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Gentleman Auction House, Sangamon, and Sunset Stallion »

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• Cowboy Monkey »
  6 Taylor St. Champaign, IL 61820
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LM5 is the big news of the week, and I think for good reason this year. The changes that have been made to make the event less of a competition and more of a celebration seem to be good moves. The fact of the matter is that, regardless of any squabbling or bitching, there are a lot of great things about this scene — bands and people. Steps being taken to show some of those strengths to (hopefully) lots of new people is certainly nice to see. If you know little or nothing about the music that is being made right here in your neck of the woods, LM5 would be a great place to start. Not only will you get to hear clips and samples from tons of locals but you’ll also get to see performances from several acts. Longtime local fans who recognize some of the acts slated to perform will also be in for a treat as several acts are combining forces to offer one-time-only performances. Santa will lock together with Curb Service to form a Voltronesque powerhouse group, hopefully involving some turntable/scratch work from Larry Gates. Robots Counterfeiting Money will rekindle their relationship with Post Historic that lasted for one night of this year’s Great Cover-Up, during which the two bands partied hard as Andrew W.K. Sunset Stallion will be joined by Jonathon Childers, a lover of Bob Dylan and the excellent Web comic “Married to the Sea.” Other acts scheduled include Zmick, World’s First Flying Machine and recent CPD Teen Battle of the Bands winners the Jips. The lineup will likely see an addition or two and maybe some more collaboration, but the confirmed acts should be plenty to get you out. There will be off-color tidbits from hosts Mike Coulter and Dawna Nelson, two of the funniest people in town, and with so much stuff happening onstage there’s sure to be at least one song that turns into a Mongolian clusterfuck. But that’s what makes it fun, people. So put down the iPod and skip out on the pissy smell of campus bars for the night by heading to the Highdive. Hopefully you’ll find some little local thing to love. Doors open at 8 p.m., and there is no cover.

I’ve made it pretty clear over the years that I think Gentleman Auction House is one of the best indie bands out there right now. Having watched them play one of their first shows outside of their hometown of St. Louis and having subsequently watched them get better and better with each new show, I was incredibly delighted to find that their first full-length, Alphabet Graveyard (released last year), was able to catch much of their onstage energy. If you’ve managed to have never seen them in the many times they’ve played in CU, Friday is the day for you. They’ll headline a show at Cowboy Monkey, kicking off a tour out to New York City. This will be the first appearance in Champaign with the new, leaner lineup, following the departure of guitarist/percussionist/screamer Mike Tomko. I’m not entirely sure how I’m supposed to go on living knowing that he’s not up there singing every word to every song even though there is no mic in front of him ... but the band plays on. Check them out at myspace.com/gentlemanauctionhouse or on iTunes. They’ll be joined Friday by Sangamon, now a more experimental, piano-driven trio (in the middle slot) and Sunset Stallion (opening up at 10 p.m.). Cover is $7.

Also on Friday, Bentley’s is set to host two whip-smart indie-pop bands, Lucky Mulholland and Backyard Shark. This show is only $3 (starting at 10 p.m.), and Bentley’s is a pretty swell place to spend a night drinking. I haven’t been able to make it in during a show featuring full bands, so I’m interested to see how it all works. Either way, it’s always great to see new venues taking interest in local music.

WEFT Sessions this week will feature Decatur singer/songwriter Jessica Jolly, who has been making the drive to CU more frequently lately to play open mics and other gigs. She has a fantastic voice (quiet but strong, not unlike Sara Watkins of Nickel Creek) and writes solid songs based around a hard finger-strum. Tune in to 90.1FM on Monday from 10-11 p.m. to hear her live, or stop by the studio at 113 N. Market in Champaign (just north of Mike ‘n’ Molly’s). You can find her on the Web at myspace.com/jessicasingshersongs, which features great vintage photos of what I’m guessing are her very awesome and musical parents and other relatives. WEFT Sessions is a live, local radio show that is hosted weekly by Todd Hunter. If you’re in a band and are interested in performing, contact weftsessions@gmail.com (booked by the guy that writes this column).

—Mike can be reached at forgottenwords@gmail.com