Underage

Annual do-good music festival Noise for the Needy kicks off June 9, with five days’ worth of shows featuring over 70 bands, all raising money for a terrific cause. Hooray! Here’s the bad news: Only two of NFTN’s 18 shows are all ages. Sigh. But there’s a silver lining—not only will those two shows be really great (Visqueen! Grand Hallway!), but the money raised will benefit Teen Feed, a local organization that offers support to homeless youth through a variety of outreach programs.

No doubt Teen Feed will put NFTN’s donation to good use. Six nights a week, Teen Feed serves free, hot meals in the University District, averaging 40–50 guests each night. In 2009 alone, Teen Feed served over 11,000 meals, and their affiliate program Service Links for Youth helped 60 kids and teens find stable housing.

You can find out more (and volunteer or donate) at www.teenfeed.org. You can also help them out by showing up at any Noise for the Needy show and rocking the fuck out (or swaying back and forth, or gazing at your shoes—whatever is appropriate given the circumstances).

The first all-ages show is on Friday, June 11, at the Vera Project with Portland Cello Project, Grand Hallway (swoon!), and Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and costs $10. Then on Sunday, Visqueen, one of my favorite local power-pop bands, headline a matinee show at the Hard Rock Cafe with Ivan & Alyosha and Fox and the Law. It starts at 3:00 p.m. and only costs $8.

If you’re over 21, be sure to check out the full NFTN schedule at www
.noisefortheneedy.org—they’ve got several other shows with Horse Feathers, the Maldives, Whalebones, the Album Leaf, the Redwood Plan, John Vanderslice (with Karl Blau!), and more. Make some noise and help the needy.

Thurs June 10: RVIVR, A Million Years Ago, TacocaT, Agatha at 20/20 Cycle,
7 pm, $5 donation.

Tues–Wed June 15–16: Stars, Dead Child Star at the Triple Door, 7:30 pm, $25.