Turn it down

Cheap Girls, the Broad and Beer

On Friday, City Pulse, The Impact 89FM and MSU’s Broad Art Museum will host the free, all-ages “End of the Summer” concert on the lawn of the museum. Cheap Girls, a local power-pop trio, plays its record release show at the second-year event.

“The Broad show is kind of the first show of our fall plans,” said Ian Graham, singer/bassist for Cheap Girls. “Then we’ll be doing a few various shows regionally before heading out (on a national tour), then it’s back to Europe for a couple weeks.”

This is the first East Lansing show since the band’s inception.

Aside from live music outdoors from Cheap Girls, DJ Ruckus, and The Hat Madder, there is something brewing inside of the museum as well. Broad spokesman Jake Pechtel said beer lovers might want to stop by.

“Were partnering with MSU Bikes and Windmill Pointe Brewing, the countrys first pedal-powered brewery based out of the Detroit area,” Pechtel said. “We’re going to demo Windmill’s alternative energy brewing methods and have demonstration rigs set up where people can pedal through some of the process.

As for the rock music, Pechtel said the museum welcomes a bit of noise.

“The art museum of the 21st century isnt a place to quietly reflect about artwork hanging on walls — that is an outdated notion,” Pechtel said. “This is an activated space with film, music, performance and more.”

The museum also welcomes emerging local talents, according to Pechtel.

“Were excited to be the venue for Cheap Girls to celebrate the release of their LP,” he said. “Theyre doing great things, and having them perform at the museum just makes sense.”

The live music portion of the night is sponsored by Music Manor, Flat Black & Circular, Crunchy’s, Splash of Color, and Rachel Harper Design.

Frank and Earnest LP release show

Saturday, Sept. 6. Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing. 8 p.m. $12/$10 adv.

Frank and Earnest, a local four-piece known for its fast-paced concoction of pop and punk, releases its new CD, “Modern Country,” Saturday at Mac’s Bar. Also performing are Able Baker Fox, Braidedveins and Summerpunx.

The GTG Recordssigned band debuted in 2010 with the “Old Francis” EP. Its last release, 2011’s, “Funemployment,” was a split 7-inch single with the Plurals. Since then, the band members have spent time touring in other bands, including the Hunky Newcomers and Little American Champ.

Shortly after recording “Modern Country Music,” a dramatic change occurred for the band — guitarist/singer Nick “Otis” Pierce left after starting a new career and a family.

The new album was recorded last spring and then mastered by Mustard Plug’s Rick Johnson. Lansing-based artist Craig Horky provided the cover image. According to the band’s bio, “Modern Country” is stacked with “themes questioning the damage that alcohol inflicts on the-not-as-young-asthey-used-to-be members’ lives,” while also tackling the members’ “desire to want to do more with their time on Earth.”

The show at Mac’s Bar is the first of a series of local and regional gigs planned for the fall. The lineup will include longtime members Ben Hassenger (guitar/vocals), Ryan Horky (drums) and Paul Wittman (bass/vocals). A newly added guitarist is GTG Records’ Tommy Plural.