An unfortunate thing that music fans in the South Sound have come to expect is for fun, new venues to bite the dust. Noise ordinances, safe-guards (damn those necessary sprinklers!), and generally obscene costs of upkeep tend to get the majority of new venues to bite the dust. This is doubly true for all-ages venues, which are notoriously hard to keep going. One of the most prolific and exciting new all-ages venues recently ran into this hard truth.

Deadbeat Olympia is more than a place to see music. Nominally a record shop, Deadbeat Olympia at least has something to fall back on after they received news that they had to cease all of their in-store performances. In early June, during a Friday night show, Deadbeat Olympia was visited by an officer for the Olympia police department, who informed them that they needed to cut it out with the shows, starting on the 4th of July. This came as a bit of a surprise to the owners of the shop, and they were left scrambling to relocate the over 50 shows that they had planned through August (I told you, this venue was prolific). Luckily, places like Le Voyeur and some underground spots took up the slack, and the love spread across Olympia.

Which brings us to the 4th of July. Let's face it: Independence Day is a perfect excuse to support Deadbeat Olympia at their fundraiser event at Le Voyeur.

And what could be better? You get to avoid the crowds of people who put in man-hours toward making the 4th of July lame, you get to help one of the most vital venues in the South Sound get back on its feet, and you get to see an embarrassment of musical riches - all in that little ol' backroom of Le Voyeur. Brandon Rowley, one of the co-owners and bookers for Deadbeat Olympia, has always proven himself to be a near-unrivaled booker in terms of variety and quantity, and this Saturday's fundraiser is no exception.

With doors opening at 11 a.m. and the whole hullabaloo running until the bar shuts down, Saturday's show is packed to the gills with bands-and it's even all-ages until 10 p.m. In addition to local favorites like Tacoma's Jesus on the Moon and Olympia's RedRumsey (featuring Vern Rumsey of Unwound fame), Rowley has also pulled in out-of-towners, including one band from Australia. All told, 10 bands have been announced, with more expecting to be released in the coming days. It's enough to make your ears bleed on our nation's birthday.

Speaking of that Australian band, the fellows in question go by Au.Ra, and they're a hell of a get for this here fundraiser. The duo from Sydney harkens back to late ‘80s and early ‘90s shoegaze, with just a touch of the moody romanticism of groups like Echo and the Bunnymen and the Church. Meanwhile, Red Tank - who are on tour from Arizona - sound like they would in perfectly well in Olympia. With their hyperactive, melodic garage punk (not to mention an album called I Want You to Crowdsurf My Body at My Funeral and a song called "sovereignty"), they seem like they got lost on their way to Evergreen and wound up in Tempe.

Deadbeat Olympia is asking for a $5 donation to attend the show, but I think you know you should give a little more. I'm not saying you can't get some dumb fireworks, but there will be plenty of fireworks on display at Le Voyeur come this 4th of July.

[LE VOYEUR, w/ Keir Allison-Bourne, Jesus on the Moon, Teach Me Equals, RedRumsey, Au.Ra, Red Tank, Droneyear, Rat Trapp, Primordial Atrocity, From Murder to Genocide, more TBA, 11 a.m., $5 suggested donation, 404 E. 4th Ave., Olympia, 360.943.5710]