WHAT'S NOT WEAK THIS WEEK – A local show round-up
by Jake Weller
Tuesday, August 28th
Tempe, Arizona's Vektor play FVCKING METEL. You will hear blackened vocals, a dual-guitar attack system, sporadic blast beats, all that shit. Their indelicate output harkens back to those '80s metal bands (e.g. Bathory) that made other '80s metal bands, who cared more about their hair and press, piss themselves and sell out. Of course, you may be too busy collecting your disemboweled intestines from the floor to enjoy them, given that the opening salvo of Great Falls, Bellingham's Leatherhorn, and Occult SS makes for one of the more solidly dark and brutal lineups this month. We have Ladies' Choice to thank for this beer-foamer at the Funhouse on Tuesday, and it is a fine way to kick off an amazing week of rock.
Wednesday, August 29th
Though this may be a Seattle-based rock blog, the influx of bands winding up the coast to play shows here is always a welcome feature for an ever-outwards looking community of artists and afficionados, and the Highline is hosting an evening for two neighbors to the South on Wednesday. Prizehog, from San Francisco, play a brand of gutteral, punk-infused sludge that doesn’t mind getting a little dirty. Judging solely by the sound they emit, it would be a safe bet that if you were to check their beards, they would have sprigs of dry grass shards littered throughout from having passed out in a field on the side of a highway the previous night. This is a very good thing in a heavy band; it’s sheer commitment. Drunk Dad, from Portland, specialize in loud-as-fuck rolling crust. It would be wise to make sure you’ve completed your daily defecatory business prior to their set, lest you find it laying by your guilty foot after the first grunting riff. Same Sex Dictator return home from their tour and are helping to open this meaty show, immediately following fellow locals, Brain Drain.
Thursday, August 30th
The week continues with another solid heavy bill at the Highline, featuring the cacophonous landscaping crew that is Don Peyote. While the clever name might conjur the image of some sort of desert psych, these guys (and gal) are far too unrelenting and heavy-hitting to be a decent spirit guide along the snake; the contorted pounding of DP’s rhythm section does its best to drown out the vocalist’s wailing shouts, while the meaty guitar helps guide them into occasional math breaks before the build up to a pummeling release. Wounded Giant, formerly known as Dirtworshipper, truck out their lurching, dirgy monstrosity beforehand, along with Winter Ox, and Old Iron, whose dreamy, ambient post-metal musings sidle up alongside elegiac doom passages, which make up the crux of their dynamic onslaught. Come with a spare neck brace for the newb-rocker over-banging next to you.
Friday, August 31st
When Brooklyn-based quartet Made Out Of Babies split with their lead singer, Julie Christmas, to form a new band, the three remaining members only had to look to the other side of the country for one of the most obvious replacements since Judas Priest found Marky Mark. Megan Tweed – lead singer for industrial noise outfit, The Family Curse – is that replacement and will be showing off her pipes in Bad Powers in the very near future. In the meantime, The Comet gets to host one of the rare appearances of TFC (they have spent the last few years geographically-estranged), along with the San Diegan, one-man, mechanized assault circus, Author & Punisher. Opening up are Red Liquid, and Blowupnihilist for what should be yet another absolutely solid night of heavy tunes in town this week.
Saturday, September 1st (kickoff of the annual Avoid Bumbershoot Weekend – go ahead and pay $50 to see Eyehategod, if you like)
It's a very rare treat to see Kayo Dot bandleader, Toby Driver, and his loyal band of elite soundsmiths make it out to these outer territories from that cozy artistic nexus of Brooklyn, so don’t miss this opportunity to see the most eclectic and impressive performance you will find in town on Saturday, even during Bumbershoot weekend… Hell, especially during Bumbershoot weekend. They weave a gorgeous tapestry of nearly every form of music imaginable, and are never afraid to get a little loud and crazy, while also strong enough to shrink down to periods of quiet, subtle intensity. Music nerds, stoners, metalheads, jazz freaks, hipsters, and pretty much every form of sound addict under the sun will find something to like here. Supporting are the always fan-fucking-tastic, Dog Shredder — who will be ripping a hole in the crowd’s mind big enough for Kayo Dot to fill — and local collective, Rose Windows.
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