PSYCHEDELIC POWER-POP | A Fragile Tomorrow
w/ Jordan Igoe and Matt Megrue
Thurs. July 12
8:30 p.m.
$10
Pour House
You might be able to name some bands that have been together for 15 years, but can you name one that hasn’t had a single lineup change in that time? You’re pretty much looking at ZZ Top, U2, and A Fragile Tomorrow, a Charleston group that’s been doing their thing since 2003 with brothers Sean, Dominic, and Brendan Kelly at the helm, joined by their buddy and bassist Shaun Rhodes. More remarkable still is that their core sound, a shimmering, ever-shifting guitar-pop chassis with some serious mind-bending, almost psychedelic experimentation up top, has proven surprisingly durable. Take their just-out new single, “Dig Me Out,” for example. There’s a genuinely catchy pop tune at the heart of this track, but every time it leans toward the conventional, the boys turn the kaleidoscope and pile on smeared, blurry vocal effects, warped keyboards, and unpredictable rhythmic shifts, making the song more reminiscent of XTC or the Flaming Lips than anything you’d hear on your average radio station. —Vincent Harris THURSDAY
TRIBUTE | What’s Going On: The Marvin Gaye Experience
feat. Brian Owens
Sat. July 14
7:30 p.m.
$25-$35
Charleston Music Hall
There’s going to be a moment in Brian Owens’ tribute to Marvin Gaye, perhaps in the middle of “Ain’t That Peculiar” or “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” or “Let’s Get It On.” Or perhaps when he brings out duet partners to take on “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” or “You’re All I Need to Get By.” Or perhaps that moment will come in the middle of his suite of songs paying homage to the What’s Going On album. Regardless of when it occurs, there will be that moment, when you close your eyes and forget for just a second that this is someone onstage singing songs originally performed by a legendary figure in music. It’s going to sound like Marvin Gaye is up there singing. That’s how perfect Owens’ impression of Gaye is; on first listen, maybe even second or third, it’s difficult to tell the difference between his voice and the original master of soul music. That’s a testament to Owens’ skill, and a high compliment, indeed. —Vincent Harris SATURDAY
INDIE | Gun Outfit
w/ Dumb Doctors, Camel Blues band, Pageant Wave
Sat. Jul 14
9 p.m.
Free
Local 616
Gun Outfit is over its hardcore days. They’re so over it, in fact, that the band has turned to indie music as their go-to sound. “We’re more like on the J.J. Cale side, which is trying to make smooth music that still has a bit of an edge,” says singer-guitarist Dylan Sharp. That comes out in the first two songs from their latest album Out of Range. “Ontological Intercourse” opens the album with a choppy fuzz guitar and several groovy riffs at once. The sound is an indie-rock take on folk and it continues into “Landscape Painter.” Gun Outfit successfully blends soul and shoegaze into the mix on album closer “Second Decade.” Although it sounds like an easy-going experience, the new songs have a strong bite, thanks to the continued sense of melody and intelligent use of multiple instruments. “You always want to react to what you did before,” says Sharp. “I was playing really aggressive music, like hardcore, for a while. After awhile, it seemed more punk to not do that.” —Heath Ellison SATURDAY
PROTOMETAL | Lightning Born
w/ Tripping the Mechanism, Space Coke, Street Clones
Sat. Jul. 14
8:30 p.m.
$6
Tin Roof
Metal supergroup Lightning Born wants you to remember the ’70s. Featuring members from Corrosion of Conformity, The Hell No, Mega Colossus, and Demon Eye, Lightning Born makes heavy riff-centric tunes reminiscent of early Judas Priest and occasionally Ozzy-era Black Sabbath. “We’re all very strong songwriting forces in our own projects, so I think that all of our personalities come through in this music,” says vocalist Brenna Leath. Lightning Born puts a lot of stock in the stoner and doom metal scenes that they each come from. The band’s “vintage riffs,” as Leath puts it, are heard on their two-song demo. “Magnetic” and “Renegade” both have modern tones on old-school guitar licks. Currently the band is finishing up their self-titled debut, slated for a November release. —Heath Ellison SATURDAY
HIP-HOP | Trappy Hour
w/ Matt Monday, Salis, Shejay TO
Sun. Jul. 15
8 p.m.
$5
The Royal American
Next Up Charleston creator and host Kris Kaylin, Charleston event organizers the Cocktail Bandits, and PR guru Tawana Tee have combined their individual skills and put together a nice, quiet Sunday evening of hard trap beats and rhymes. City Paper favorite Matt Monday and Soul of a Man Through Cartier Frames co-creator Salis will perform songs from their new projects, along with old favorites. This is the second Trappy Hour, and the first to feature someone from Kaylin’s rap showcase interview series, Next Up Charleston. According to Kaylin, Trappy Hour is meant to support the local rap scene and provide another platform for hip-hop artists to perform. In her series, she has interviewed Anfernee, Walter Brown, Poppy Native, and many others, and Kaylin has expressed her desire to bring more of those artists from the past out to Trappy Hour. “There are definitely some [Next Up] fan favorites that I would love to bring back, if they would like to perform,” says Kaylin. —Heath Ellison SUNDAY
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