This week's cook shows: Shit Horse, Scratch Acid and more!

I wrote about the Zen Frisbee Halloween show featuring Shit Horse for this week's Indy. In case you don't see it, here's the gist: Shit Horse put on a great show at Hopscotch despite technical difficulties, and you should go see them Monday night at Local 506. 

Here are some other shows you should check out this week (assuming, of course, that you're not going to be in Asheville for Moogfest this weekend). 

Thursday: Birds and Arrows with Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands at Tir na Nog

Thursday: RBT with Hessian at Dive Bar

Friday: HNMTF with Wesley Wolfe at Nightlight

Sunday: Boris at Cat's Cradle

Sunday: Arbouretum with Celebration and The Moaners at Nightlight (download Arbouretum's "Destroying to Save" and see video of "When Delivery Comes")

Sunday: Grohg with Whatever Brains and Left Outlet at Kings

Monday: Screaming Females at Nightlight

Wednesday: Scratch Acid (next week's show of the week!) at Cat's Cradle

Kenny Roby and Caroline Mamoulides at Sadlack's

Despite the somewhat somber tone of these photos, Friday's show with Kenny Roby and Caroline Mamoulides at Sadlack's was a virtual laugh riot. Kenny was nailing the one-liners left and right, and Ronnie Monroe livened things up (I guess that's really the only way to put it) with his interpertive dancing. Sorry, but no video from that night, which I really kind of regret in retrospect. Kenny also did something unusual in that he covered Elvis Costello's "Every Day I Write the Book."I had never thought about how much Kenny sounds like Elvis until right then, and the similarity was uncanny. 

I've known Caroline Mamoulides for a while now, but actually had no idea that she is a singer-songwriter in her own right. Friday's show was one of her first playing live. I liked her songs, even if they were pretty sad (her own description), and I'm looking forward to seeing her again. See more photos. 

Come to the Doggie Fun Fest and Cherry Bomb Ball!

You know, I can give you 5,000 reasons why you should check out the Doggie Fun Show and Cherry Bomb Ball, a dual-event benefit for the Independent Animal Rescue. But the main thing is this: Look at that face! Seriously, look at that awesome sweet face! That, folks, is Miss Cherry, a sweet pup who is now able to walk again thanks to IAR. That's an organization that does great work and deserves some serious love. Sunday's Doggie Fun Show at Phydeaux and Oct. 21's Cherry Bomb Ball at Kings are both going to be awesome love fests for this very worthy organization.

If you know anything about local music, you know Caitlyn Cary and Skillet Gilmore. They were Cherry's foster parents/eventual adoptees. They live in my neighborhood, and I often saw them walking Cherry in a stroller, of all things, after her injury. And if you read this blog on a regular basis you know I lost my buddy, Mr. C, in March after 14 and 1/2 years together. I now have a new buddy, Sir Alex, who is doing well, and barking up a storm, in his new home. Thus I'm already partial to anything that helps dogs, but this benefit truly is going to be super amazing. Here are the details.

Doggie Fun Show: Sunday's event (Oct. 16) will take place from 4-6 p.m. at Phydeaux, a really cool, well-stocked pet supply store in Seaboard Station. I get most of my supplies from here so I can personally vouch for this place. Dog owners can enter their pups in a variety of contests, including Best Kisser, Best Costume, and Cutest Ugly dog. Yours truly will be there taking photos, so if you want to come out and tell me how badly my writing sucks, please do so! Just make sure you donate to IAR first. If you would like to enter your pooch, registration is $5 in advance, $7 day of event. And if that's not enough, Big Boss will be there too!

Cherry Bomb Ball Best in Show and Live Music: The winners from the Oct. 16 event will gather at 7 p.m. at Kings for the final judging and great live music from Schooner, The Tender Fruit, Birds & Arrows and Small Ponds. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 of show.

I truly hope to see everyone out at both of these events. Independent Animal Rescue does amazing work, not just for Cherry, but for animals in need throughout the Triangle. They're a great organization, and I'm very proud to be helping them in whatever way I can.

Photos and video of The Atlas Moth and KEN Mode

The Atlas Moth's "An Ache for the Distance" was one of my most-anticipated albums of the year, and it totally lived up to my expectations, so I was really looking forward to their show at Nightlight. The only other time I had seen them was during the disappointing Kings show with Nachtmystium and Zoroaster about a year ago. The difference between last year's show and this year's was like night and day. The band sounded good, the crowd was larger and more appreciative, and the photos were much better -- even with the band's psychedelic LED light show. 

I was certainly aware of KEN Mode, who have been getting a lot of press lately, but I'l admit their recorded music didn't really grab me. The aggressive and angular live show, however, was a whole 'nother story, and made me want to give them another listen. See more photos. 

Photos from night three of Hopscotch!

(Danny Mason)

I hate to say it, but I kind of wussed out on day three of Hopscotch. I had good intentions of seeing Krallice at the Berkeley, but ended up going home around 11:30. But I had a great time up until that point. See more photos. 

The day was spent at my day party at Dive Bar. You never know how a day party is going to go, but I truly couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out. We had a good crowd, and all three bands (Lurch, Black Thai and Righteous Fool) all sounded killer. Thanks so much to Robby and the gang at the Dive Bar, and Dave and the gang at Big Boss, for making this happen.

I am so happy Black Thai made the drive down here from Boston. They seemed to have a great time, and I know they made some new fans. Maybe we can get them back down here again soon. 

The only official Hopscotch show I saw last night was Shit Horse at Slim's, and as far as I'm concerned, I got my money's worth for the whole weekend. Slim's had some problems with the PA, so the set got started a bit late. The band still managed to keep the crowd (and I do mean crowd) entertained in the mean time. Check out the videos below.