Budokan rock

Want to know why the Good/Bad Art Collective is Street Beat's favorite cause? Because of shows like this: On February 19, Baboon, Budapest One, Little Grizzly, and International Sparkdome (the new band from Craig Welch, ex of Brutal Juice) will play the Good/Bad's latest benefit for, well, the Good/Bad, damn it. The show, which will be held at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, costs four bucks, a bargain at twice the price...And in other Denton news, Chris Plavidal, the man behind Stumptone--which released its first single last year on Dave Willingham's Two-Ohm Hop label--is joining the mass exodus of Dentonites to the Big Apple. Sending him off in a going-away party will be Mandarin and Couple 19, at Dan's Bar on February 24. Stop by and wish him well...

Word is that longtime local pianist Dave Palmer, best known for his work with drummer Earl Harvin (the two released Strange Happy in 1997 on Leaning House), has joined a new band: Ponga. The group, which is scheduled to release its debut April 6 on Loosegroove (home of ex-New Bos band Critters Buggin), also features Skerik of Critters Buggin and Peter Buck's jam-band Tuatara; revered avant-orchestrator Bobby Previte; and composer-pianist Wayne Horvitz, a frequent collaborator of Previte and John Zorn's. Should be very...groovy.

--Robert Wilonsky

Send Street Beat your rock-star dreams to rwilonsky@dallasobserver.com.