For the size of Kalamazoo, there’s quite a range of varied talented musicians who come through or who are from this area. With a bit of exploring of what is available, tracking down the latest house venue or giving your patronage to the bars still doing shows, you are bound to find something you will enjoy. That being said, this Saturday there is no reason to find yourself lacking in live music. With the four shows occurring, you’d be hard-pressed to find something you did not enjoy.

For the house shows:

MILHOUSE will be bringing in two touring acts, OUR LADY (Springfield, IL), and ESTATES (Milwaukee, WI), along with BLANK – long time locals, and RETICULATING SPLINES – familiar faces with a new project. You can expect a varied plate of emo, indierock, slowcore, and technical prowess – all plugged in, yelled, and sometimes featuring cello.

For an entirely different flavor, THE BLACK LODGE brings rock and roll together with hip hop and electronica – a tasty combination – featuring KID DEW & WHY J (Grand Rapids), new project from a duo of mad-scientists BANJOHATER, and DJ PREPOSTEROUS PSEUDONYM will be spinning some LPs. Locals PROCONPRO and EVILDEAUXERZ will be in charge of rocking and rolling.

And from the bars

LOUIE’S TROPHY HOUSE will be doing their showcase of local powerhouse DOUBLE PHELIX. This is not their first, this will not be their last, but it’s always something different. This time around it’s a country/rock/songy sort of affair, but of course it’s never that straightforward with the Phelix crew. LASSO, SACRED STRAYS (Grand Rapids), and SILPHIUM BLOOMS will all be there, each a rare sight in town.

Finally, THE 411 will be hosting the EP release for local rock and destroyers TERROR TERROR… OH MY!, backed up by FLAMINGO NOSEBLEED (Ft. Wayne, IN), and HELTER SKELTER (Grand Rapids), and topped off with DJ’d sets afterwards, it’s guaranteed to be a full night.

As an added bonus, it’s also RECORD STORE DAY! Check out your favorite local record shop and see what kinds of deals/neato exclusives they have going, all before any of the shows.

Check the sidebar or contact the venue for the times these shows will begin. Ask around for the house locations if that’s what you’re into. Treat each other well on this celebratory weekend.

The Majestic Jaramids

Annabel (Kent, OH) – Your favorite band’s favorite jams

Seventeen Again (Kalamazoo) – VHS recordings of Headbanger’s Ball, but way too fast

Fossil Eyes (kalamazoo) – Post-hardcore, post-metal, post-everything posterchildren.

Running Shoes (Grand Rapids) – Bummer Thugs ‘n Harmony

9PM. Donate to touring bands. Be hella excellent to each and every one there.

A long-standing tradition resides in the Vine Neighborhood. Those who frequent the house show scene may be familiar. The Fireplace Club (an infrequently used though highly-revered house venue space) has hosted a Valentine’s Day Love Song Open Mic for 4 years. This event invites anyone in the community to share songs about love (the positive or negative aspects thereof), either originals or covers, with their friends in a warm, comfortable living room/dining room environment.

This lovely fellow could be you!

This event is great for the single, the coupled, and the anywhere-in-between. This event is a great way to see local artists and friends perform songs they probably otherwise would not get an opportunity to – and perhaps even get people who rarely perform up to the challenge!

Recordings of previous events can be heard here:

Listen to 2012: https://soundcloud.com/ditk3/sets/valentines-day-love-song-open
Listen to 2011: https://soundcloud.com/ditk2/sets/love-song-open-mic-2011
Listen to 2010: https://soundcloud.com/ditk/sets/valentines-day-2010

This Friday, the Stabbin Cabin is hosting a benefit for the legal fees of some local environmental activists. Hailing from Grand Rapids, we have punk rockers The Amoebas and Protected Left. They’ll be joined by four local acts: the fast-paced basement punk of Abortion Survivors; Tim Tapper’s minimalist folk rock; self-proclaimed “spazzy punks” Anybody But the Cops; and Endangered Feces. Suggested donation $5—it’s for a good cause!

Two people from Kalamazoo and four from Grand Rapids have been arrested for protesting the DNR’s Mineral Rights Auction, where the state of Michigan sold the rights to extract natural gas using the destructive technique known as fracking. Please come out to support our friends who have fought to protect our state from this highly polluting practice, and enjoy a great night of excellent local music!

Listen to the bands here:

http://www.myspace.com/wearetheamoebas

http://protectedleft.bandcamp.com

http://www.myspace.com/abortionsurvivors/music

http://soundcloud.com/tim-tapper

http://anybodybutthecops.bandcamp.com/

Donate to the legal defense fund here:

http://lansingstopfrackingfund.chipin.com/bail-money-to-stop-fracking

As someone who has been slowly imersing themselves in the local music scene of Kalamazoo over the last few years, I am excited for the list of musicians playing at Milhouse this Friday. These are long-standing artists in the community, who would have easily been seen on the same bill a few years ago, but as it stands times have changed, people have moved and taken on other responsibilities, now making some of these artists a rare treat. Even if you didn’t spend the past few years catching shows with these artists, or (like I often did) just catching their names on flyers, this music will move you even without nostalgia or personal connection.

GLOWFRIENDS are the quintessential shoegaze family band of Kalamazoo, who have been putting on emotive, spacey shows in the area (and on tour) for many years. Often seen up on stage supporting touring shoegaze acts, it’s a rare sight to have them performing in a basement venue.

JES KRAMER has been making music in Michigan since 17, and has made many friends in Kalamazoo in the process. Her heart-felt casio-pop and loop pedal prowess is renowned. Although Jes is still writing and performing, she can only occasionally make it into Kalamazoo from Grand Rapids, do to her busy family life, so see her while you can!

SON DROP is the former Kalamazooan James Duke’s rock ‘n’ roll brain baby. James has moved to Minnesota, so Son Drop shows are now few and far between. Come see James’ charming smile and hear his relateable get-stuck-in-your-head-and-sing-without-thinking songs. Son Drop will also be releasing a new album at this show!

And Finally, KOLKA KARMADON will be reuniting. For those who do not know, Kolka Karmadon was a music project featuring Jes Kramer, James Duke, and Travis of Circle, Get Square! These folks wrote songs about natural disasters, and created an album that is likely my most played album by any local artist.

And for some reason they were filmed performing one of these songs for mlive in 2008.

Show will be at 8:30. Bring money to buy merch. Respect your surroundings.

It’s about to get heavy on Western’s campus. Four punk-related artists will be spanning sounds and issues for a FREE SHOW brought to you by the Kalamazoo Peace Center.

Local favorites ACKLEY KID will be in your face, raw, heavy and just the best dudes. ELK WELCOME will also be bringing their punk/jam band mix helping you get weird.

The show will also feature out of towners GREEN WASHED, who have no recordings online. However, as fellow southwest Michiganders on a bill such as this one, I’m sure they’re bringing something not to miss.

Finally, CLOSET BURNER from Bloomingon, IN will be bringing the most intense queercore you’ll ever get the pleasure of seeing, unless you happen to be fortunate enough to see Limp Wrist. However, for the price of ZERO DOLLARS, this is too good to pass up. Seriously, they’re called Closet Burner, how can that not be awesome?

http://closetburner.bandcamp.com/

As I’ve said, this show is FREE, and will also have FREE ROOT BEER AND ICECREAM. Starts at 7:30. Respect the shit out of these bands and of the Peace Center folks who help bring cool outta towners at a low low price.