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Beat Street
By Todd S. Inoue

Raise the PFLAG Epic punk show scheduled for Billy DeFrank Community Center in San Jose this Sunday Here is your program guide to the astropimpin' punk show at Billy DeFrank Lesbian and Gay Community Center, 175 Stockton Ave., San Jose, on Sunday (June 23). The all-ager starts at 5pm, and tickets are $6. 1) Sleater-Kinney: Empowering Portland trio consisting of Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein and Toni Gogin. Renowned for its sharp punk and Tucker's unsettling banshee screams. Just finished its second national tour. 2) Cold Cold Hearts: Features Erin and Allison from Bratmobile playing stylish, glammish punk. Total fashion queens. Their self-titled 7-incher is out on Kill Rock Stars. 3) The Need: Might have broken up, but if not, features Rachel Cairns from Kicking Giant and Miranda who, at the last Billy DeFrank show, amazed audiences with her intense knock-kneed performance singing with CeBe Barnes. She is an amazing sight. 4) Third Sex: Three dykes from Portland with a drummer named Killer. Self-titled 7-incher on Kill Rock Stars. 5) Emily's Sassy Lime: Snappy dragons who are cooler than you'll ever be (their name is a complicated palindrome, so there). Skronking punk that is shocking and dangerous. 6) Refect Refect: Features punk icon Slim Moon and his new band. 7) Mocket: Three Olympia kids playing new-wave punk. Fast and tasty. 8) Lisa Dewey: Local singer/songwriter from San Jose. Echo Summit Speaking of shows, I was disappointed in the dismal turnout at the recent Lookout! Records extravaganza at the Cubberley Auditorium in Palo Alto. It was a big-time bill with The Queers, Mr. T. Experience, Hi-Fives and the Groovie Ghoulies, but attendance was sparse. We're talking about 150­200 people, mostly kids. The same bill played the next night in San Francisco to 1,100 fans. What's up with this area? The Queers did not disappoint, previewing a bunch of songs from their soon-to-be released album Don't Back Down (titles include "She's Got No Tits," "Brush Your Teeth," "Surf Goddess" and "Punk Rock Girls"). The band threw in a version of The Who's "The Kids Are Alright" before snapping into its hits: "I Can't Stop Farting," "I Hate Everything," "Ursula Finally Has Tits" and the inspired "Fuck the World (I'm Hanging Out With You Tonight"). The next Cubberley show is June 21 with the Zen Cowboys and Susan James Band on June 21 (see Calendar). A Neurosis, Pitch Shifter and Bloodlet show has been added Aug. 9. Give the all-age venue some love. Sunday Reggae Sunday SMART, the San Jose creative consortium housing Chris Esparza, Chris Elliman and Tim Wilson, will put on four Sunday-afternoon shows this summer at Cesar Chavez Park in conjunction with Mr. Wright's Amazing Coffee Factory. The first is June 30 with Inka Inka, the Odd Numbers, Willies Conception and DJs Robert Rankin' and Spliff Skankin'. . . . The Camera Cafe is looking for acoustic acts to perform every Thursday night starting July 11. Interested parties should send packages to Music Cafe Series, PO Box 720728, San Jose, 95172. . . . It's a psychobilly freak-out! A couple quick phone calls, and the Reverend Horton Heat magically appears at the Usual on Thursday (June 27). Do Unto Others. . . So Lollapalooza is playing Spartan Stadium on Aug. 4. Hear who the mainstage "special guest" is? Preliminary report is it will be the Cocteau Twins. Please go easy on them, Metallica fans, I plead with you. [ Metro | Metroactive Central | Archives ]