Turn it down

Pimpin´ at X-Cel

  For those who love getting out on the dance floor  and can’t wait until Halloween for a costume parties, Club X-Cel might be the spot on Thursday. X-Cel is hosting a “Pimps and Hoes Party,” with prizes awarded for best costume (otherwise regular dress code is in effect). Music will be provided by DJ Sizl and DJ E-Nyce (a.k.a. Emilio Nyce), with visuals by Paradigm Productions. Nyce, the host of the event, is a Lansing-based DJ who has also spent time living in Flint and southwest Detroit. Nyce, who spins hip-hop, R&B, Top 40, reggaeton and pop, first started his career at house parties. Around 2008 he began taking it more seriously after getting involved with the Mic Club hip-hop showcases; in 2010, he also began to take part in the Capital City DJ Olympics. Locals may have seen him perform at X-Cel, Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge and Mac’s Bar. He also recently spun for the special education classes at both Everett and Eastern high schools.

Thursday, June 14 @ Club X-Cel, 224 S Washington Square,, Lansing, 18 and over. $5 for 21 and over, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Vanity, Oh Vanity at (SCENE)

The Great Lakes Collective, a Lansing-based music collective, has a large roster of local talent, including Vanity, Oh Vanity, which plays (SCENE) Metrospace on Thursday. The keyboard-driven, “vintage indie rock” band (that credits Woody Allen as a primary influence) features Kelly Tabor (vocals and keyboards), Jake Simmons (guitar and vocals), Joel Hornbeck (bass) and Greg Thompson (drums). Also performing is songwriter Ryan Kralik (from Kent, Ohio), plus locals Kyle Nelson Pentecost and Frances Bennigan.

Thursday, June 14 @ (SCENE) Metrospace, 110 Charles St., East Lansing, all ages, $7, doors open at 7 p.m.; music at 8 p.m. 

Anberlin unplugs at The Loft

Central Florida alt-rockers Anberlin recently announced the “Anberlin Acoustic Tour,” which stops at The Loft on Friday. The band, led by guitarist/vocalist Stephen Christian, has been going strong since 2002; some of the members were rocking together as far back as 1998 under the moniker SaGoh 24/7. After dropping three studio albums over the course of five years with Tooth & Nail, the band announced in August 2007 that it had signed a deal with major label Universal Republic. The “Under the Waves” LP hits stores Sept. 25. Anberlin’s 2010 LP, “Dark Is the Way, Light Is a Place,” has sold over 700,000 copies to date.

Friday, June 15 @ The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, all ages, $15 advance, $17 door, doors 7 p.m.

Uli´s hosts XFactor1

XFactor1, a Columbus, Ohio-based metal band, plays Uli’s Haus of Rock on Friday, along with openers Hillside Barrier, Avenue Sky and Arson Radio. XFactor1 is promoting its latest single “Bring It On,” which is on the new disc “Famous.Last.Words” on Megaforce Records. Fans of Mushroomhead, Flaw and Bobaflex might want to check out this show.

Friday, June 15 @ Uli’s Haus of Rock, 4519 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing, 18 and over, $5, 9 p.m.

Witch Mountain brings doom to Mac´s

Witch Mountain has been playing smoke-hazed doom metal for 15 years now, sharing stages with the likes of Weedeater, Electric Wizard, EyeHateGod, Clutch, Thrones, Soilent Green and others. The Portland, Org.-based band plays Mac’s Bar on Friday, along with Lord Dying, Satyrasis and Borrowed Time. Witch Mountain was formed by guitarist/songwriter Rob Wrong and drummer Nathan "Nanotear" Carson and has lasted through a number of line-up changes. Since 2009 the band has had lead singer Uta Plotkin, who is also known for her work in Aranya and Stalking Jane. This is Witch Mountain’s first full U.S. tour since 2001.  

Friday, June 15 @ Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, 18 and over. $10, 9 p.m.

Old Town Temple Building rocks again

“Bleeding Iron and Nails” is a charity concert at the Old Town Temple building (formerly the Temple Club) featuring seven heavy acts, mainly from the mid-Michigan area. Proceeds from the event go to the Mid-Michigan Food Bank. Set to rock out at the vintage venue are Beyond the Fallout (metalcore band), Fertile Brainsoil (East Lansing-based prog-rock), Unguarded Moment (local pop-punk), The Black Order (Ohio-based metal), Up in the Sky (local hip-hop), Above the Mean Sea (White Lake-based math-rock) and Kiki´s Burlesque. 

Saturday, June 16 @ Bleeding Iron & Nails – Old Town Temple Building, 502 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing, all ages, $10 cover, $7 with food item, doors at 5 p.m., show at 6 p.m.

LA-Indie Fold hits Lansing

Robert Francis, a Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, brings his indie-folk sound to an all-ages show on Sunday at Mac’s Bar. Francis began taking piano lessons as a child. A few years later Ry Cooder gave the budding musician his first guitar. Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante took on the then-teenaged Francis as his only student. A few years later, Francis was releasing his own insightful solo albums. His latest release, “Strangers in the First Place,” is out on Vanguard Records. Opening the show at Mac’s are Skinny Black & Sloan Kettering, Jory Stultz and DL Rossi.

Sunday, June 17 @ Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, 18 and over. $7 advance, $8 doors, 6 p.m.