Across the Bar

In what has to be one of the stranger anniversaries in recent memory, Sock Monkey will celebrate two years in the gallery bidness with a noon-to-2 a.m. shindig. What's the big deal? It's the last event ever at the gallery's Exposition Park location. No word on where it's moving, but Sock Monkey's collection of art, film, and custom-designed shirts will still be available from www.sockmonkeygallery.com. Going out with a bang, Sock Monkey will host a one-day-only group exhibit (featuring artwork by Tim DeLaughter, Mark Pirro, Mosquito, Ozone, and Daniel Huffman, among others) and an all-day concert, with performances by Yeti, Ohm, Bubblegum Crisis, Falcon Project, Pointy Shoe Factory, The Secret Machines, When Babies Eat Pennies, and more. You know you wanna go...

Since we recently moved, we realized how many pointless compilation albums we own--hundreds of 'em, most kept for only one slightly different version of a song on another album. File this disc into that category: Live @ The World Café, Volume 10 featuring a, duh, live version of The Old 97's "Nineteen." The album, which also includes contributions from Wilco, Ben Folds Five, Macy Gray, Beck, and Richard Thompson, is available through www.worldcafecds.com. But, seriously, you don't need it. Really...

Rock shows you should be aware of: Vibrolux and Pinkston, with Casey Hess and evilcomputergenius (Don Relyea, to Ropelab fans) perform July 20 at Curtain Club; The Staggers release their debut CD at Club Clearview on July 21; Mandarin and Little Grizzly open for Sin Ropas (ex-members of Califone and Red Red Meat) at Rubber Gloves on July 21; Baboon hits Fort Worth's Ridglea Theater on July 22. And Pleasant Grove, Knife in the Water, and Little Grizzly will play the Gypsy Tea Room on July 22. The gig happens to be Little Grizzly's first ever Dallas performance. We knew Little Grizzly singer-guitarist George Neal loved Denton. We just didn't know he was afraid to leave. Also on the horizon, Supergoose, the new band from Good Records co-owner Chris Penn, will open for on August 11 at Rubber Gloves. Just so you won't be caught off-guard, Penn has described it as a cross between Pink Floyd and Brainiac. You read that correctly.

Send Street Beat something to defend ourselves from a deranged musician with a working cannon to zcrain@dallasobserver.com.