March 1, turnout was strong for one of the strangest events ever at Courtyard CafÇ: the debut of a surrealist hardcore septet. My Masterpiece Will Be a Burning Museum is performance art; amid the music, the singer-a boy in a bumblebee costume-held his head back and drank honey from a plastic bear and hurled dodgeballs and giant polystyrene dice at the audience. With mottoes such as “Destroy your squid” and “Lite it up like Baghdad,” the band placed high emphasis on audience participation; one of the dice was soon decimated. Also noteworthy was the hardcore-opera reenactment of the bumblebee boy’s breakup with his actual ex-girlfriend, whose dog he allegedly killed and felt bad about. The show ended with a rainfall of $10,000 bills.
Bill “Wink” Turner, together with Joe Lipinski and Jason Milam of Emotional Rec Club, had a downtown Champaign rock trio, Scurvine. In 2003, Scurvine made a demo and disbanded, so the demo never saw the light of day. Now the band is back together two years later and due to have a release show. By coincidence, the last Scurvine show was supposed to be the first show for the Joe Lipinski side project Fortunato, but that and the next Fortunato bookings both fell through. Fortunato then changed its name to Balisong and played five shows in 2004 before breaking up without an announcement.
Also back from oblivion is Pointed, aka Seth Johnson, Caffe Paradiso patron and prolific singer-songwriter who went to Arizona and accordingly has played only once here since 2003. He recently returned and recorded at Toddlesworth Studios in Urbana and last month unveiled a new Web site with the eccentric, carnivalesque fruit of his labors: ptd.hoe.nu. He also argued against the theory you can get high on nutmeg and sounded high.
Saturday at Boneyard Pottery, three bands will play an all-ages, smoke-free benefit for The Euterpe Music Network: Jason Finkelman’s Nu Orbit Ensemble, Lanterna and The Chemicals. Show time is 7 p.m., and cover is $5. Euterpe-rhymes with Slurpee-“seeks to create a positive force that will energize, inspire and protect the local music scene, musicians, professionals and supporters” and “exists to strengthen the scene by organizing open dialogue, educational workshops and annual music conferences.” The Euterpe Founders are Rachael Dietkus, Debra Domal, Nan Holda, Jenny Southlynn and Holly Rushakoff.
Although the show will go on, the Parasol Records showcase Sunday was dealt a blow when the Belgian band Sukilove was denied entry to the United States. On the bright side, the bill still includes Tractor Kings and Angie Heaton, with her band Gentle Tamers for the first time since 2001: Josh Quirk on drums, Josh Walden on bass and Bob Watson on guitar. Show time is 10 p.m., and cover is now only $3. For those in need of a replacement Belgian band, Dave Domal planned ahead and booked one tonight at Mike ‘n Molly’s. Hitch, named for a Rutger Hauer movie about a homicidal hitchhiker, plays with The Greedy Loves and Blesses Curses. Show time is 10 p.m., and cover is $4.
Also tonight, at 8, Andrew Norsworthy visits from Anchorage, Alaska, for a free show with Matt Tipton and Mike Ingram at Arìma. And at 7:30 p.m., Boston folk singers Catie Curtis and Patty Larkin open for Joni Laurence at Virginia Theatre. Tickets are $18 main/mezzanine and $15 balcony.
Correction: Lorenzo Goetz will not open for the Third Stone reunion.
Next week: OpeningBands.com third anniversary and St. Patrick’s Day benefit!
