It's a busy week for St. Louis music. Read on to catch a piece of the action. With Halloween celebratory activities well under way, local bands get ready go dress up with special covers-only sets. Besides that, Bug Chaser drops its latest, Noisefest celebrates its tenth anniversary and Tef Poe performs with Rockwell Knuckles and more during P.O.E. Fest. Read on for this week's recommendations, fresh off of our critics' fingertips.
The Reptilian Monday, October 28, 7:30 p.m. w/ Tiny Moving Parts, Billy & the Jets, Franklin and the Founding Fathers @ The Demo - $8-$10 By Joseph Hess Informed by emo ditties of mid '90s, the Reptilian piles pop atop odd timing to weave succinct songs. To call Reptilian anything other than a punk band might discount its fierce delivery, but the Michigan-based trio tends to infuse progressive-rock levels of artistry. The result is a band wrought with subtle depth through interloping parts. Vocals come with somewhat of a pop-punk filter, landing in a place between singing and yelling. Drummer Dan Riehl manages to carve out enough space for lush percussion under relentless melody, constantly applying audible tension that never fails to deliver a big pay-off. Live sets go by quickly enough to leave one wanting more but offer a diversity that feels complete, and ultimately, fulfilling. Label brethren Tiny Moving Parts join the Reptilian to offer further emo-post-hardcore. The group took a decidedly more indie-rock bend with its latest full-length This Couch is Long & Full of Friendship. Come on time and see the yin to the Reptilian's yang.
Kim Massie Tuesday, October 29, 10 p.m. @ Beale on Broadway - $7 By RFT Staff Although the word "diva" is so overused it's almost a useless descriptor, Kim Massie is one vocalist who deserves the honor. With its brash, gospel-influenced strains of vibrato, Massie's voice can be as big and broad as Aretha Franklin's, but it contains just enough Etta James-ian blues to undercut this strength with sorrow. When Massie sings the standard "At Last," you can close your eyes and imagine her voice as a vocal preacher, laying down the lyrics like audible commandments, just as easily as you can imagine the sound slinking down a smoky stage moonlit by a lonely spotlight. Massie is always -- and effortlessly somehow -- magical, spiritual and glowing.
Cave Wednesday, October 30, 8 p.m. w/ Ghost Ice, Skarekrauradio @ Plush - $7 By Joseph Hess Cave takes a kraut-rock inspired spin on spacey psychedelics, bringing out a heavy, heady jam. At its best, Cave invokes an acid-trip odyssey with a subtle growth of intensity. At times, the percussion can feel like a warped drum circle under the band's milky wash of keys and twang, but for hippies and hipsters alike, that's a good thing. Catch the mythic Cave with a few local legends of our own: The ethereal Ghost Ice and local no-wave cult Skarekrau Radio.
Nothing is Original: Halloween for the Punx 2013 Thursday, October 31, 8 p.m. w/ Bug Chaser (as MC5), Kisser (as Pentagram), So Many Dynamos (as Gang of Four), The Conformists (as Black Sabbath), Trauma Harness (as the Urinals), Black Panties (as Weezer), members of Doom Town and Life Like (as Crass), Times Beach @ Melt - free By Christian Schaeffer The freedom that comes with a new, make-believe identity isn't limited to kids in Superman costumes (or cosplay enthusiasts, for that matter). Each Halloween, as trick-or-treaters revel in their masquerades, local bands play dress-up and take on the songbooks of their favorites bands. The decks are stacked pretty high for this show, as some of St. Louis' hardest and heaviest align for a covers show. So Many Dynamos will take on the angular post-punk of Gang of Four, Bug Chaser will successfully kick out the jams as MC5, the Conformists make a rare appearance as Black Sabbath (Ozzy or Dio? Go and see for yourself). Trauma Harness, Black Panties and a few more round out the bill.
Also for Halloween: HalloWEEN at Off Broadway, Little Big Bangs as Smashing Pumpkins and more at Heavy Anchor and lots of other great shows.
