FOUR CONCERTS ROCK LA GRANDE

ABRASIVE TO MELLOW: Seattle band Sneaky Thieves plays rock, folk. (Website photos).

LA GRANDE - Starting tonight and running through Sunday, it's rockfest 2007 at Gadfly.

All four shows are inside the Gadfly, 117 Elm St. Doors open at 7 p.m. with the shows at 8 p.m. All ages are welcome, and admission is $5.

Sneaky Thieves PLAY ROCK, FOLK TONIGHT

Tonight Gadfly presents, from Seattle, Sneaky Thieves, with special local guest Test Audiences (featuring former members of the Black Bottle Trio).

Playing rock and folk tunes, Sneaky Thieves consists of Bryant Moore on keys, electric guitar and vocals; Robert Bale on bass, samples and vocals; Brendan McDevitt on drums; Darby McDevitt on guitar, keys, clarinet and vocals; and Freddy Bale on keys, guitar and vocals.

The Seattle-based band — composed of two loving sets of brothers and a good friend — formed in 2003. Live, they juxtapose many sounds. They flash from abrasive and clashing to mellow and heartfelt.

Their debut release, "accident(s)," was recorded after a car wreck settlement came many years too late to do any real good. A small, tidy amount of money was set aside and used to create an album with local producer Jeramy Koepping (founding member of Voyager One, producer for Asahi, Jen Wood, Kinski) in Park Place Studio.

Many hours were spent. The end result was something unsettling, moody and strange. This record is the essence of those sad, peculiar moments of a life

disjointed.

The tracks on "accident(s)" are based on recurring themes that appear in dreams and nightmares. Many refer to struggles with substance abuse, addiction and vague recollections of difficult histories.

Ultimately, the band, and their album, is a musical response to the constant loose ends of life — trying to sonically replicate the "bellyache" in the middle of the night.

GRYNCH BUMPS UP THE VOLUME FRIDAY

Friday night's show will feature Eugene's Grynch and Sub*Vert from Boise, with special local guest No History of Violence.

The "hypnotic intensity" of Grynch, a five-piece alternative metal band from Eugene, is produced by Darrell Jolliff on guitars, Kyle Neuberger on bass, Tobby Lugo on drums and backing vocals, Jonny Hanson on lead vocals and Sean Neuberger providing samples and light effects.

The band lists many influences. They include Tool, Deftones, Mudvayne, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Stephen King, Hunter S. Thompson and Salvador Dali.

Their sound is described as heavy riffs with funky rolling bass lines, with a spine provided by precise and dedicated drumming, fronted by a hypnotist of deep, intense, thought-provoking vocals.

Formed in the cold, wet winter of 2001 — typical for Eugene — Grynch has emerged over time to be one of the most intense acts in the Northwest. They were named Band of the Month in January 2006 on the Seattle website State of Music. What's more, they were selected as Featured Artist of the week March 5-11 on Salem Music Scene.

With their high-energy stage presence, heavy riffs and grab-you-by-the-throat lyrics, Grynch is a band that demands your attention with every show they play.

Debuting on April 20, 2002, at a show they organized, financed and promoted, Grynch, along with five other local bands, put on a free concert in the park. Since then Grynch has built a strong fanbase throughout the Northwest.

Grynch has also acquired critical praises at regional Battle of the Bands. They won first place in the Splint Media Battle of the Bands in Eugene in January 2003 as well as first place in round one of the Sugarlight Productions Battle of the Bands in Portland the same year.

Grynch recently took first in a prestigious Battle of the Bands, featuring premier bands from the Northwest at The New Stars Cabaret in Salem.

Under Albina Blackrock Records, Grynch released "Untytled" in May 2005. The album has sold hundreds of copies and received continuous radio play on KWVA, KFLY and KNRQ.

Grynch is set to release a highly anticipated forthcoming full-length album "Two Minutes Before. Two Minutes After" in late fall.

Crayonsmith, Nire churn rock Saturday

Saturday Gadfly presents from Dublin, Ireland, Crayonsmith jamming along with Portland band Nire and special local guest, Wildstar.

Crayonsmith is the indie/alternative music of Ciaran Smith from Dublin.

Having played in various musical projects and bands from the age of 12, in early 2004 Ciaran began playing his own songs live with the help of two friends under the name Crayonsmith.

In December 2004, Crayonsmith released a split Christmas single with Windings (Outonalimbrecords), and his debut album, "Stay Loose," was released in May.

Kids In The Way, The Panic Division, DeSole jolt the joint

Sunday it's a musical tripleheader. Coming from the heartland of Indianapolis it's Kids in the Way. Joining them from San Antonio, Texas, is The Panic Division, and from Glendale, Calif., the band DeSole.

Kids in the Way list influences such as U2, ACDC, Queen, the Police, The Cure, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, Tears for Fears and AFI.

Their albums include "Apparitions of Melody: The Dead Letters Edition."