Deserving Bands Earn Spotlight on FM Station Pilot

North Hollywood’s FM Station will broadcast the pilot for its proposed new weekly television music show near the end of this month, said Filthy McNasty, the club’s owner.

The half-hour show, “FM Station Live,” will showcase unsigned Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley bands before a live audience. McNasty said he has talked to various networks and is confident that the show will be picked up. He had set the pilot for the first week of February, but couldn’t organize the band appearances in time.

McNasty, who has been working on the show since the summer, said it won’t just be another familiar talent search.

“We’re not just going to put anybody on,” McNasty said. “We’re going to put on bands that are great, but, for one reason or another, haven’t been signed. These are bands that deserve a chance to be seen.”

Each show will feature four groups, representing all kinds of music, although the focus will be on rock ‘n’ roll. Each group will sing one song per show. The rest of the half-hour will include comedians, jugglers and other entertainment.

“We want people to shut off MTV to watch us,” McNasty said. “The networks have put out the word that they need rock shows. I have boxes full of cassettes and tapes to choose from. I am going to have to turn away a lot of good people.”

The club has already built a new stage and lighting system for the show.

Music from South America will get plenty of exposure this week in Santa Monica and Venice. First, tonight at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, Bolivian charango player Ernesto Cavour, 48, will perform at 8.

A charango is small, about the size of a ukulele. Popular in South America, the instrument features five sets of double nylon strings and makes pure, high-pitched sounds. It can be used for single notes or rhythmic strumming.

On Friday and Saturday nights at the Comeback Inn in Venice, Arco Iris, a four-piece ethnic jazz group from Argentina, will perform. There will be two shows, at 9:30 and 11 p.m. Tickets are $7.

On Friday night, McCabe’s will present three members of X giving separate solo performances. D.J. Bonebrake, the band’s percussionist, will be playing the marimba. Tony Gilkyson, the lead guitarist, will sing original songs. And Exene Cervenka, the lead singer, will read poetry and do some singing.

The show begins at 8 p.m. and costs $12.50. Tickets are available at McCabe’s.

On Feb. 18, the Music Machine in West Los Angeles will have a night of old-fashioned Chicago blues. Among the performers will be Pinetop Perkins, Jimmy Rogers and Hubert Sumlin. Perkins and Rogers have played with Muddy Waters. Perkins plays piano, and Rogers and Sumlin play guitar. Sumlin performed with Howlin Wolf.

All of the performers will be backed by Little Mike and the Tornadoes. The show will begin at 8 p.m. and costs $12. Tickets are available at the club.