Looking forward to Telekinesis Thursday at Rev

Portugal, The Man headlines at Rev Room in Little Rock this Thursday night, but my money is on Telekinesis to be the show-stealer of the night. Unknown Mortal Orchestra opens.
Telekinesis, the songwriting vehicle of Michael Benjamin Lerner, combines upbeat indie rock and buoyant power-pop with the influences of groups like Superchunk, Portastatic and Death Cab for Cutie.
This music is gonna put you in a gooood mood.
On tour, Lerner is joined by Cody Votolato and Jason Narducy, and Telekinesis brings its current tour to Little Rock this Thursday to lead off a great night of live music with Portugal, The Man and Unknown Mortal Orchestra at Revolution Music Room.
Telekinesis' newest album, "12 Desperate Straight Lines," debuted in March at No. 19 on Billboard's Heatseekers Albums chart; its first album, the self-titled "Telekinesis!" released in 2009, was produced by Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla and peaked at No. 47 on the same Billboard chart.
The band has received positive reviews from the likes of Billboard Magazine and Spin Magazine, which named them a top pick for 2009's SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas.
Rolling Stone magazine recently named Telekinesis a "Band To Watch," saying the group does a good job of crafting catchy, upbeat tunes in hard times.
"Lerner's songs are concise, catchy and exceptionally well-crafted, calling back to generations of melodic rock and roll while keeping an emphasis on his own distinct personality," Rolling Stone's Matthew Perpetua wrote in the March 1 issue. For the new album, Lerner tells Perpetua: "I went into my practice space like 'I've got to make OK Computer,' and I can't make OK Computer. I'm fueled by the Kinks and the Beatles and all that stuff, that's just what I do."
In a review in The Denver Post of a show in that city this past weekend, music critic Colin St. John writes: "The meat of the (performances) Friday came courtesy of Michael Benjamin Lerner and his band Telekinesis. Lerner sings and plays drums but his music is more pop-punk Superchunk than Phil Collins. Sometimes it can be too saccharine — especially in slower moments — but often the hard edges get propped up by the live trio and it feels just like the 1990s again, a Guided by Voices cover and all."
Thursday's show is 18 and up and starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $12 in advance or $15 day of show.
For tickets or VIP seating info, visit www.revroom.com or call 823-0090.
Rev Room is at 300 President Clinton Ave. in the River Market district of downtown Little Rock.