I hadn’t planned on going to tonight’s Cursive show at The Waiting Room. Not because I didn’t want to go, but because I didn’t have a ticket. The gig sold out fairly quickly, which is understandable considering the room’s capacity (225 or so). Then I got an e-mail from Greg Lofits of Malpais, who is opening the show tonight. A few weeks ago, Loftis had sent me a couple mp3s of tracks he and Denver Dalley (the other half of Malpais) had been working on — very Simon and Garfunkel, very laid-back and cool, combining Denver’s trippy guitar and synth sounds heard on Statistics recordings with Loftis’ cooing voice. Loftis said he could put me on the guest list for tonight’s show. That said, we’re talking about the same Loftis I wrote about here. He could have been in Israel or Prague when he sent me that e-mail, so I won’t be surprised if the door guy searches through the list tonight, than looks up at me and says, “No. There’s no ‘Tim McMahan’ on here,” which will result in me standing on the sidewalk outside of The Waiting Room, shaking my fist to the sky and yelling James T. Kirk-style (a la Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) “LOFTIS!!!” while the camera pulls back, into the sky.

Seriously, though, if you have tickets, you’re in for a great show. Cursive just got off a national tour opening for indie metal monsters Mastodon and Against Me, playing auditorium-size venues. Now they’ll have to bring the sound down for a smaller room. It’ll also be the first time for me to see/hear their new drummer. Also playing tonight, Chicago post-punkers The Narrator. Get there at 9, though, and check out Malpais’ stage debut.

If my worst fears are realized, however, and I’m turned away at the door, I’ll be strolling down to PS Collective, where The Protoculture will be playing their final show with Erica Hanton, who’s moving to Portland with hubby Todd next month. This show should be rife with friends, family and students. Also playing, Outlaw Con Bandana. 8 p.m., no idea on the cover.

Of course, the other big show tonight is Propagandhi, w/Hiretsukan and GFK at Sokol Underground. Ironic, considering that Propagandhi has a similar following as Cursive. Too bad the two shows couldn’t have been merged. $12, 9 p.m.

Also tonight in Benson, Bill Hoover plays at Mick’s with Dylan May for a fundraiser for Liberty Elementary School. $5, 9 p.m.

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Niz over at the OWH reported yesterday (here) that that this year’s August concert in Memorial Park will be headlined by Plain White T’s, a flavorless pop-punk band that would be hard-pressed to sell out Sokol let alone draw thousands to the park. I hope the $50k that’s being spent for the concert isn’t going to the band. Imagine who they could have gotten to play for that much money. Modest Mouse? Arcade Fire? Wilco? Call this one Fahey’s Folly. Oh well, people will still show up as long as the weather’s good.

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