Basement crunk den for the culturally inept

A lot like that guy from Dance Gavin Dance:
Suburban rock stars will align this weekend in Midtown. First, prog-hardcore kids A Lot Like Birds will perform with their new lead vocalist, none other than Kurt Travis, formerly of Dance Gavin Dance. This news has been blowing up on blogs that I haven’t read over the past few weeks, so I guess it’s a big deal. Another biggie: Ambrosia Caprice is reuniting for the night with all original members. And then: Glam rockers This Luxury say they’re gonna play songs from their forthcoming full-length. Plus, a set by the Happy Medium. All this means the club will be packed, so settle in early at TownHouse Lounge this Saturday, January 22 (1517 21st Street; 9 p.m.; $5 in advance, $7 at door; 21 and over). (Nick Miller)

Welcome, Dee-Three-Oh:
San Francisco night-life mogul George Karpaty’s new Sacto club, District 30—part of the K Street Mall triptych everyone can’t stop droning on about lately—opens to the public this week. There was a “VIP” event earlier with Steve Aoki, the popular Los Angeles-based club deejay who I met in Austin once in a Best Wurst queue, but that doesn’t count; this gig is for the common man and woman. Or at least for the sleek and sassy over-30 class, as per D30’s new slogan: a “boutique dance lounge for the socially sophisticated.” I’m not sure a guy like me—a 32-year-old “basement crunk den for the culturally inept” type—will fit in. Still, I intend to check out the Dee-Three-Oh and report back next week.

Anyway, this Thursday’s dance night—part of a D30 series called “I Heart House”—will feature deejay Sasha and opener Spesh. Tickets started at $15—but those are long gone and only last-chance $30 tickets remain; visit http://sasha-district30.eventbrite.com to purchase. (N.M.)

Random update:
Local emcee Random Abiladeze gets his fair share of ink in these pages, but that’s just because he’s always doing something new. Such as this week: Friday, January 21, at Delta of Venus (122 B Street in Davis), where Random will perform with Who Cares and DJ Rated R (8 p.m., $5, 18 and over). There’s more: Random has a new project out, Manyone, a five-track EP featuring Random and Young Aundee of Chllngr. Download the EP gratis at www.randomab.com. (N.M.)

Winter-Thai-me:
If you’ve never visited Sophia’s Thai Kitchen in Davis for its summertime concert series on the front patio, then you haven’t truly partied Davis proper. Still, you can get a taste of Thai this winter as promoter and Sophia’s owner Kevin Wan has spearheaded a new slate of shows, called Winter Series at Odd Fellows Hall (415 Second Street in Davis). The venue is a 300-capacity room, and the gigs come in three: This Saturday, January 22, is Typhoon and AgeandAges; then, Dawes will gig on Tuesday, February 1; and finally Telekinesis and the Love Language will share the bill on Tuesday, February 22, the night before their San Francisco Noise Pop appearance at Cafe Du Nord. WS@OFH tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door; all shows begin at 8 p.m. (N.M.)

Speaking of Noise Pop:
Locals Sister Crayon will celebrate its long-awaited debut album release, Bellow, on Manimal Vinyl, next month at Luigi’s Fun Garden. But a gig worthy of the pilgrimage to the Bay is the band’s February 23 Noise Pop show at Rickshaw Stop with none other than DIY-electronic artist Dan Deacon—who, turns out, will be composing the score to Francis Ford Coppola’s next film (let’s hope he can shake The Godfather filmmaker out of his multidecade funk with some zany beats). Find out more at www.noisepop.com/2010. (N.M.)