Dead Songs, Portland indie band Porches and Salem solo artist His Name Shall Breathe.
“The best thing about this show is there is something for everyone. It reaches every demographic — from solemn singer-songwriters and acoustic harmonies to layered, big-rock sounds,” said promoter Doug Hoffman.

Doors will open at 7 p.m., the show will start at 8 p.m., and tickets are $10, available in advance at BrownPaperTickets.com. An area with Gilgamesh Brewery beverages for patrons 21 and olderwith ID, and free snacks courtesy of Organic Fresh Fingers are also planned.

Horse Feathers frontman Justin Ringle said an early incarnation of the band played the Cherry City Music Festival’s Kill Rock Stars’ showcase at the Grand Theater in 2009 with The Thermals, Panther, Explode Into Colors and local heroes The Falcon.

“We have a new line-up now, with a three-piece string section and a keyboardist,” said Ringle. “We just played our first couple of shows with the new line-up at South by Southwest.”

An ever-expanding sound seems to be reaching an ever-growing audience for Horse Feathers. One of the band’s SXSW performances was showcased by the Independent Film Channel. The members are routinely flown out to the far reaches of the U.S. for concerts and festivals (during this interview they were waiting in an airport for their flight to North Carolina for a festival at Duke University). They’ve been featured on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts podcast as well as other outlets of the station and its local affiliates.

“We have a new record coming out in April — the week we are (playing in Salem),” said Ringle, referring to the pending KRS release “Cynic’s New Year”. “After we play around the Northwest, we are flying out to Minneapolis and playing out there and around Canada to promote the record.”

With the way things have been falling into place for Horse Feathers, even a cynic would like their outlook this year.

Thursday, April 5
Michael Dean Damron
Boon’s Treasury, 888 Liberty St. NE
9 p.m., free, 21+
Michael Dean Damron is the dark, raw, ugly bastard, bizzaro-Frankenstein-monster-version of Bruce Springsteen, John Cougar Mellencamp, Bryan Adams and those other Americana arena-rock acts of the 80’s. Maybe Damron’s just more honest, or maybe he is a product of the times we live in, but he’s got a lot more edge than the aforementioned grey-haired superstars. Whatever the case may be, the growlin’ mess of rock n’ roll can still sound over-the-top on days that aren’t Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Patriot Day and Veteran’s Day — just like Mellencamp [it's easier to pick on Mellencamp then The Boss - less hate mail]. To be fair, though, I don’t drive a beat-up old pick-up truck to my job where I install barb-wired fence in slow motion on a muddy farm on an American auto company commercial, so I may not be the target audience.

The Squirmin Hermans
Papa G’s Blacklight Bar, 610 Marion St. NE
10 p.m., free, 21+
How’s this for a conundrum? The Squirmin Hermans have 17 “fans” on their Facebook page, and nearly 11,000 views on one YouTube video [find out which one!]. The band makes infectious, silly, DIY pop-punk diddies that one can tell are produced by people that are just out to have a good time — no matter their age, style or what the hell you think about them. In a business that is brutal and has little or no payoff, the Hermans may have the right idea. Ska-punk rascals Skatter Bomb take the stage at 9 p.m. to fill out a night of punk rock at its most innocent.

Friday, April 6
His Name Shall Breathe, Manic, Kopath Bear
CCTV, Comcast channel 22
6-9 p.m., free, how old are you?
So, you want to support local music, but you can’t get up off the sofa? Well, CCMF is catering to you: live concerts with local bands on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Friday may be the pick of the bunch with solo acoustic act His Name Shall Breathe at 6 p.m., the enigmatic “Manic” at 7 p.m., and popular local alternative rock band Kopath Bear at 8 p.m. His Name Shall Breathe’s Timothy Martin was recently praised by Willamette Week for his “soul-crushing lyrics”, “honesty” and “unnerving emotion”, and is slated to open the Horse Feathers show on April 14 at the Grand Theatre [see related story in this issue]. Dude’s on the up-in-up.

The Gusto Brothers
Magoo’s, 275 Commercial St. SE
10 p.m., free, 21+
With songs like “Sasquatch Trackin” and “Dinnertime Blues”, popular local act The Gusto Brothers brings a goofy, tongue-in-cheek flair to their brand of funky blues rock. Though the “dad” humor may be distracting to people who don’t get “dad” humor (I get it, dad), the dudes can really wail on their respective instruments. Their track “Drop the Bomb” is like an explosion of wank. If you’re looking for a cheap beer, a few laughs and some fun-loving funktastic blues rock, be at Magoo’s Friday night.

Saturday, April 7
Hip Hop at the Capitol Mall
Noon-6 p.m., free, all-ages
The crown jewel and the constant of the Cherry City Music Fest has been organizer Ross Swartzendruber’s ability to produce a regional hip hop concert on the steps of the Oregon State Capital. This year’s event has Mob Royalle as host and hyped regional artists Charles Wayne, Devitto P, KRYPTiC, The Uzual Suzpekt, The Oppositt, and DJ Roz scheduled to perform on Saturday afternoon. Kiddos take note: this event also is one of the only all-ages opportunities of the festival. Oh, and hope for good weather, the back-up location is Papa G’s Blacklight Bar (610 Marion St. NE), and if it is moved there, the show would be for those 21-and-older only.

KALiCO
The Triangle, 3215 Liberty St. S
9 p.m., free, 21+
Behind commanding lead vocals and an eclectic, but still radio-friendly sound, late-90′s-esque alternative rock band KALiCO is quickly becoming one of the more popular bands in the mid-Willamette Valley. The band won Eugene’s 101.5 KFLY and Whiskey River Ranch Underground Showdown last year to open for REHAB in Eugene, and has been packing out bars and clubs in both Salem and Eugene. Still a relatively new act, KALiCO states on its Facebook page that its members are currently recording the band’s debut album. A free showcase as part of a weekend dedicated to local music equates to the perfect opportunity to check out what all the hype is about.

Sunday, March 25
Rick Parks and the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ
Historic Elsinore Theatre, 170 High St. SE
2:30 p.m., $10-20, all-ages
Ah, the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. If you haven’t attended a silent film at the Elsinore, you may not know why this is a big deal. Parks, who is the son of the original owner of much of the Wurlitzer system that was donated to the theatre, will perform a collection of big band, show tunes, and classical songs on the organ – which is the largest of its kind that you’re most likely ever going to see. The event also features a short silent film, with… you guessed it, Wurlitzer accompaniment. Can’t get enough of those silent-era sound effects. Tickets are available at TicketsWest.com.

Wednesday, March 28
Gordon Lee
Christo’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, 1108 Broadway St. NE
7 p.m., $5-9, all-ages
Christo’s has accomplished pianist and educator Gordon Lee and his trio slated for its next Wednesday evening jazz concert. The New York native and well-traveled ivory jockey is probably best known regionally as the pianist and oft-composer of Portland’s Mel Brown Sextet, but has instructed at many universities in the area as well. Bassist Dave Captein and drummer Carlton Jackson are scheduled to round out Lee’s trio. Tickets are $7 in advance, $9 at the door and $5 for students. For more information call Christo’s at 503-371-2892.

Friday, March 30
John Pounds III
Fireside Lounge, 895 W Main St., Silverton
8 p.m., free, 21+
Seven-string bass virtuoso John Pounds III will continue his semi-residency at Silverton’s Fireside Lounge at Oregon Gardens on March 30. If you haven’t seen Pounds (and you likely have, in one of his various band incarnations, if you’ve attended any area music festivals in the past 20 years) he can do things on a bass that most experienced guitarists can’t pull off. His solos can sound like a bucket of bass notes falling on to a hard floor. The bassist and singer sways between soulful, romantic rhythm-and-blues jams and frenetic bass solo-laden funk. It’s quite the spectacle, and right at home at a lounge that features a fireplace.

Saturday, March 31
$100 Jayhawks, Monoplane, Midnight Persuasion
Brown’s Towne Lounge, 189 Liberty St. NE
9 p.m., free, 21+
There’s nothing like a friend’s almost-30th-birthday party to bring together some of the most popular bands in town for one reckless evening of Salem rock ‘n’ roll debauchery. Though the night is largely a tribute to local show regular and birthday boy Andre Feiring, it’s still an excellent chance for others to check out some of Salem’s most rowdy talent for free. Scratch that, the cover charge is one drink (or high-five) for Andre. Also, watch out for frontmen trying to one-up each other. By the time Mick Bare’s $100 Jayhawks go on, the stakes may be pretty high.

Wednesday, April 4
Sad Face, Black Market Organ Drive
Roxxy Northwest, 1230 State St.
7 p.m., free, 21+
Popular Seattle alternative rock band “Sad Face” is touring Oregon in early April and has a couple stops in the mid-Willamette Valley. Though they draw comparisons to noise rock bands like Sonic Youth and the like by other reviewers, Sad Face tends to be pretty poppy and catchy, save some instrumentation choices and a few sporadic examples of harmonic dissonance and strategically placed experimental breakdowns. The band is touring on the strength of winning Seattle Magazine’s best new local band of 2011 award and to help promote its new album, “Cheer Yourself Up”. Corvallis alt-rock band Black Market Organ Drive are scheduled to open [Corvallis is starting to build up a little bit of a scene]. If you can’t catch Sad Face at Roxxy Northwest, they are playing at Gilgamesh’s new lounge (210 Liberty St. SE) a couple of nights later with the similarly styled local band Symmetry/Symmetry. For more information visit WeAreSadFace.com.

The 15-track recording kicks off with “Take it Personal,” which is largely a public statement to address the lack of respect and support he received when first performing. The experience is something most artists can relate to, and a common theme in hip hop. The track also serves as a standout, and addresses a lot of the themes the artist covers in the rest of the album. However, the release’s second track, “We Got That (featuring Dizz)” has an infectious beat (I’m a sucker for lo-fi bleeps and bloops), which deviates from the rest of the recording and serves as the best track, in this reviewer’s opinion. Matty’s press release stated that “We Got That” is intended to be his next single. The rest of the album has its peaks (a catchy chorus by Phida, interesting intermissions and conversational content and memorable lyric phrases), but fails to reach the same sustained level as the showcased songs.

Matty’s lyrics seem sincere, his flow is articulate and natural, there is great pride in subtle details, his production is crisp and relevant, his supporting cast is definitely pro, and he may serve as Salem’s easiest gateway into local hip hop for Salem’s Top 40-lovin’ masses. However, he also slips into “safe mode” with his beats and vocal production all too often (especially pitch correction), and his lyrics contain too little consistent insight to go toe-to-toe with the upper echelon of underground hip hop. The best of Matty is yet to come, but “Mr. Nice Guy” really is an impressive release by a local artist that has faced an uphill battle in an unforgiving town.

The local hip hop star is planning a 31-date tour in May and June to promote the album and another release soon after. To find out more about Matty, visit his Web site at ThisIsMatty.com.