Deeds column: Boise is being flooded with Rolling Stone mag's hot bands

Say what you will, but it's still an honor for a band to be featured in Rolling Stone - despite recent cover stories about the Jonas Brothers and Eagles.

It's also still cool to see up-and-coming groups that Rolling Stone deems relevant.

That's why the magazine's recent "Artists to Watch" article - "Six acts who are defining rock and pop in 2008" - is interesting to Boise.

Rolling Stone published the list in August. Suddenly, four of the bands will have played our city in a span of about two months.

• New York indie darlings Ra Ra Riot played at Neurolux, 111 N. 11th St., on Sept. 18.

• Boulder, Colo.-based hip-hop/electronica duo 3OH!3 is booked at all-ages club the Venue, 521 W. Broad St., on Oct. 28 ($10, TicketWeb).

• Southern indie-rockers Dead Confederate will play Neurolux on Nov. 20 ($5, TicketWeb).

• Los Angeles rockers Low vs Diamond will grace the 'Lux on Nov. 30 ($8, TicketWeb).

There's a reason most of us live in Boise. I don't know about you, but it's not because this is the cutting-edge music capital of the universe. Or is it ... ?

Four out of the six acts?

"It is weird," agrees Jaclyn Brandt of promoter Underground Uncovered Productions, which booked the 3OH!3 show. "But I think people are recognizing Boise."

This won't be 3OH!3's first trip to Idaho. The duo was one of the hits on this year's Warped Tour, which rolled into Nampa during summer.

"Honestly, I think the same bands are coming to Boise," Brandt says. "But now magazines are picking up on the new thing that is happening."

Maybe. Or maybe Neurolux owner Allen Ireland has his finger so firmly on the pulse of the Next Big Thing that his hands are shooting sparks. Ireland booked Vampire Weekend minutes before that band blew up early this year. People were practically begging to get into the sold-out show.

Now half of Rolling Stone's "Artists to Watch" are rolling through his club?

The theoretical consequence of this circumstance is that Ireland might actually be cool. Has he considered this?

"No," Ireland says, chuckling.

To him, it's just business as usual. Over the years, Neurolux has caught groups on the way up ranging from Spoon to Modest Mouse, he points out.

"Sometimes bands get booked before they started getting a lot of recognition," he says. "And that means that their fans get to see them in a smaller venue for the last time. "

Will that be the case for Ra Ra Riot, 3OH!3, Dead Confederate or Low vs Diamond?

No telling.

Brandt expects 3OH!3 to sell out the Venue, which holds 299 people. But none of the bands at 300-capacity Neurolux is on track to sell out - yet.

Rolling Stone magazine's influence has waned, for one thing. Even though the magazine cranked up the hype meter for Ra Ra Riot, Neurolux had a larger crowd this past Tuesday for a Portland indie band called Starf***er.

"There are exciting, up-and-coming bands that aren't on the list," Ireland says. "They pick six out of 100, you know?"

ENTERTAINMENT NOTES

• Actor Matthew Fox sure likes getting "Lost" at Neurolux. He was at the bar again last weekend. Fox keeps getting spotted in Boise because his brother, sculptor Francis Fox, lives here.

• Before you snicker, consider this: The Backstreet Boys have two of the 40 best-selling albums of all time. There will be no shortage of hits when the boy band, now a man band, performs Nov. 19 at the Idaho Center in Nampa. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, at ICTickets for $40 and $56.50

• Maybe it's a boy thing (or a I'm-a-titanic-nerd thing), but I'm stoked that "Walking with Dinosaurs: The Live Experience" will lumber into the Idaho Center from Jan. 7 to 11. It will transform the Idaho Center into Jurassic Park. See video at my blog. We should have details, including ticket prices, in the next issue of Scene.

• Nine Inch Nails' Web site says tickets will go on sale Oct. 24 for its Dec. 8 concert, which still hasn't been formally announced. No word on prices, but they'd be crazy to raise them from the $29.50 and $39.50 of 2006. Opening act at the Idaho Center will be The Bug.

Michael Deeds co-hosts "The Other Studio" at 9 p.m. Sundays on 94.9 FM "The River." This week: discussing Rolling Stone's "Artists to Watch."