A solid contender for the title of hottest, sweatiest all-ages dance party of the summer is happening this week when Portland's Boy Eats Drum Machine plays with Bellingham's married dance duo No-Fi Soul Rebellion at EMP as part of the museum's Late Night series.
I hope you're at least somewhat familiar with No-Fi Soul Rebellion by now, as the band—husband Mark Heimer and wife Andrea—have been a fixture in the local music scene for nearly 10 years. They've released four full-length records, their latest being 2009's Oh Please Please Please, and each one is a solid collection of catchy dance songs that nod to new wave, soul, and rock.
Their live show is just as reliable—at every show, Mark wears the same green basketball jersey emblazoned with the number 13. More memorable than his stage costume, though, is the way he attacks each performance, jumping around whatever room he's in like a flea on cocaine. He hops on tables, climbs on chairs, and falls just short of inciting a riot in the dance pit up front.
And while I haven't seen the one-man band Boy Eats Drum Machine (aka Jon Ragel) yet, word is his live show will give No-Fi a run for their money, although his layers of beats, horns, guitar, and synths are delivered with a much more relaxed, chilled-out vibe. I have only one complaint when it comes to BEDM: His vocals occasionally remind me of Fall Out Boy singer Patrick Stump. But that won't stop folks from dancing.
The show is this Thursday, July 1, at the EMP Sky Church. Boy Eats Drum Machine starts at 6:30 p.m., then No-Fi go on at 7:30 p.m.—and the show is free with the cost of museum admission ($15 for adults, $12 for ages 5–17).
Thurs July 1: RVIVR, Build Us Airplanes, Requin at Black Lodge, 8 pm, $5.
Sun July 4: November Group, the Helm, All Teeth, Grindline the Band, My Life in Black and White, Android Hero at El CorazĂłn, 3 pm, $10 adv/$12 DOS.
