WAVES OF 'MO

Garrett Vance is a name you should know, respect, and grapple to your heart. First of all, WHOA. Can he ever wear a beard! And secondly, you've probably already stumbled across him more than once, even if you were quite unaware of it. NOT ONLY does he appear in the band Secret Shoppers (swoon!) and the brand-new band Night Cadet (double swoon! All moody and Portishead-y, I just love them), but you've also seen his handsome hairy mug marrying a filthy goat on the cover of this here tree-murdering rag for our marriage-equality edition last November.

Mr. Vance cornered me at Pony and chewed my little ear off in excited tones about 'Mo-Wave, the new queer music and arts festival, while it was still in its wee early planning stages several months ago. The event seeks to aggressively remedy "the vapid and self-deprecating gay culture that's televised and marketed." (I'm paraphrasing.) Garrett gushes, "Seattle finally has their first comprehensive queer arts festival! Secret Shoppers has played Portland's version, and it's great to have our own." The several-night, several-venue event kicks off tonight, and bounces us between PONY and CHOP SUEY. Pony will have some top-drawer DJing starting at 5 p.m., including Shenanigans and DJ K-Kost, but the lion's share happens at Chop Suey with MC Queen Mookie, DJ Bmorefree, our friends Amateur Youth, My Parade (an "all people of color dance punk band"!), Glitterbang, Ononos, the Need, and, of course, MORE! This is a very good thing. Pony, 5 pm, free, 21+; Chop Suey, 6 pm, $15 adv/$18 DOS, 21+.

MO' WAVES OF 'MO

'Mo-Wave continues! Tonight our attentions are split between Chop Suey and the Wildrose. At the Rose, we have Betsy Olson, Tenderfoot, Butcher, the Blind Photographers, and Jordan O'Jordan. At the Suey, we have Night Cadet (swoooooon!), Eighteen Individual Eyes, Gaytheist, Magic Mouth, and (you guessed it!) MORE. Our friend Garret says, "I am particularly excited that Night Cadet is playing right before Magic Mouth, one of the best bands in the Northwest, hands down. Their engaging dancey soul will revive the room after we flatline it with the ethereal dream pop." We are particularly excited, too, Mr. Vance. Wildrose, 3 pm, $5, 21+; Chop Suey, 4 pm, $15 adv/$18 DOS, 21+.