[sound bites]

Bills About Town:
Planning a weekend of great tunes

By: Shea Carver

This week in music varies in everything from punk to funk, sultry singer/songwriter to amateur karaoker. As we’ve come to suspect of our culturally rich town, Wilmington is housing a lot of live music worth checking out everywhere from downtown to Wrightsville Beach. Below are only a few of our top picks to ensure a weekend of ear-smacking good times.

July 11th
Monkey Knife Fight, 10pm, Palm Room
With a name like Monkey Knife Fight, how could one’s interest not be piqued? Quite frankly, it’s near impossible. As one may suspect, the sounds of this Wilmington band is punk thrash—even the word “grime” is thrown in for good measure. Their pogo beats pulsate in fast timing and wake up the senses like any good ole crunked-up monkey. Complete with razor-sharp guitar rifts and ear-pelting percussive stylings, they’re seemingly a band with a sense of humor, too, judging by their own description of their music: “[We’re] the last thing you hear before your face hit[s] a wall.” They’ll be sharing a bill with Fat Cam this evening.

July 12th
The Get Nice, 8pm, The Whiskey
They’re a quintet of massive sound, featuring eclectic rock, soul, funk, jazz and everything in between. Having ben born of the duo Mac & Juice, the two fellas recruited Sam, Chris and Jon to bring to the stage a full-throttle band of energetic musicality, where they play covers and originals alike. They often propel feet to tap and bodies to twirl, as it’s near impossible not to capture rhythm and movement when they play. Be sure to catch them at The Whiskey tonight; they won’t be back ‘til Septembe—and why hold off on a good time?

July 13th
Shannon Curtis, 8pm, Soapbox
Her voice is as seductive as red high heels and black fishnets. While I often try to refrain from comparisons, I couldn’t help but conjure the morphed image of Diana Krall and Fiona Apple when listening to “Paris Can’t Have You.” The piano is simply intoxicating, while the strings prove hypnotic against a falsetto pitch of lyrical persuasion: “If you’re feeling tempted to stay/listen to me when I say/Paris can’t have you.” From jazz-induced states of mind to upbeat ‘50s doo-wop jaunts as heard in “Don’t Call Me,” her range is appealing in that it’s simple in message—she’s often singing about love—and complex in musical crescendos and composition. Don’t miss this vocal vixen, as she will be playing on a lengthy bill, also including Laura McLean, Matt Jones ,and Misty Lyn and the Big Beautiful. Admission is $5.

July 15th
Karaoke Kong, 10pm, 16 Taps
Warm up those vocal chords to make music with friends—in front of a live audience. Karaoke Kong is the mac-daddy of local sing-a-longs, welcoming folks of all pitches and tempos to its stage to induce glass-breaking squeals and screeches to those who wish to sit through it. From country to rock-n-roll, doo-wop to new age, the sounds vary and the people providing them do as well. Karaokers will enjoy the slew of song options Karaoke Kong offers, and others just looking for prime people-watching will find 16 Taps a great stop on any given Tuesday night