Five local shows over the next two weeks
Kevin Smead | Uptown News

Sadistic Intent, Infinitum Obscure, Ascended Dead @ Til-Two Club
Friday, April 25
$13
While you can read the names of these bands perfectly fine here, the flyer for this show is nearly unintelligible. That’s because all of these groups describe themselves using the words “dark, darkness and metal” and if you’ve ever seen a stylized black metal band name, you know what I mean. If your only exposure to this world of music is the humorous Tegan and Sara t-shirt done as if they belonged on this bill (complete with ridiculously unreadable writing), this might be a great chance to see the real deal. Hailing from Los Angeles, Tijuana, and San Diego respectively, these groups will shred Til-Two Club to pieces.
 
The Widows, Grand Tarantula, The Atom Age @ Whistle Stop
Friday, April 25
No cover

I’ve mentioned The Widows before in this column and they’re still great. For this show, however, go to check out Grand Tarantula and The Atom Age. Both excellent, energetic quasi-punk groups are a whole lot of fun. The style is of course a familiar one — as it is with most groups with heavy punk influences — but they’re able to keep fresh with injections of other instruments, genres and song structures. They put out a split EP together on Asian Man Records which you can get for free online. While it’s only four tracks, it packs quite a bit in. Check it out!
 
The Dillinger Escape Plan, Trash Talk, Retox, Shining @ Porter’s Pub
Saturday, April 26, 7 p.m.
$18 advance, $20 day of show
Yeah, this is a bit of a drive out to UC San Diego, but it’s worth it for Dillinger alone. These guys have been around forever and they’re still ridiculously talented. Their brand of math-core is unique in that it relies more on the “core” than the “math.” Plus, the opening bands are killer as well. Both Trash Talk and Retox are known for their fast, loud and chaotic hardcore, with songs that barely ever cross the two-minute mark. Justin Pearson from San Diego’s own The Locust fronts Retox, so if you’re familiar with them, you know what you’re in for. All in all, great night.
 
2UP, Batwings, Innerds, Tron @ Soda Bar
Saturday, May 3, 8:30 p.m.
$5
I’m loving the influx of Japanese bands lately. The best way to describe 2UP is that they’re sort of the Japanese equivalent of Hella — Death Grips’ Zach Hill’s other group. Sonically, 2UP’s music is all over the place, but still sounds cohesive. A wild, math-rock fueled freak-out can quickly turn into something somewhat melodic, though never catchy in the traditional sense. It’s kind of hard to explain, really. This show’s only $5, so go check it out for yourself and see what I mean.
 
Yoni Wolf, Serengeti @ The Ché Café
Thursday, May 8, 7 p.m.
$12 advance, $14 day of show
Yoni Wolf is kind of a polarizing guy in the world of music. I don’t know anyone who is just “meh” about his music. You either really love it, or you really hate it. Hailing from Berkeley, Wolf’s best known for his work in the experimental pop/hip-hop/indie group WHY?, though his lesser known projects (see: Hymie’s Basement) are also excellent, if a lot less accessible. Personally, WHY?’s 2008 album “Alopecia” is one of my all-time favorites, placing me in the “love” category. This show specifically is a solo venture, but he’ll be performing his whole library of work, spanning across all of his groups. Definitely give him a listen before making the drive to UC San Diego, though. You’ll know which camp you’ll fall into almost immediately.