Tonight, the Pleasant Grove boys continue with their Thursday night residence gigs at the Double Wide under the moniker of Pleasant Grove Preservation Society. Joining them is JD Whittenburg and the Observer’s own Noah W. Bailey with his band The Naptime Shake (which includes two current and one former member of Pleasant Grove, as well as Glen Farris). It’s a sound (ha!) choice for the five bucks—a night of the brooding, romantic roots of the Grove, the pearl-snappy rockin’ of Whittenburg and the disaster ballads and homegrown lovin’ of the Naptime Shake crew.
As far as merch (a.k.a. where to spend what cash you still have the night before payday) is concerned, I’m still waiting for the new one from Pleasant Grove. (Though past albums continue to maintain their own residence in my CD changer and are required purchase for those that don’t already own them). The Naptime Shake is looking to hit the studio soon, so no wares there. Looks like JD’s suitcase of tees and recently released CDs will be the big moneymaker for the night …oh, and the bar. The D-Dub’s got a new drink menu (Hurritang!) and there’s always the tried and true Lone Star (which, personally, I feel is the appropriate choice for the evening.)
Until tonight (10 p.m., actually), here’s a tease: a old-school video for Pleasant Grove’s “Cone Equation” from 2001’s Ascultation of the Heart. It’s a bit low-res, but it’ll whet the aural appetite. -- Merritt Martin