COVERS | Halloween Cover Show
“The B-52’s,” “Beach House,” “Blondie,” “Bush,” “Camera Obscura,” “Flipper,” “Hall & Oates,” “Mazzy Star,” “Primus,” “The Rentals,” Siouxsie and the Banshees,” “The Stone Roses,” and “The Strokes”
Sun. Oct. 29
4 p.m.
$10
Tin Roof
Celebrating a decade of spooky shenanigans this year, the Halloween Cover Show co-organized by Secret Guest’s Brett Nash and Valerie Hammond has become somewhat of an institution in the local music scene, even before it found its annual residency in 2012 at the Tin Roof. The event always entails a sign-up a month or two beforehand, with local musicians assembling in assorted groups to “be” a well-known performer, like, say, Salt N Peppa Nine Inch Nails, LCD Soundsystem, Blink-182, or Beck—all examples of cover bands in years past. A few venues came before the Roof, like the old Andolini’s on Wentworth Street in 2010 and a pedicab bike shed in 2011, which got shut down mid-show and moved to Burn’s Alley. But the Halloween Cover Show got its start in 2008 as a house show, and it was so casual “half the bands that said they were going to play bailed,” Nash says. Regardless, the memories of that night are still nothing to fuck with. “There was an amazing dance performance of [Daft Punk’s] “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger” by people wearing giant robot heads,” Nash remembers. “My first time ever playing with Nic Jenkins was that year too, doing a Deerhoof set. Also, a Nirvana band played and the “Kurt” of the band crashed into my drums, but I couldn’t even be mad because they did Nirvana right.” As for what’s in store 10 years later, locals will dress and perform as everyone from The B-52’s to The Stone Roses and, as is tradition, who’s in what group won’t be revealed until the performers hit the stage. Boo-ya. —Kelly Rae Smith SUNDAY
POST-HARDCORE | Florida Man
w/ Monsters From Outer Space, Rat Salad
Fri. Oct. 27
9 p.m.
$5
Burns Alley
With a name like Florida Man, you know there’s attitude in the music. “One Last Hit,” the first track from their self-titled EP, takes no prisoners and indicates an overall lack of prisoner taking for the next six songs. Its sharp two note riff diverts into a dissonant spin while the band’s surgical aggression builds to a head-banging chorus. If you close your eyes and listen, you can almost convince yourself Fugazi never left us. “It’s super riffy, it’s super energetic,” says guitarist Andrew Barnes. “It’s pretty aggressive, but we also like to keep an element of fun in there, as well, for our own sake.” The riff for “B52” channels Man or Astro-Man?, but the song’s bridge will keep people coming back. A heavy use of controlled feedback and Jonathan Peace’s electrified drumming turn “B52” into a Florida Man highlight. Florida Man is composed of Barnes and CJ DeLuca from Drunk Couples, Peace of the ever-brutal Godwin Falcon, and Jim O’Connor from No. Despite being something of a local supergroup, the members are giving Florida Man their all with touring, steady songwriting, and hopes of a second album next year. The show on October 27 will be the beginning of Burns Alley’s four-day PBR-sponsored festival titled Nightmare on Burns Lane. The event will run on October 27, 28, 30, and 31, and will feature artists like First World Problems, Vorhees, Godwin Falcon, and Horror Business. —Heath Ellison FRIDAY
HILLBILLY SLEAZE ROCK | The Hooten Hallers
w/ Junior Astronomers
Wed. Oct. 25
9 p.m.
$8
The Royal American
Asking the musical question, “What if Tom Waits and Dr. John met up in New Orleans in the late 1970s and spent a few weeks tearing up the Big Easy and making records together?”, the Hooten Hallers’ new self-titled album is a blissful, blurry, chaotic roll in the hay. Blending staggering roadhouse rhythms (as in, “The rhythm section spent all night at a roadhouse”), greasy horns, filthy guitars, and the leering, sneering voice of singer/guitarist/lap steel player John Randall, this isn’t an album so much as it is the darkest, most fun pub crawl ever. What’s perhaps most astounding about it is that this ball of sleaze and sin was recorded by a trio. That’s right, other than Randall, we’re talkin’ Andy Rehm on drums, and Kellie Everett on bass and baritone saxophones, and that’s it. It’s hard to believe that so few can make all of this joyful noise, but it’s an absolute blast regardless. —Vincent Harris WEDNESDAY