There's plenty more punk rock action around the corner to make up for it, however, and despite my bumbling brain, I won't be missing out on any of it. This week, Lungfish and Juno are at Graceland, Against Me! perform with These Arms Are Snakes at the Vera Project, and (the earth-shattering) Black Eyes do a show at CoCA (all events are all ages, of course). And later this month Ash returns, Stay Gold plays their official last show, and Ian MacKaye makes an appearance at the Vera Project!
Speaking of the Vera Project, there's something new (and a little more on the quiet side) that all you musically inclined and creative types should know about. The Vera Project has begun a new open-mic program called VERAcity. One Wednesday each month, Vera's art gallery/cafe area will be open for anyone to come strut their stuff any way they please--from spoken word to acoustic music to freestyle hiphop. Just show up and take your turn--it's that easy! There will also be a "featured performer" (on May 7, for the opening night, Billy Fiction from Mea Culpa showcased his solo material). Then, the following Wednesday will bring a singer/songwriter showcase (booked in advance) featuring local acoustic musicians doin' their thing. On May 14, for example, Sam and Jherick (from the Dead Science), Roxy and Clark, Andrea Maxand, and Ben Verdoes (from In Praise of Folly) were all scheduled to appear.
And the best part? All this action is completely free. For more information, and to find out about upcoming dates, visit www.theveraproject.org.
And that, my friends, is all I have time (and room) for. I promise not to forget about another Bad Religion show ever again for as long as I live. MEGAN SELING
Need more? You can hear my personal picks for the week on 107.7 The End every Monday and Friday at 5:30 pm during DJ No Name's Afternoon Experiment.
