Starring. All photos by Georgia Kral

While Baltimore-based one-man guitar chorus Ecstatic Sunshine never made it to Ridgewood, Queens for Friday's Silent Barn-hosted benefit for the local DIY broadsheet Showpaper, Dan Friel of experimental Brooklyn act Parts and Labor did. Those in attendance didn't seem to mind--it was a mellow night that just happened to feature one of the weirdest sounding bands we've heard in awhile. Let's call Starring--a Brooklyn avant-garde super-group of sorts, featuring members of Pterodactyl, Skeleton$, Talibam!, and more--"circus metal."

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Cover artist: Mark Mothersbaugh

Showpaper is a biweekly newsprint list of local all-ages shows, a one-sheet that harkens back to the days of punk flyers and Xeroxed fanzines. But the most unfailingly superb part of Showpaper is a regular sidebar called "I Saw You," a kind of Missed Connections for tallboy drinkers and Brooklyn bike-lock carriers. These blurbs are usually hilarious and horn-doggy, flirty and fickle. So every once in a while, we republish some of the best. Usually, there's five, but this time, we've just got two from the brand-new issue--extra-special ones from Todd P's Fort Tilden acoustic BBQ. Guess who makes a special guest appearance?

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Starting today, intrepid Voice intern Michael Downes will offer a daily, highly biased digest of that evening's best NYC shows -- and the whole weekend's slate on Friday, which today is, mercifully, if you were not aware. Enjoy.

FRIDAY

Zaire-born Marie Daulne fronts Zap Mama at Joe's Pub. Founded as an a capella group in the early '90s, the Belgian ensemble now performs a fusion of Afro-pop and R&B.

Cake, the polarizing and perpetually sour alt-rock staple, plays Terminal 5. The show's sold out, but if you're interested in procuring a tree (and/or privy to the band's ritualistic tree-giveaways), the surest chance of admission is a $100 ticket from StubHub. (Read an illuminating interview with the trumpet player here.)

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Quick refresher: Showpaper is a list of all-ages shows in the Tri-State area, a biweekly newsprint one-sheet that harkens back to the days of punk flyers and Xeroxed fanzines. But the most unfailingly superb part of Showpaper is a regular sidebar called "I Saw You," a kind of Missed Connections for DIY kids. These blurbs are hilarious and horn-doggy, flirty and fickle. So a while back, we republished five of the best. Five more awesome blurbs from over Showpaper's lifespan of 48 issues are below.

PFFR (Wonder Showzen)

Last year's SXSW issue--yes those are what you think they are

U were standing by the grill @ the Unamplified BBQ, turnin' over sausages. I was the short girl w/ white-rimmed glasses & black shirt. U let me try a little bite but I wanted all of yr sausage.
--June 19 through July 3, 2007, 3-15.

i saw u play guitar @ Ponytail Junction & U had an animal skull on yr necklace. I chatted u up about something or other later on - maybe next time we can bone. --August 28 through September 11, 2007, 8.24.

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The next Showpaper benefit takes place with the Muggabears, Asa Ransom, Nymph, and Sigmund Droid at the 92Y Tribeca on this Saturday, January 24. Tickets are $10 and available here.

Work by Kim Schifino of Matt & Kim, from issue 20

In case you are a suburban yokel who only sees live music in venues with hotdog vendors, there's this thing called Showpaper and it is awesome. A biweekly newsprint one-sheet that harkens back to the days of punk flyers and Xeroxed fanzines, Showpaper is a list of all-ages shows in the Tri-State area, events scheduled for smoky Williamsburg practice spaces, lofts with addresses sent via e-mailed requests, even the Yippie Museum Café on Bleecker. But the most unfailingly superb part of Showpaper is a regular sidebar called "I Saw You," a kind of Missed Connections for DIY kids. These blurbs are like short stories, often heartwarming, hilarious, and horn-doggy, full of shy-people longings and lost liquid courage. Five awesome blurbs from over Showpaper's lifespan of 44 issues are below.

Saw U @ the Voxtrot show from the other night. U were wearing a Decemberists T from the 2003 tour, me the 1 from Colin's most recent trip. We are soulmates. Let's dbl up over yr iPod & cry about it.
--June 19 through July 3, 2007, 3-13.

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