The thrill of the annual Thrilladelphia festival isn't supposed to be the lineup. National Eye, American Altitude, Cordalene, Dragon City—these are right-on bands that play here every day. It's that something good might come of lining up the usual suspects, all on one stage, saying, Now do you get it? to the outside world. You know what, though? Screw the outside world; it's Philly that needs to show up. My fellow Philadelphians, we are a city that rocks. We have good rocking rock bands who rock so very much. Only, you need to go see them. You need to leave your home, walk down the street, pay the cover and go to the show. Do it or these rockers will all quit and turn into more bitter, more addicted, less rocking people who will always rue the day they left everything they had on the stage at the M Room and nobody was there to pick it up. Week one of the 2006 Thrilladelphia features the above-mentioned bands, plus wily punk veterans Pattern Is Movement, pop problem children Trouble Everyday, promising future stars Walker Lundee (pictured) and a bunch more at venues all over town. We'll talk about week two next issue. In the meantime: You really should try to go.

There's a full Thrilladelphia schedule up at www.figureheadproductions.com.

—Patrick Rapa