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Goin' back in time with Starfarm

For those who still dig big hair and poppy synthesizers, Friday night at Lou and Harry’s may be the spot to be, for a free show by Starfarm. The flashy area cover band plays a “totally awesome collection of ‘80s songs.” Starfarm hits the stage in old-school Adidas tracksuits, legwarmers, headbands and British Knights shoes: a retro “physical” atmosphere. The East Lansing-based band has been performing weekly since it formed in late 2001. Starfarm is co-lead by vocalists Whitney Spotts and Dan Malnar, allowing the band to play a broader spectrum of tubular-tunes, including cuts from Madonna, Prince, Loverboy, Duran Duran, A-ha and more. 

Friday, July 6 @ Lou & Harry’s, 16800 Chandler Road., East Lansing. 21 and over, free, 10 p.m. to close.


Community bands together

The East Lansing Kiwanis Community Band has been playing in the area since the late 1950s. On Thursday the tradition continues when it plays a free show inside the Hannah Community Center auditorium. Following the concert, guests are invited to an audience appreciation reception in the Green Room. The concert band performs marches, Broadway showtunes and traditional wind band compositions. The band members are from all walks of life, encompassinga wide variety of ages and musical abilities.

Thursday, July 5 @ Hannah Community Center, East Lansing, free, show at 7 p.m.


Uli´s hosts Deveraux

While the band only formed last year, DeverauX already has a debut EP titled “The Last of Us” on the way and has won the 2011 Q-106 Homegrown Throwdown. On Friday, the band plays Uli’s Haus of Rock. Opening the show is a cast of hard rockers, including Losing Scarlet, From Blue to Gray, Another Lost Year and As Empires Decay. DeverauX describes its sound as “driving rhythms, thrashing riffs, melodic hooks and a powerful message of self-perseverance.” The band includes Phil LaMay (vocals), Chas Millican (guitar/vocals), Dave Floyd (drums/vocals) and JD Younk (bass).

Friday, July 6 @ Uli’s Haus of Rock, 4519 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., Lansing, 18 and over, $5, 8 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.


Versus the Ocean says farewell

Local post-hardcore band Versus the Ocean will call it quits Saturday after the group plays its farewell show at The Loft. Opening the all-ages show are Of Virtue, Know Lyfe, Forever A Hero and Wolves & Machines. The band debuted with the scream-heavy 2009 album “If Only You Knew” and dropped the more finely produced “Evolve” LP last year.

Versus the Ocean includes vocalist Jeremy Monroe, guitarists Michael Joseph Hale and Alex Minarik and Jordan Emede on drums. “Sometimes you just have to move in a different direction,” Monroe said. “For me personally, I want to move in a more mature direction. The ‘heavy music’ scene is too full of immature kids, insecure people with unjustifiably large egos and mosh pits that look like a bunch of baboons are trying to clobber each other.

“Also, I can´t scream anymore. I´m not good at it, it´s ruining my voice and I´ve learned to not be pissed off so much anymore. I think of things in a much more positive way, and the next music project I am involved with will reflect that. I am really hoping Mike, Alex, Jordan, and I can continue working together. … I feel like we´re all on the same page as far as what direction we´d like to take musically.” 

Saturday, July 7 @ The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, all ages, $8 advance, $10 at door, Doors 7 p.m.


Mac´s gets hardcore

Dead End Path plays a heated throwback style of hardcore that ranges from slow, heavy tunes to obnoxiously fast riffing. The Pennsylvania-based band, which released the “Blind Faith” LP in 2011 via Triple B Records, plays an all-ages show Monday at Mac’s Bar. Opening the show is Daylight, In Between (a Baltimore-based melodic hardcore outfit), Homelife (Lansing punks with an LP on Bermuda Mohawk Productions), Call It Quits and Dead & Gone. Call It Quits is a local melodic hardcore band that takes influences from hardcore, punk, post black metal, even some space rock.  Call It Quits was formed last summer by Cody Hobbins (bass/vocals), Cameron Clifford Lee (guitar) and Alex Rosendall (guitar/vocals).

Monday, July 9 @ Mac’s Bar, 2700 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, all ages. $8 advance, $10 door, 7 p.m.


American Idol finalist at The Loft

James Durbin is known for bringing heavy metal to the “American Idol” stage last season by performing Queen and Muse songs and collaborating with Judas Priest during the final episodes. The season 10 “Idol” contestant managed to score fourth place with his powerhouse voice. Durbin’s summer tour stops at The Loft July 12, along with openers Fair Enough, FloodGate, Givensix and The Heist. Durbin, 22, is on the road promoting “Memories of a Beautiful Disaster,” his new pop album on Wind-Up Records that mixes in touches of post-grunge, rock and nu-metal. Durbin, who suffers from both Asperger syndrome and Tourette syndrome, co-wrote five of the 11 songs on the LP, which also includes a guest spot from Mötley Crüe’s Mick Mars on the tune “Outcast.”

Thursday, July 12 @ The Loft, 414 E. Michigan Ave., Lansing, all ages, $8 advance, $10 at door, Doors 8 p.m.

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