Tenacious Hand Stamp: January 2009

"Last Night I had a dream that turned into a nightmare." ... though the words were merely an introduction to Jay Reatard's "Nightmares" midway into his set at the Independent on Sunday night, they summed up an evening of amazing garage-punk-rock-and-roll in a somewhat prophetic way.

Opening the night was Bare Wires, a trio from Oakland featuring Erin Emslie on drums, Paul Keelan (guitar) and Matthew Melton (bass). The band sped through a series of 6 songs with enough time to sing Emslie a warm Happy Birthday. They wasted no time between songs, and if it wasn't for the band name taped to the drum kit, we might not have even known what they were called. Despite the lack of banter, they were able to draw the attention of a nearly sold-out crowd at the Independent with their performance. Some might believe they sped through their set because they wanted to get through as many songs as possible... I believe that they just wanted to get back stage to make sure their shit wasn't getting thrashed by 2nd opener, Nobunny.

Nobunny took the stage quickly since they were using the Bare Wire's drum kit. After taping a band t-shirt over the bass drum, the members took the stage. The lead singer came out last with his trademark bunny mask, a sharp 'Nobunny' smoking jacket, no pants, tight brown underwear and one woman's shoe. I feared that this image may haunt my dreams/nightmares, but I left the show strangely wanting more. It is safe to say that this performance may rank as one of the strangest, liveliest, most fun and utterly disturbing of all time.

until...

Well, most of Jay Reatard's set was pretty straightforward, that is to say, rocking. The crowd was extremely animated with a fairly sizable mosh pit developing at times. On the last song of the set, Jay pulls up a drunk girl out of the crowd and gives her his guitar to make some noise... Drunk girl, sitting on the edge of the stage proceeded to strum aimlessly. She then rolled onto her back and kicked her feet into the bassist and threw the guitar on the stage. I didn't think that was part of the act, but Jay Reatard did not notice she had done it. Rule #1 of Rock and Roll: DO NOT FUCK WITH ANOTHER MAN'S AXE. She proceeded to pick up the guitar again and throw it again this time with a little more force (as if to smash it). At this point Jay picked her up and hurled her into the crowd. Well, I can't even begin to tell you how incredible it was to see this little lass fly through the air. It kinda looked like a blow up doll being thrown at a concert festival. I wish I had video of it... and if you do, please post a link in the comments.

The band finished the song, Jay put down the guitar, flipped off the girl and started walking off stage as he was pelted with a water bottle presumably thrown by the girl (or one of her friends). I did not think that Jay would come out for an encore, so at that point I left. Incidentally, the drunk girl was not hurt. She was outside laughing about the incident and was plotting a quick getaway.

All told, the nightmares of the evening made this a dream rock show. Get out and see any of these three bands whenever you can.

Nobunny is playing:
2/4 @ The Knockout in San Francisco
2/7 @ The Stork Club in Oakland.

Bare Wires is playing
1/30 @ Ghost Town in Oakland
2/5 @ Hemlock in SF
2/21 @ Hemlock in SF

Nobunny photo credit to: Photo Credit: Scott Caris
More pictures and the SF Weekly recap here

Another recount here

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The 2009 Music Festival Calendar will continue to be updated throughout the year. Bookmark this page and check back often.

NoisePop 2009 - San Francisco, CA
Official Dates: Feb 24 - March 1, 2009
Ticket Info: Festival Badge - $150 - on sale now
Lineup:
Antony And The Johnsons, Deerhunter, Stephen Malkmus, Josh Ritter (solo with a string quartet), the Mountain Goats (solo), Bob Mould, A.C. Newman, Sleepy Sun, French Kicks, Matt Costa, Thao Nguyen, Martha Wainright, Goblin Cock, From Monument to Masses, Thee Oh Sees, Kool Keith, Mike Relm, St Vincent, The Morning Benders, The Submarines, Ra Ra Riot, Dear And The Headlights, Port O’Brien, The Matches, Themselves, Portugal. The Man, Clues, Sholi, Flosstradamus, N.A.S.A., No Age and Les Savy Fav.

Langerado Music Festival 2009 - Miami, FL - CANCELLED
Official Dates: March 6-8, 2009
Ticket Info: CANCELLED
Lineup: CANCELED
Death Cab For Cutie • Snoop Dogg • Thievery Corporation (Live) • Slightly Stoopid • Ryan Adams and the Cardinals • Dashboard Confessional • The Pogues • Matisyahu • Flogging Molly • Michael Franti & Spearhead • Broken Social Scene • Cafe Tacuba • Umphrey's McGee • The Disco Biscuits • Robert Randolph & The Family Band • Pepper • The Faint • Cold War Kids • Steel Pulse • Public Enemy • Gym Class Heroes • Tricky • Girl Talk • Chromeo • Mute Math • Bad Brains • Ozomatli • Against Me! • George Clinton & Parliament / Funkadelic • Tortoise • DeVotchKa • Black Kids • Grupo Fantasma • Holy F*ck • Budos Band • Tokyo Police Club • Lotus • The Virgins • The Gaslight Anthem • King Khan and the Shrines • Lucero • Murs • Ra Ra Riot • Tortured Soul • Rebelution • K'Naan • The Egg • Zac Brown Band • Tigercity • The Aggrolites • Cloud Cult • Spam Allstars • Rachel Goodrich • Blue King Brown • The Heavy Pets • Awesome New Republic • The Postmarks • Suenalo • Live Painting by LEBO

SXSW Music Festival 2009 - Austin, TX
Official Dates: March 18-22, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Over 1000 Bands click here

Ultra Music Festival 2009 - Miami, FL
Official Dates: March 27-28, 2009
Ticket Info: $129.95 - $350 - on sale now
Lineup:
PRODIGY • PENDULUM • PAUL VAN DYK • ARMIN VAN BUUREN • MOBY • TIËSTO • BLOC PARTY • THE TING TINGS • CARL COX • CUT COPY • CRYSTAL CASTLES • DEADMAU5 • SANTOGOLD • HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR • & - FOR THEIR FIRST U.S. APPEARANCE IN SEVEN YEARS – RONI SIZE REPRAZENT

Coachella 2009 - Indio, CA
Official Dates: April 17-19, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup (official poster) : Paul McCartney, The Killers, The Cure, Morrissey, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Franz Ferdinand, My Bloody Valentine, ~~Amy Winehouse~~, MIA, Thievery Corporation, Beirut, Silversun Pickups, The Ting Tings, Fleet Foxes, Girl Talk, The Hold Steady, Ghostland Observatory, X, Jenny Lewis, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Crystal Castles, No Age, Noah and the Whale, Los Campesinos!, TRAV$DJ-AM, MSTRKRFT. Peanut Butter Wolf, Sebastian Tellier, Themselves, Tinariwen

New Orleans Jazz Festival
Official Dates: April 24-26, 2009 & April 30-May 3, 2009
Ticket Info: $5-$600
Lineup: April 24-26, 2009
Wynton Marsalis, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Joe Cocker, Earth, Wind and Fire, Wilco, Erykah Badu, Spoon, Third World, Irma Thomas, Etta James, Robert Cray, Pete Seeger, Kinky, Drive-By Truckers feat. Booker T. Jones, Better Than Ezra, plus many more.
Lineup: April 30-May 3, 2009
Artist TBA, Aretha Franklin, Sugarland, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett, Kings of Leon, The Neville Brothers, Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, O’Jays, Dr. John, Common, Emmylou Harris, Los Lobos, Toots and the Maytals, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, The Whispers, Jakob Dylan, Chuck Brown, Meter Men: Zig, George, & Leo, plus many more.

Sasquatch Music Festival 2009 - George, WA
Dates: May 23 -25
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Rumored per Travis Hay of Seattle P-I:

Saturday, May 23th

Kings of Leon / Yeah Yeah Yeahs / The Decemberists / Animal Collective / Bon Iver / Devotchka / M. Ward / Doves / Sun Kil Moon / The Gaslight Anthem / King Khan & The Shrines / Ra Ra Riot / Shearwater / Passion Pit / Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band / Vince Mira / Blind Pilot / Owl City / Arthur & Yu / Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele / Death Vessel / Hockey

Sunday, May 24th

Jane's Addiction / Nine Inch Nails / TV On The Radio / Peter Bjorn and John / of Montreal / The Avett Brothers / Calexico / M83 / The Airborne Toxic Event / The Walkmen / The Wrens / St. Vincent / The Dodos / John Vanderslice / The Submarines / Viva Voce / The Builders And The Butchers / AA Bondy / Fences / Point Juncture, WA / Jon Benjamin

Monday, May 25th

Ben Harper and Relentless7 / Erykah Badu / Silversun Pickups / Fleet Foxes / Gogol Bordello / Santigold / Grizzly Bear / Explosions In The Sky / Girl Talk / Blitzen Trapper / The Knux / Monotonix / Bishop Allen / Black Moth Super Rainbow / Beach House / Mugison / The Dutchess And The Duke / School Of Seven Bells / Horse Feathers / The Pica Beats / Loch Lomond / BLK JKS

Live 105's BFD - Mountain View, CA
Official Dates: June 6, 2009
Ticket Info: $25-$49
Official Lineup: The Offspring | 311 | Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Dead Confederate | Taking Back Sunday | Alkaline Trio | Rebelution | Metric | Mute Math | Glasvegas | Anberlin | Airborne Toxic Event | Cage the Elephant | Audrye Sessions | Crystal Castles (live) | DJ AM | Does It Offend You, Yeah? (live) | Villains | Steve Aoki | Mike Relm | Paparazzi | The Limousines (live) | Designer Drugs | DJ Omar | DJ Miles | MC Lars | Music for Animals | Wallpaper | Odawas | Dizzy Balloon | The Catholic Comb | Ambience | Solid State Logic | Fighting the Villain

Bonnaroo 2009 - Manchester, TN
Official Dates: June 11-14, 2009
Ticket Info: $224-$249
Lineup: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Phish (2 shows), Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Wilco, Al Green, Snoop Dogg, Elvis Costello Solo, Erykah Badu, Paul Oakenfold, Ben Harper and Relentless7, The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gov't Mule, Andrew Bird, Band of Horses, Merle Haggard, MGMT, moe., The Decemberists, Girl Talk, Bon Iver, Béla Fleck & Toumani Diabate, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Galactic, The Del McCoury band, of Montreal, Allen Toussaint, Coheed & Cambria, Booker T & the DBTs, David Grisman Quintet, Lucinda Williams, Animal Collective, Gomez, Neko Case, Down, Jenny Lewis, Santogold, Robert Earl Keen, Citizen Cope, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, The Ting Tings, Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Kaki King, Okkervil River, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, Crystal Castles, Tift Merritt, Brett Dennen, Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, Toubab Krewe, People Under The Stairs, Alejandro Escovedo, Vieux Farka Touré Elvis Perkins in Dearland Cherryholmes Yeasayer Todd Snider Chairlift Portugal. The Man. The SteelDrivers Midnite The Knux The Low Anthem Delta Spirit A.A. Bondy The Lovell Sisters Alberta Cross More Artists to Be Announced

High Sierra Music Festival 2009 Quincy, CA
Official Dates: July 2-5, 2009
Ticket Info: $140 (4-day pass, discounted through 1/26)
Lineup: John Butler, Umphrey's McGee, Ani DiFranco, Disco Biscuits, Galactic, The Del McCoury Band, Steve Kimock Crazy Engine feat. Melvin Seals, The Wailers, Tea Leaf Green, Ollabelle, Mike Farris and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, ALO, Vieux Farka, Touré, Dr. Dog, Devil Makes Three, The Travelin' McCourys, The Lee Boys, Cornmeal, Bonerama, Marco Benevento Trio, McTuff feat. Skerik, Joe Doria, Andy Coe & D'Vonne Lewis, Skerik will also appear as an artist-at-large, Joe Craven and Sam, Bevan Duo, Joe Craven will also appear as artist-at-large and emcee, Nathan Moore, Fareed Haque and The Flat Earth, Ensemble, Pretty Lights, Everest, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, Pimps of Joytime, J-Boogie and Dubtronic Science, Poor Man's Whiskey, Living Folklore

Mission Creek Music Festival 2009 San Francisco & Oakland, CA
Official Dates: July 10-25th
Ticket Info: $na
Lineup: Not Announced

10,000 Lakes Music Festival 2009 Detroit Lakes, MN
Official Dates: July 22-25, 2009
Ticket Info: $120 (4-day pass), available now
Lineup: Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic (2 nights), Wilco, Umphrey's McGee, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Railroad Earth, Junior Brown, Tea Leaf Green, WookieFoot, Trampled By Turtles, Cloud Cult, Everyone Orchestra, Kathleen Edwards, Pretty Lights, BoomBox, William Elliott Whitmore, Kinetix, The Macpodz, My Dear Disco, The Ragbirds, Enchanted Ape and many more...

Pitchfork Music Festival 2009 - Chicago, IL
Dates: July 17-19, 2009
Ticket Info: Tickets on Sale March 13, 12pm CDT.
Lineup: rumored - The Black Lips
Lineup: official: The Flaming Lips, Built to Spil, TheNational, The Jesus Lizard, Yo La Tengo, Tortoise, Pharoahe Monch, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Grizzly Bear, The Walkmen, Vivian Girls

Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts 2009
Dates: August 1, 2
Ticket Info: on sale now, $125 Canadien
Lineup: COLDPLAY - BEASTIE BOYS - THE ROOTS - JASON MRAZ - RUFUS WAINWRIGHT (SOLO) - ARCTIC MONKEYS - GIRL TALK - THE DECEMBERISTS - CRYSTAL CASTLES - LYKKE LI - EAGLES OF DEATH METAL - THE TING TINGS BEAST - ELBOW - JOSH RITTER - THE HONEY BROTHERS - LE VOLUME ÉTAIT - AU MAXIMUM - KITTY DAISY & LEWIS - WINTER GLOVES - PARLOVR - MOTHERS FATHERS

Lollapalooza 2009 - Chicago, IL
Official Dates: August 7-9, 2009
Ticket Info: $190 for 30-day pass
Lineup: Depeche Mode, Tool, The Killers, Jane's Addiction, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Lou Reed, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, Rise Against, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, Coheed and Cambria, Ben Folds, Fleet Foxes, Silversun Pickups, Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Castles, Bon Iver, Santigold, Atmosphere, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Deerhunter, Lykke Li, Robert Earl Keen, Peter Bjorn and John, Heartless Bastards, Gomez, Glasvegas, Federico, Aubele Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, Zap Mama, The Raveonettes, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, White Lies, Ra Ra Riot, No Age, Asher Roth, Los Campesinos!, Bat For Lashes, Chairlift, Gang Gang Dance, The Virgins, Amazing Baby, Portugal. The Man, The Knux, Ida Maria Delta Spirit, Friendly Fires, Manchester Orchestra, Constantines, Ezra Furman & The Harpoons, Hockey, Miike Snow , Alberta Cross, Hey Champ, Sam Roberts Band, The Henry Clay People, Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, Cage the Elephant, Living Things, The Low Anthem, Blind Pilot, Langhorne Slim, Other Lives, The Builders and The Butchers, Eric Church, Joe Pug, Kevin Devine, The Greencards Carney, Thenewno2

All Points West - Jersey City, NJ
August: July 31, August 1+2
Ticket Info: Tickets are $89 for one-day, $199 for 3-day passes.
Lineup: Friday, July 31: Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes, MSTRKRFT, Q-Tip, The Pharcyde, Organized Konfusion, The Knux, Ra Ra Riot, Seasick Steve, Telepathe, Shearwater, Heartless Bastards, Flying Lotus, College Humor Live, Arj Barker, Eugene Mirman and Bo Burnham.

Saturday, August 1: Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, The Ting Tings, Yelle, Crystal Castles, St. Vincent, Tokyo Police Club, The Cool Kids, Kool Keith, Cage the Elephant, Chairlift, White Rabbits, Electric Touch, The Postelles, Black Gold, College Humor Live, Tim & Eric, Judah Friedlander and Jim Jeffries.

Sunday, August 2: Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Elbow, Silversun Pickups, Mogwai, We Are Scientists, Ghostland Observatory, The Gaslight Anthem, Etienne De Crecy, Lykke Li, Akron/Family, Steel Train, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, College Humor Live, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter and Todd Barry.

Tickets are $89 for one-day, $199 for 3-day passes.

Summer Sonic Festival 2009 - Tokyo, Japan
Official Dates: August 8-9, 2009
Ticket Info: 39,500 Yen
Lineup: Linkin Park - My Chemical Romance - Nine Inch Nails - The Specials - The Flaming Lips - Aphex Twin - CSS - The Enemy - Klaxons - Mogwai - Paramore - Placebo - Sonic Youth - Soulwax - Teenage Fanclub - Boys Like Girls - Cancer Bats - Datarock - Enter Shikari - Ghostland Observatory - Girl Talk - Hollywood Undead - Kid Sister - Kyte - Lady Gaga - Lenka - Little Boots - Mando Diao - Matisyahu - Metronomy - Mew - Mercury Rev - Mutemath - N.A.S.A. - Red Light Company - Saosin - 2 Many DJ's - The Vaselines - VV Brown - Yuksek

Outside Lands Music Festival 2009 - San Francisco, CA
Official Dates: August 28-30, 2009
Ticket Info: on sale April 15
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A, Jason Mraz, Ween, The Mars Volta, Thievery Corporation Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, TV on the Radio, Dead Weather, Atmosphere, Tom Jones, Silversun Pickups, The National, Q-Tip, Brett Dennen, Built To Spill, Mastodon, Raphael Saadiq, Calexico, Os Mutantes, Midnite, JJ Grey, Mofro, Kinky, Deerhunter, Lila Downs, Trombone Shorty, Orleans Avenue, The Dodos, Bettye LaVette, Dengue Fever, Heartless Bastards, The Dirtbombs, Lenka, Akron/Family, John Vanderslice, Matt and Kim, Portugal. The Man, The Morning Benders, The Duke Spirit, Zee Avi, Blind Pilot, SambaDa, Ryan Bingham, West Indian Girl, Extra Golden

Bumbershoot 2009 - Seattle, WA
Official Dates: Sept 5-7, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Sheryl Crow / Modest Mouse / Katy Perry / Michael Franti & Spearhead / De La Soul / Raphael Saadiq / Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan / The Long Winters / Sly & Robbie & the Taxi Gang / World Party / MSTRKRFT / Roy Ayers / Common Market / UH HUH HER and many, many others…

Monolith Music Festival 2009 - Red Rocks, CO
Official Dates: not announced (Sept)
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Not Announced

Austin City Limits Music Festival 2009 - Austin, TX
Official Dates: October 2-4, 2009
Ticket Info: $185 (3-day pass)
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, John Legend, The Dead Weather, The Levon Helm Band, Ghostland Observatory, Sonic Youth, Mos Def, Toadies, Flogging Molly, The B-52s, Lily Allen, Citizen Cope, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Coheed and Cambria, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk, STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9), Phoenix, Bassnectar, Bon Iver, !!!, Avett Brothers, The Airborne Toxic Event, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Clutch, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Grizzly Bear, Heartless Bastards, Passion Pit, White Lies, Dan Auerbach, The Walkmen, The Scabs, Reckless Kelly, DeVotchka, Blitzen Trapper, The Virgins, Here We Go Magic, Eek-A-Mouse, K'Naan, Asleep at the Wheel, Dr. Dog, The Raveonettes, The Knux, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, State Radio, Los Amigos Invisibles, The Felice Brothers, Federico Aubele, Raul Malo, Daniel Johnston, Poi Dog Pondering, Brett Dennen, School of Seven Bells, and many many more....

POP Montreal - Montreal, Canada
Official Dates: Sept 30-Oct 4
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Not Announced

Treasure Island Music Festival 2009 - San Francisco, CA
Official Dates: October 17-18, 2009
Ticket Info: n/a
Lineup: Rumored Lineup Beirut, The Decemberists, The Flaming Lips, Girl Talk, HEALTH, MSTRKRFT, Monotonix, Murs, No Age

CMJ Music Marathon 2009 - New York, NY
Official Dates: October 20-24, 2009
Ticket Info: on sale now
Lineup: Not Announced

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