To Do List (June 28-July 4)
GIG OF THE WEEK
Photo courtesy of The Men
JULY 4
THE MEN @ THE HAUNTED MILL, BELMONT
Screw fireworks. This year, celebrate the Fourth the right way: partying your ass off to one of the most thrilling and adventurous rock bands making music today — at a haunted mill and mini-golf course no less. Brooklyn’s The Men are finally getting the attention they deserved for last year’s magnificently malleable Leave Home. As far-reaching as an eight-song collection can be, the record balances muscular grooves and tremendous hooks with aggressive distortion and strung-out interludes. It’s a tremendous display, finding the middle ground between abrasive and catchy and putting it in a choke hold. This year’s Open Your Heart is more accessible but no less engaging. Funneling their break-neck intensity through an almost classic rock filter, the follow-up is a more scatterbrained effort. It swings from the convincing, straightforward “Country Song” to the tenacious party punk of “Animal” and on to the emotionally driven radio rock of the title track. The stylistic leaps are occasionally off-putting, but the band’s forceful mastery prevents discomfort from becoming displeasure. The Men exercise their creative freedom more than most of their peers, making theirs a perfect soundtrack for celebrating your independence. —Jordan Lawrence
CALENDAR
Festivals
- 6/28-30: Buried Underground 2012 @ Chapel Hill Underground, Chapel Hill
- 6/29-30: Death To False Hope Fest @ Motorco, Durham
- 6/30: Dirty South Fest 2012 w/ Cro-Mags, The Queers, Pietasters @ Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro
June 28
- Moonface @ Local 506, Chapel Hill
- Lost In The Trees @ Visulite Theatre, Charlotte
- “Better Than Something” (Jay Reatard documentary) @ The Pinhook, Durham
June 29
- Pierce Edens & The Dirty Work (CD release) @ Grey Eagle, Asheville
- Wood Ear w/ Pistol Crash @ The Cave, Chapel Hill
June 30
- Beat Connection w/ White Arrows @ Kings, Raleigh
- Jill Andrews @ Grey Eagle, Asheville
- Cement Stars w Hello Handshake, Sea Wolf Mutiny, Blossoms @ Brevard Court Block Party, Charlotte
- American Aquarium @ Soapbox, Wilmington
July 2
- Southern Lord Showcase w/ Black Breath, Martyrdöd, Burning Love @ Kings, Raleigh
- Shovels & Rope @ The Pour House, Charleston
July 3
- Extra Life @ Nightlight, Chapel Hill
- Tres Chicas @ Berkeley Cafe, Raleigh
- These United States w/ The Weeks @ Emerald Lounge, Asheville
July 4
- Paint Fumes w/ Bloodshot Bill @ The Milestone, Charlotte
- These United States @ US National Whitewater Center, Charlotte
Tags: 
Jill Andrews is also playing in Charlotte at the Visulite on June 29.
So in all North and South Carolina, there are only 19 musical events worth mentioning?
Meanwhile, thanks to AvantGreensboro.com, we see there are some 14 in Greensboro alone.
http://www.avantgreensboro.com/category/events/events-june-28-july-6.html
David,
Shuffle’s “To Do List” is meant as as a collection of essentials each week in the Carolinas. This week, we felt there were 19 “must sees” in the area. That doesn’t mean there aren’t other shows worth going to this week. It just means that these were the shows that jumped out to us as important or interesting on a regional level. If you ever feel we miss something, you’re encouraged to let us know in the comments section.
Thanks for the feedback!
Jordan Lawrence
Music Editor