Lawnparties Preview

Cap & Gown Club: The HighLife (from 1 p.m.)

In their press release, Nashville-based The HighLife promised a mixture of classic rock and country covers; on their MySpace page, they sound like a cheap rip-off of Fall Out Boy; and, judging by their photos, they look like the frickin’ Backstreet Boys. Perhaps the mystery will be solved Sunday. Either way, expect screaming and “rocking out” and possibly even farts, if the band’s rather odd blog is anything to go by.

YouTube It: “Love You Down”

-Adam Tanaka ‘11

Charter Club: Fools & Horses (from 1 p.m.)

Performing at Charter from 1 to 4 p.m., we once again have Fools & Horses, a four-man band that peddles a very glossy brand of anthemic rock. Seemingly intent on recreating the blandest mid-’80s hard rock — think Journey or Foreigner — they’ll probably be confused with every other band on the Street. Expect insidiously catchy choruses, suspiciously familiar riffs and hopefully a horse or two.

YouTube It: “Fly Me to the Moon”

-Adam Tanaka ‘11

Cloister Inn: Separate Ways (from 1:30 p.m.)

This Journey cover band will arrive, unpack, set up, play one song, pack up and leave.

YouTube It: “Don’t Stop Believin’”

-Adam Tanaka ‘11

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Colonial Club: Warped (from 1:30 p.m.)

After listening to their songs on MySpace, it seems safe to say that Warped, a Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute band, will be one of the least impressive cover bands performing on campus this weekend. For fans who enjoy Anthony Keidis’ unique semi-rapping vocal style, listening to Warped’s renditions of “Around the World” and “Scar Tissue” will be a painful experience … even with alcohol in the mix. Moreover, a quick listen to Warped’s version of “Suck My Kiss” suggests that the performance will fall woefully short of recreating the Chili Pepper’s trademark edginess

YouTube It: “Otherside”? “Californication”? The set-list could be endless…

-Mike DiStefano ‘11

Cottage Club: Sweetbriar (from 2 p.m.)

If you like drinking, then Cottage might be the place for you: Sweetbriar, the club’s regular Lawnparties band, seems to consist of certified alcoholics, if their MySpace page is anything to go by. The Southern rock band has played at Cottage Lawnparties for the past several years and should be more than capable of providing a good-slash-boozy time.

YouTube It: “Line ’Em Up”

-Adam Tanaka ‘11

Ivy Club: The Spazmatics (from 1 p.m.)

This ’80s cover band is pure fun and sure to deliver one of the best performances this Sunday. Rocking nerdy outfits and goofy accessories like neck braces, mouth guards and light sabers is risky if commitment is lacking, but the group never comes out of character and delivers an impressive musical performance to back it all up. They can play just about any major hit from the ’80s while synchronizing some pretty hilariously spastic dance moves.

YouTube It: A-Ha! Phil Collins! Duran Duran! Yay!

-Mike DiStefano ‘11

Quadrangle Club: Milf n’ Cookies (from 1:30 p.m.)

Quad struggled without USG funding.

YouTube It: Umm...

-Adam Tanaka ‘11

Terrace Club: Ge-Ology (from 3 p.m.), People Under the Stairs (from 4 p.m.)

Following last semester’s booking of Stonesthrow Records, Terrace is again featuring a couple of underground hip-hop acts. Los Angeles-based People Under the Stairs offer the same sort of lyric-driven rap that Lupe brought to Quad last spring, only without the mainstream radio exposure. Expect mellow beats and witty one-liners. Ge-Ology, one part producer and one part visual artist, will be opening up the show with a laid-back DJ set. Head-bobbing is encouraged.

YouTube It: “Acid Raindrops”

-Ben Oseroff ‘11

Tiger Inn: 40 Oz. to Freedom (from 2 p.m.)

This Sublime cover band, imaginatively named after the band’s debut album, is a pretty safe choice for T.I.’s lawn this Sunday. Both Sublime fans and ska enthusiasts will be glad to know that lead singer Dane Scott sounds strikingly similar to Sublime’s late frontman, Bradley Nowell — some claim that the two look remarkably alike — and that his band manages to preserve Sublime’s original sound. That said, one can only listen to Sublime’s repetitive riffs for so long before they start to get monotonous and leave you wishing for something a bit more exciting.

YouTube It: “40 Oz. to Freedom” … no shit.

-Mike DiStefano ‘11

Tower Club: Voxtrot (from 2 p.m.)

Once again, Tower might have the semester’s best Lawnparties band. Coming to us from Austin, Texas, Voxtrot is an indie yet poppy group whose lead singer, Ramesh Srivastava, sings about life and love. Like The Strokes without the rough edges, Voxtrot captivates audiences with driving, straightforward guitar rock; it’s sunshiny without being sickly and an almost pitch-perfect follow-up to last semester’s booking of Apples in Stereo and Mates of State. Speaking from experience, I can guarantee they’re a terrific live band: charismatic, funny and engaging.

YouTube It: “Raised by Wolves”

-Julia Weigel ‘11