Kevin Bronson on August 14th, 2009

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Today: I’m not one for painting my face or wearing red noses (go ahead, hit me with your punchline), but dressing up gets you a free CD at the the Rock ‘n’ Roll Summer Circus at the Echoplex, where, fresh from Lollapalooza, the Henry Clay People perform, joined by Fol Chen, the Flying Tourbillon Orchestra [pictured] and others. Cotton candy and sno-cones too. … Austin’s the Octopus Project headlines the Troubadour. … Ex-Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch has a solo album, “Save me From Myself,” and he’s playing the Whisky. … And it’s the Dan Band at downtown’s Club Nokia. … Also: the Rhone Occupation at Pehrspace; Honeyhoney at the Hotel Cafe; El Ten Eleven at the Bootleg Theatre; C.W. Stoneking at the Redwood Bar; Blacklist Union at the Viper Room; Little Red Radio at the Echo; and Slow Motion Reign at the Roxy. (Also, for dance fans: Does It Offend You Yeah? has DJ duties at Control at the Avalon.)

Saturday: Few bands have music better suited to their name than Detroit’s the High Strung [pictured], whose wiry garage pop has been a guaranteed source of adrenaline for three albums now. The band just returned to the U.S. after playing a gig in Guantanamo Bay – no kidding, read about it here – and on Saturday rock the ostensibly more temperate climes of the Bootleg Theater. … Ace local bands Le Switch, the World Record and Flashing Red Lights play Spaceland, along with New Jersey folkies the Roadside Graves. … Pissed Jeans, with a new album “King of Jeans” out next week on Sub Pop, play the Troubadour. … Also: Down and the Melvins at the Wiltern; Quantic at the Echoplex; Vibeslayer and others at the Franklin Village Street Fair; Method Man at the House of Blues; the Ringers at the Viper Room; and the French Semester and Meredith Meyer at Pehrspace.

Sunday: Depeche Mode and Peter Bjorn and John play to a sold-out Hollywood Bowl. … Under the stars at the Greek, it’s Los Lonely Boys and Los Lobos. … The fun hipster playground known as Little Radio Summer Camp returns – the Living Things, Har Mar Superstar and Restavrant perform amid games, water slides and other shenanigans. It starts at noon at 2017 E. 7th St. downtown. … Alaskan Summer (playing the early set) celebrates its EP release at Spaceland, with the Monolators and others. … And the Ruby Friedman Orchestra and Dead Rock West highlight the early (5 p.m.) festivities at Grand Ole Echo at the Echo. … Also: Foxtails Brigade at the Bootleg Theater; Clipse and the Cool Kids at the Glass House; and Nite Jewel playing Part Time Punk at the Echo (10 p.m.).

Photo of the High Strung by Doug Coombe