Mike ‘n Molly’s: Not just for mustache rides

This week’s show listing helps to confirm that Mike ‘n Molly’s is the place to be this summer for great shows. It seems like every night features a great show outside in the beer garden, usually followed by a great DJ inside. Check out http://www.MySpace.com/mikenmollys for a complete listing. Tonight you’ll find a pretty loaded bill featuring soon-to-be-touring-the-west-coast Elsinore, whose new EP is still available at http://overuc.com. But if you’re reading this, you probably already know plenty about Elsinore, so let’s focus on the excellent touring band that will be playing in the third slot for the evening: Light Pollution. Hailing from DeKalb, Light Pollution is in the middle of a short Midwest tour prefacing an east coast run later in the summer. The band comes packing a cornucopia of instruments, from accordion to mandolin to trombone, that are used in a game of around the world played constantly during the band’s set. At their loudest they can sound like Shipwreck with Asobi Seksu’s guitar parts, and at their most subtle, more like Nick Garrie backed by Belle Orchestre, but the main point is that they just sound like Light Pollution. So check them out. Tall Tale will add their indie-pop goodness to the second slot, while Common Loon (who have been slaying crowds at recent shows) will open up the night. The show is slated for a 9 p.m. start, which is right when you want to be there because all four of these bands are fantastic. The cover is $5.
For those of you who know Cowboy Monkey bartender Jesse Alvarez, who has stepped in to fill the shoes of Tim Fahey as the friendly face behind the bar on Tuesday nights during open mic night, he is excited to have the Monkey host And Then There Was You tonight. The Miami, Fla., pop-punk band, which will be on an east coast and Midwestern tour, features his cousin. The band will share the stage with local act Hot Cops, in addition to tour-mates Veara. The show is free and starts at 11 p.m.
Back to Mike ‘n Molly’s, where Friday night features two great shows: Desafinado will play a happy hour set at 5 p.m., much to the delight of world music fans in need of an end of the week beverage. A late show will start at 10 p.m. featuring Cameron McGill in trio form (with Wandering Sons members Noah Harris and Dan McMahon). Noah Harris will also play a solo set, and there will be a surprise opener. $5. And on Wednesday, MnM’s will present the Living Blue alongside Peoria indie-rockers Tina Sparkle (an excellent match) and local experimental act Mordechai in the Mirror (featuring members of Pulsar47). 9 p.m., TBA cover.

Leave a Reply