Alt-Nation: The Week and Then Some

Gymshorts

Gymshorts return from a cross country trek drumming up mayhem and preaching the gospel of sleazy rock ‘n’ roll. Things tend get a little wild at a Gymshorts show. So much so that guitarist Chris Annunziato had to leave the tour early due to severe bruising. I can’t recall the last time that I’ve heard of a musician leaving a tour for a physical injury but hey, things probably get rough in Idaho on a Tuesday night! The good news is that Gymshorts was able to complete the last few dates of the tour with a friend filling in. Annunziato is feeling better and is planning on jumping back on the rocking horse at AS220 with the band. Gymshorts brings it with a three punch combo of surf, punk and garage rock ‘n’ roll. Check out their debut album, No Backsies, that came out earlier this year.  This is a great show from top to bottom; get there early and stay late. We could all use a little mid-week mayhem.

Gymshorts, Whore Paint, Downtown Boys, Hard Nips rock AS220 on October 15.

Puss N Boots

Puss N Boots are a country/folk/Americana super group composed of Norah Jones, Sasha Dobson and Catherine Popper. They get a lot of buzz and played the Newport Folk Fest this year. I’m including them here more for being named after a New York Dolls song than anything else. Plus, like Stuart Smalley, people like them!

Puss N Boots and Van Hayride come to The Met Café on October 16.

Smith & Weeden

Smith & Weeden are playing their first local show in a while this week at the Columbus Theatre. Smith & Weeden mix in country with early ’70s Stones rock ‘n’ roll and are one of the better live bands in the city. I highly recommend their self titled debut CD that came out a few months ago if you have somehow managed to make it this far without checking it out.

Smith & Weeden, The Horse-Eyed Men, The Sun Parade rock the Columbus Theatre on October 17.

The Paraplegics

The Paraplegics celebrate their 13^th anniversary with a show titled “13 Years of Fuck You.” It’s good to know the boys are not mellowing with age. The Paraplegics were kind of one of those throwback hardcore punk bands. I remember they went through a pirate phase one year and wrote a bunch of punk sea shanties when Pirates of the Caribbean was big. They had funny album titles like It’s All Downhill from Here and catchy songs that would piss off your parents like their anthem “Fuck You Doosh Bag.” Most of all, The Paraplegics were fun and played catchy punk rock.  Celebrate 13 years that you’ll never get back with The Paraplegics at Firehouse 13!

The Paraplegics, Doosh Bucket, Defectives, VapoRubs, Chanticlear, The Pity Whores, and Whiskey Fyre will bring the punk rock to Firehouse 13 on October 18.  

Zombie Night

Ever want to party with a couple hundred people dressed up like zombies? Sounds fun, right? It is! This year marks the 7^th anniversary for Zombie Night and it should be the best of the bunch! In years past when it was a roving party, one had to go a destination ahead to get served a drink at whatever watering hole. This year the street is blocked off, and the 88 Lounge will be prepared. There will be a BOOLESQUE performance! So pretend you are a rotting corpse, bath salts junky or a “Walking Dead extra” and splash on some fake blood, come downtown and eat some brains!

Zombie Night takes over Union St. in downtown Providence outside the 88 Lounge.

Filmstrip 

Made up of brothers Dave Taha (guitar / vocals) and Matt Taha (bass / backing vocals), and childhood friend Nick Riley (drums), Cleveland’s Filmstrip is a band whose sound has evolved well past their simple punk rock origins. Imagine if the Meat Puppets (another brother band) circa 1985 teamed up with the indie-psych-folk stylings of Pink Mountaintops, and was informed by an upbringing heavily steeped in the Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll ethos. Filmstrip will release Moments of Matter in November.  Check a track from Filmstrip’s upcoming album here: https://soundcloud.com/exit-stencil-recordings/dont-you-know/s-0RJjd?in=exit-stencil-recordings/sets/filmstrip-moments-of-matter/s-0RJjd and check them out at AS220!

The Big Sway, Filmstrip, and Jake Wasson are at As220 on October 21.

Drive By Truckers

Dive By Truckers have been churning out countrified rock ‘n’ roll for years. This a solid bill paired with The Silks who recently did a tour of their own. Take a walk down to the crossroads where blues, swamp-ridden country and rock ‘n’ roll go out drinking with the devil!

Drive By Truckers and The Silks rock The Met Café on October 21.

Email music news to mclarkin33@gmail.com