Gil Mantera's Party Dream — made up of brothers Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny — takes New Wave-ish synth-pop to an absurd level of good-time cheesiness that's eclipsed only by its flashy outfits (gold spandex, full-body jumpsuits and the like) and energetic, alcohol-fueled stage shows. The brothers' last Tampa performance was a humorously compelling train wreck. Lead singer/guitarist Ultimate Donny was only a few songs in when his guitar's body cracked. This was followed by several minutes worth of Gil performing solo while Donny crouched over his guitar and attempted to fix the unfixable. Donny finally admitted defeat, borrowed an acoustic guitar from the opening band and joined Gil to close the show. No telling what sort of hijinks will occur this Saturday night.
Gil Mantera's Party Dream w/Poetry n' Lotion/Joon, 9 p.m. Sat., Dec. 8, Crowbar, 1812 N. 17th St., Ybor City, $9. —Leilani Polk
There are countless noise-rock outfits calling for revolution over ear-splitting sheets of distorted sound. But few do it with more verve and bravado than Lancaster, Pa., quartet Sadaharu. The band's latest album, Resist. Revolt. Reclaim., is at once incendiary and sexy. These guys are dead serious about inciting a riot but do it with delicious swagger, offering, in many respects, the sonic equivalent of the film V for Vendetta. (For more on Sadaharu, see Spins on p. 52)
Brooklyn post-hardcore quintet I Am Avalanche headlines this show. Its self-titled debut album came out two years ago on Drive-Thru Records; it's a scrappy emo effort chronicling The Big Breakup, with titles like "Green Eyes," "I Took A Beating" and "My Second Restraining Order."
Sadaharu w/I Am The Avalanche /Farewell/Daggermouth, 7 p.m. (doors), Fri., Dec. 7, Orpheum, $8 advance/$10 day of show. —Wade Tatangelo
Indie folk-rocker Jennifer O'Connor sounds like she's endured greater loss than most people (she reportedly buried two sisters) — but the NYC-based singer/songwriter manages to explore pathos without ever coming across as pathetic. O'Connor's girl-next-door voice is the ideal vehicle for her heartbreaking, impeccably detailed stories of communication breakdown, busted trust and verbal abuse, all found on her critically acclaimed album from last year, Over the Mountain, Across the Valley, and Back to the Stars. Released on the venerable indie label Matador, the disc charmingly combines bleak confessions with catchy, sing-along choruses. It's introspection sans the self-pity.
Jennifer O'Connor, 7:30 p.m. Mon., Dec. 10, Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Tampa. $25.50 in advance, $29.50 day of show. —WT
This article appears in Dec 5-11, 2007.