The Week in Preview

Time, time, time....where does it go?

OK, enough philosophy. No time for it.

This week: Well, has there EVER been a week in which there were so many bands you couldn't pay me to go see?? And I can say that more authoritatively than most, since I have for many years been paid to go to see bands I didn't want to see. But this week is ridiculous.

Just Friday night alone is enough to make me...well, if someone was paying me NOT to see bands, this would be the night I'd be rollin' in cash. To wit:

Neil Diamond at Arco Arena - uh, no.
Kenny G. at the Community Center Theatre - uh, HELL no.
...and Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick together at Sleep Train Amphitheatre? I would rather watch politicians debate foreign policy on TV. So, I am in luck.

Note well, please, that I have seen all these bands, that I like the early Neil Diamond singles (and a bit of the new, Rick Rubin-produced album) and that the first Cheap Trick album was great, and a couple more had one or two good songs. And "Baracuda" was a decent song until I started having nightmares about Sarah Palin.

But time hasn't been kind to any of them.

Sunday at Sleep Train, there's a big Christian-ish music festival with Jars of Clay, Switchfoot and Robert Randolph and the Family Band, who I saw in New Orleans a few years ago and who were just OK. The rest? Not interested. But God bless you if you want to go. You are not right, just forgiven.

What else? Well, I saw portions of the Forever Plaid run-through last Saturday night while getting a tour of the new Cosmopolitan at 10th and K, and I will blog about it. But it looked like good, clean, cabaret fun, skillfully done, etc. That's worthy of more. Later.

As for Horrorpops, they're a bit punk, a bit B-52's, a bit No Doubt. A bit. And they're playing Sunday at Empire, with local faves Secretions opening. Here's a clip of Horrorpops:



Finally, tickets go on sale Sunday for this year's Bridge School Benefit at Shoreline Amphitheatre on Oct. 25/26, featuring, as always, Neil Young, plus: Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Wilco, Smashing Pumpkins, ZZ Top and Josh Groban.

Josh Groban???

OK, I'm back to work. Hosting Insight again today, my 10th day in a row. Will post links soon.