While I don’t have a good April Fool’s prank up my sleeve, I do have the perfect quotation from poet Clinton Scollard to ring in the month: “The lyric sound of laughter fills all the April hills, the joy-song of the crocus, the mirth of daffodils.”

And why not a little mirth? The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry begins anew Sunday night, my “serious” snow scraper has been exiled to the garage, and I’ve got a date with David Gray next week. All this and four fantabulous shows at Port City, Space, One Longfellow and Slainte to tell you about. I am seeing the world through April-colored glasses, and things are nine shades of rosy.

May the sound of scraping windshields be replaced by the out-of-tune but glee-inducing ice cream trucks. May finding parking for Space, Geno’s, North Star, Empire, RiRa and all the other places we see live music be less profanity-inducing because we don’t mind the walk. May we soon see the schedule for the Alive at Five and Western Prom Sunset series, and may the Boston Lilith Fair date soon be revealed. And may the Storm Center theme song be muted until December.

 

Five bands, two burlesque troupes and a whole mess of retro and vintage vendors is what you’ll find at Port City Music Hall on Saturday.

Get ready for the third annual Rebel Roots Festival. Whether you’re a rockabilly fan or just play one on TV, this is your night. Hipsters, hep cats, cool kittens, roots rockers, bluegrassers, hillbillies, rebels, gypsies, tramps and thieves – one and all should make their way to Port City for an event that’ll fill up your senses better than all the John Denver ballads in the world.

Advertisement

Whistlebait Burlesque and the Dirty Dishes Revue will stoke the fires with their stage performances, and the five bands slated to perform are the Outsiders, the Murder Weapon, the Soul Reapin’ 3, Wicked Whiskey and the Gamma Rays.

Rebel Roots 3: Rockabilly Festival, Burlesque Revue and Retro Bazaar. 6 p.m. Saturday. Port City Music Hall, 504 Congress St., Portland. Ages 21 and older. $10 in advance at Bull Moose or at www.portcitymusichall.com and www.brownpapertickets.com. $13 day of show.

 

I have pledged my devotion to the band Spouse almost as many times as I’ve talked about the Red Sox (she’s not lying – ed.), so I’ll forgo them and speak of the current object of my musical affection, Grownup Noise. The group is a four-piece indie-rock/folk/pop band from Boston, and the only trouble I’m having with them is deciding which of their songs I get the biggest charge out of.

“Messy Apartment” is one contender, as is “Artist Type.” But for the moment, the prize goes to a new one called “Six Foot Solemn Oath.” “Tug my ears in the windy cold, hear the sound of the snow,” sing Paul Hansen and Katie Franich as Franich’s cello weaves in and out of the song. There are also piano, acoustic and electric guitar, bass, drums, and I do believe I heard a xylophone in there as well. Grownup Noise combines smart lyrics with keen vocals, and its songs are doses of melodic sunshine.

Spouse with Grownup Noise and the Milkman’s Union. 9 p.m. Friday. Space Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland. Ages 18 and older. $6 tickets at Bull Moose or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Advertisement

 

What’s wrong with me that I don’t have a copy of every song from singer-songwriter Chris Pureka, along with a laminated fan club card? Seriously, go to www.myspace.com/chrispureka and listen to “Come Back Home.” The song gave me the kind of chills last stirred up by Mary Gauthier. As I closed my eyes and sank deeper into my chair and into the song, I knew I’d be listening to more of her music.

Since the release of her 2004 debut, “Driving North,” Pureka has played here a handful of times, and she’ll be back on Wednesday night for a show at One Longfellow.

“Momentary Thief” was the next song I heard, and I smacked myself in the head like someone who should have had about 19 V-8s for not having caught one of her shows. Her third record, “How I Learned to See in the Dark,” is due out in two weeks, and I hope she’ll swing back through in the fall, because although I am thrilled to pieces to be seeing David Gray, missing Pureka’s show is the price I’ll have to pay. Drop me a line if you catch next week’s performance – I’d love to hear all about it.

Chris Pureka. 8 p.m. Wednesday. One Longfellow Square, Portland. $12 at www.onelongfellowsquare.com. 761-1757.

 

Advertisement

New Yorker Sam Buck Rosen is a slightly batty but nonetheless entertaining purveyor of electronica. One listen to “Dominant Mind” at www.sambuckrosen.com convinced me. Listening to him was like eating Spree candy while riding a tricycle at the bottom of an empty pool – completely random but surprisingly fun. Plus, his cover of Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” and Heart’s “Crazy on You” are must-hears. His pairing with the always enthralling Lady Lamb the Beekeeper gives you a Friday night to be reckoned with.

Sam Buck Rosen with Lady Lamb the Beekeeper. 8 p.m. Friday. Slainte Wine Bar, 24 Preble St., Portland. Ages 21 and older. Free.

 

 

Aimsel Ponti is a Portland freelance writer. Contact her at:

aimselponti@yahoo.com

 


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

filed under: