Here's this week's top five club picks from The Som Show, as appears in the Entertainment Spokane weekly e-newsletter (sign up).
Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside - When Sallie Ford and her band headlined the Terrain '09 art and music extravaganza, the audience seemed slightly stunned at the sheer soul power coming out of this little woman and her gorgeous guitar. Ford's blend of blues, rock, R&B and jazz is so arresting the crowd was too captivated to dance. Hopefully that won't be the case when Ford returns to Spokane next week. This is an opportunity to get down with this budding Portland star. If this sounds remotely appealing to you, DO NOT MISS Sallie Ford and the Sound Outside with locals Ruby Parasols and Kevin Long's full band at 9 p.m. on Monday, April 12, at Sunset Junction, 1801 W. Sunset Blvd. Cost: $7, 21-and-older only. Check out footage of Sallie Ford's last Spokane appearance in the video panel.
Flowmotion - For Flowmotion's fifth studio outing, the Seattle-based-Spokane-rooted jazz-rock-funk-bluegrass quintet recording the whole album - all 10 songs - in one nonstop session that floored even the album's Grammy-nominated producer. The musicianship is otherworldly, and the passion for a mean groove is highly contagious. Get involved when Flowmotion celebrates a CD release party for their new album, "Ghost Pepper" at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 9, at The Knitting Factory Concert House, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Cost: $20.
The Pack AD - Last fall The Pack AD almost ripped Mootsy's in half as this female blues duo plays a massive explosion of swampy chaos in a live performance that will smack you silly with chops and licks. At first The White Stripes come to mind because it's a similar construct of guitar and drums, but when this Canadian twosome lets it fly it's obvious that this is a different beast entirely. Catch The Pack AD with Soul and the Machine and Belt of Vapor at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 10, at Sunset Junction, 1801 W. Sprague Ave. Cost: $7, 21-and-older only.
Gonzoe - A cohort of Luniz rapper Yukmouth, Gonzoe has seen his share of scandal. But instead of getting caught up in the drama and the hype he witnessed growing up in South Central L.A., he escaped the gangs and drugs and violence by voicing those street tales on hook heavy beats that mix the best of old school and new school West Coast hip-hop. A signee of Ice Cube's fledgling Lynch Mob Records and a member of 2Pac's Outlawz, Gonzoe has a knack for upholding tradition while taking his craft to the next level. Gonzoe headlines a show with Conflict, Mackadoshis, The Have-Nots and the Real Life Entertainment rhyme collective and more at 9 p.m.on Tuesday, April 13, at The Blvd., 230 W. Riverside Ave. Cost: $12, 21-and-over only.
David Bazan - Seattle singer-songwriter Davad Bazan is an enigma that fans have grappled to uncover since his days as the now-defunct indie project Pedro The Lion. Ever elusive and but always alluring, Bazan makes a stop in Spokane with Karli Fairbanks at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 9, at Empyrean Coffee House, 171 S. Washington St. Cost: To be announced, all-ages welcome.
