Friday 07.02.10: Echo & Club Underground Presents MATES OF STATE / FREE ENERGY / NICK THUNE @ echo

MATES OF STATE || Listen || Watch || Mp3
Mates of State has confirmed the completion the lineup and itinerary of the Summer Crushes tour, a multi-artist traveling spectacle to take place this June through July. The Summer Crushes tour will coincide with the release of Crushes (The Covers Mixtape), an album consisting of covers of songs by some of the Mates’ personal favorites by artists ranging from Nick Cave to Death Cab For Cutie to Girls, whose “Laura” is now available in its Mates reinterpretation as a free download at MatesofState.com.

Crushes… is the first full album recorded and produced by Mates Jason Hammel and Kori Gardner themselves, with a mixing assist from longtime collaborator Peter Katis (The National, Swell Season, Interpol, etc.). Arguably their most vibrant effort to date, every one of Crushes’ ten tracks is equal measures bold choice and affectionate celebration. The Mars Volta’s brooding psychedelic epic “Son et Lumiere” segues seamlessly into an ever breezier re-interpretation of Belle & Sebastian’s “Sleep the Clock Around,” while Tom Waits’ “Long Way Home” is transformed from a sparse ode to tough luck love into an adrenalized anthem, and so forth.

The Summer Crushes tour will bring a similar twist to the Mates of State live experience, as the band’s signature ebullient and uplifting performances will be supported on this one time only occasion by multimedia guests ranging from the unapologetic Philadelphia dance-rock of Free Energy to the humor of Todd Barry (Flight of the Conchords, Lucky Louie, Bored to Death) and comedian Nick Thune (Comedy Central Presents, Knocked Up). The Summer Crushes tour will see the Mates presiding over and holding together this unique roadshow, transforming familiar venues they’ve previously headlined into venues for a virtual traveling variety show featuring live magic, sword swallowers, contortionists, human blockheads and more. In addition, Mates’ own Jason Hammel will serve as the tour’s resident DJ.

with:
FREE ENERGY
NICK THUNE

8:00pm / $13 advance, $15 day of show / 18+

Friday 07.02.10: BEARRACUDA @ echoplex

After a FANTASTIC debut party in May, Bearracuda returns to LA for another night of fun, furry dancing! Our last party had SO many hot guys of all shapes and sizes.

We’ve received awesome feedback from our last LA event and will be adding a couple of go-go bears, beefing up the visuals and handing out some giveaway at our future events.

Returning to LA from Bearracuda Portland, we welcome back DJ SAM STORICKS. Sam played our first Bearracuda New Year’s Eve party in 2006 and has been a big part of the club ever since. He also makes guest appearances at our San Francisco & Seattle parties and will be flying down for another night of great music. http://www.djsamstoricks.com/

From Bearracuda San Francisco, we bring you the LA debut of DJ Medic! Medic is our resident DJ back in San Francisco and he fills our dance floor full of beefy guys every month. He’ll be kicking off the evening’s festivities at 9pm.

It’s all about the dancing, beard rubs and socializing at Bearracuda, but we’ve also got an extra special live performance at 10:30pm from San Francisco duo: EJECTOR! They’ll be doing a short, but very sweet 3 song set. Check out their FB fan page at:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/ejector/26614420226?ref=ts

Bearracuda is the largest attended bear dance party on the West Coast w/regular parties in San Francisco, Seattle & Portland + one-offs in New Orleans, Atlanta & Sydney. Voted “Best club for queer men” in 2008 & 2009 by the San Francisco Bay Guardian. We’ve got beards, bears, cubs, pups, chubs, beefcakes, furballs and other wildlife!

@ Echoplex
enter at
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026

FMI: BEARRACUDA.COM/LA

Join the Bearracuda LA Facebook group!

9pm / $5 before 10pm, $10 after / 21+