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TURNING HEADS Lions and Stigers and bears, oh my!

FURRY FRIENDS FUND; POLE PATROL On Oct. 22, fire claimed the Warm Springs home of Gina Gregerson, and while Gregerson has found temporary housing with the help of the Burnout Fund, the numerous animal residents on her property haven’t been quite as lucky. In addition to her home, the fire destroyed the Gregerson Wildlife Park, a rehabilitation sanctuary for injured animals. More than 50 animals were being rehabilitated at the park at the time of the fire, including emus, bighorn sheep, pygmy goats, raccoons and beavers. All the animals survived except for two house cats. A benefit concert will be held for Gregerson on Monday, Nov. 8, at Neurolux, featuring Curtis Stigers, Darkwood Consort, Sandusky Furs, Kelli Kennison, a.k.a. Belle, Tim Willis and Bucket of Love and Grant Olsen/Nollifur. The show costs $5 and, appropriately, is non-smoking. In addition, two benefits will be held for Gregerson at Visual Arts Collective. All proceeds from the Absurdist Film Festival (see Picks, Page 21) on Saturday, Nov. 6, will go to Gregerson, and another benefit concert is scheduled for December. Those wishing to help can visit the Friends of Gina Facebook page to volunteer and see pictures of the animals. To donate via Paypal, visit ginagregerson.chipin.com. Besides cash, the park needs assorted sundries and volunteers to help rebuild the pens. Contact cathcactus@hotmail.com for more info. Downtown Boise Association dropped BW a friendly e-mail reminder to pass on to all you wayward concert promoters: “Utility and light poles are not bulletin boards.” Apparently the concert poster/sticker situation is getting out of control in the downtown core, and now DBA, Boise Police Department, Ada County Highway District and the City of Boise want to remind all wheat-pasting mavericks that it is unlawful under Idaho Code, Chapter 70, 18-7029, to trick out light poles with your band’s swag. According to the press release “not only is it an eyesore, it creates problems for the utilities when it comes time to repaint or service the poles.” Pole-posting violators will be publicly stoned ... er, given a citation.

The Head and the Heart don’t miss a beat TARA MORGAN For all the hugs and harmonies, tambourine shakes and “ba da ba ba’s,” you’d think The Head and the Heart grew up crafting infectious folk pop on the same suburban street. But “Seattle’s next big band,” as NPR recently dubbed THATH, is comprised mostly of Northwest newbies. A little more than a year ago, co-lead singers Josiah Johnson and Jon Russell met at an open mic night. Johnson had just moved to Seattle from Southern California and Russell The Head and the Heart have a hot date with your eardrums. had moved from Richmond, Va. Their musical chemistry was electric. Soon, the duo recruited Kenny Hensley on piano, Chris Zasche on else,” explained Russell. “There’s this weird Head and the Heart’s drummer in a wrestling bass, Tyler Williams on drums and Charity hibernating period in Seattle and with that, it’s match with our shirts off.” Thielen on violin and back-up vocals. just that much easier to be homesick because But crazy times aside, THATH seem to “I was literally like, ‘I’m going to go to all you want to do is curl up in a blanket and have equal enthusiasm for the business end of Seattle, start a band and knock on Sub Pop’s eat tomato soup. Of course you think of home the industry. Band members regularly respond door,’” said Russell. “And it’s just nuts that a when you do that.” week and half ago, we literally had dinner with to fan comments on their Facebook page, Other songs, like the delicate, ramblingsend personal thank you e-mails to journalists Sub Pop. That’s just ridiculous.” and—perhaps most importantly—stick around man ballad “Down in the Valley,” chronicle But ridiculous doesn’t begin to describe the confrontation between restlessness and to support the local bands they play with. the band’s ascent. In the short month since longing for stability: “I wish I was a slave to an “We’re definitely trying to be conscious THATH last played Boise, they’ve recruited age old trade / like riding around on rail cars of getting [our appreciation] across so that manager Jordan Kurland (Death Cab For and working long days / Lord, have mercy on people understand that we are aware of how Cutie), signed on with big-shot booking agent my rough and rowdy ways.” fortunate we are to Ali Hedrick—respon“‘Down in the Valley’ was actually the first be in this situation, sible for the band’s especially so quickly, song we did as a band,” said Russell. “I actuopening slot at two really got way too drunk and was walking home and to be embraced cent Vampire Weekend from a bar ... it took me literally six hours to by as many people shows—had a killer walk home. I got home and the sun was comas we have been,” profile published in ing up. I wrote the majority of the verses in my said Russell. the Seattle Times and head on the walk home … It was a feeling of But the main booked a slew of tour reason THATH have like, ‘You’ve done this before; don’t start doing dates with Dr. Dog. this again.’” been embraced by Not too shabby for But while these weighty themes are apparso many people— their first year. ent on the album, they’re muffled by a bootamong them, Dave “It’s nice to know stomping, hand-clapping fervor at the band’s Matthews, who that that still exists, high-energy live show. Mickey the Jump’s said he’s “kind of that a band that we Chad Bryan remembers the first time he saw know can actually sign Mickey the Jump jots down jams. obsessed” with THATH after opening for them at Neurolux. the band—is their on with a really good “It was like music that warmed my soul. incredibly catchy, booking agency that Americana-laced pop. I feel like I was having this connection with already got them a tour With Mickey the Jump God,” said Bryan. “Their music was just so Wednesday, Nov. 3, 8 p.m. Their first self-titled with Dr. Dog,” said nostalgic without ever hearing it before. It was release bursts with Boise musician Matt THE BOUQUET a really weird experience.” buttery harmonies Hopper. “That’s huge.” 1010 W. Main St. 208-345-6605 After the THATH’s show last month at the and pounding, BeaHopper brought The thebouquet.net Bouquet, a line of sweaty, dance-flushed fans tles-influenced piano. Head and the Heart to A good number of the lined up to buy CDs from band members. play the Bouquet on two The group is already on the third run of their songs, like “Coeur previous occasions, and self-released album. To borrow words from the D’Alene,” “Ghosts” the group will return on album’s closing track, it looks like The Head and “Honey Come Home,” explore notions Wednesday, Nov. 3, to perform with Nampa’s and the Heart are well on their way. of home—missing it, seeking it, finding it. For Mickey the Jump. Hopper fondly recalls the “We’re able to get these huge advances in a band full of 20-something transplants, that time his band crashed with THATH in the progress because we don’t have a back-up theme makes sense. iconic locked-up venue after a show. plan,” said Russell. “If you have a backup “We became fast friends, but everything “It got pretty wild actually,” remembered plan, then you’re basically accepting the fact else—your family members, your old friends, Hopper, laughing. “A lot of near-nudity hapthat you will fail, that’s how I look at it.” your comfort zone—is somewhere completely pened and, for the record, I took down The

—Josh Gross and Tara Morgan

34 | NOVEMBER 3–9, 2010 | BOISEweekly