SAT APR 6 | 8 PM
Self-parody, humor and inside jokes in crossover thrash, the inevitable combination of early Big Four thrash metal and hardcore punk, might have been how the whole thing started. That is, if you consider the Stormtroopers of Death debut “Speak English or Die” the first crossover thrash record. Many do, but 40 years later, some insist on taking it seriously, not the intentionally offensive, exaggerated joke it’s always been. Iron Reagan and Municipal Waste have the same kind of fun, and Belushi Speedball continues the tradition. For starters, the band’s name is really dark humor. One music writer called them “one of the funniest f*cking things I have heard this year,” their 2014 debut is titled “Face Schmelted in 9 Minutes or Less,” and they’re the first metal band to release an album on N64 (the obsolete game platform). All that said, they kill live and put on a loud and heavy show with a ton of energy. Similarly, The Holy Ghost Tabernacle Choir is a well-oiled machine live, with repeated touring paying off when they return home tighter, heavier and more brutal than ever. Lobstrosity is another known quantity in Savannah, delivering blistering metal that makes crusty Slayer fans smile.
JARRED PETTYS AND THE HEADLINERS @ THE WORMHOLE
FRI APR 5 | 9 PM
Old-school rock and roll separates us from the animals. Sure, you can find a trillion online videos of puppies, kittens and pet pigs getting down to anyone from Little Richard to The Everly Bros., but humans who avoid the original form of America’s most culturally significant musical derivation (early rock) from its most culturally significant music form (jazz) are inherently sus. You won’t run into any of them at a Jared Petteys show. The rock-o-meter is set to 1958, the guitar shines and the echo is perfect. There’s some punk attitude mixed with a splash of Southern twang, like The Stray Cats meet SCOTS. And it gets awfully swampy on longer workouts like the six-minute-plus surf-inspired “Lost in Baja.” For the most part, you’re getting two- to three-minute bursts of Jarred’s modern take on the kind of OG rock and roll the Ramones built a genre on.
BEAR GRILLZ: UNDERLAND TOUR @ ELAN SAVANNAH
SAT APR 6 | 10 PM
Bear Grillz was a known quantity in EDM for a while when his big reveal occurred. In 2016, of all places, he removed the mask and showed himself on The Jerry Springer Show. It was on the eve of the release of his seventh EP, “Mo Honey, Mo Problems,” and it was also his first record to be placed on the Billboard US Dance chart. Smart move. Bear Grillz, real name James Hazel, is a Denver-based DJ and producer who is entirely self-taught. Using YouTube tutorials, he learned how to take the sounds in his head and put them in yours. Songs of support for people battling mental health issues is not the typical EDM lyrical content from a bass and dubstep guru who blends hip-hop, hard rock and hybrid trap. That, along with a giant furry bear costume with blazingly bright eyes and an animated electro-smile, set him apart.
LYN AVENUE @ OVER YONDER
SAT APRIL 6 | 3–6 PM
Lyn Avenue will surprise you with the lineup they send out. It could be the duo, it could be the trio, or it might be the full band. Considering The Intercoastal Playboys managed to get a Wu-Tang-sized act on the tiny Over Yonder stage, don’t be so sure of the duo. Photos of recent evening appearances show the full band. Whatever you get, there’s no escaping the husband-and-wife combo of CC Witt and Patrick Ellington. The Savannah-based band does Americana with the expected song-by-song emphasis on folk, classic country, and easy Eagles-style rock. The voices connect, telling stories of life in today’s South. Ellington swaps the acoustic for a Gibson SG, which is always a good sign when they turn it up and an electrified solo is called for. It’s another compelling Saturday matinee at Over Yonder, and the crowds are proving them mighty popular. Find out why so many are getting their Saturday night started about six hours early.
KOBANOVA @ BARRELHOUSE SOUTH
SAT APR 6 | 9 PM
The alternative rock trio formed as UGA students and stuck around in Athens for a while. Competing in that scene isn’t easy, but after a year or so, they made their headline debut at The 40 Watt Club in February 2020. A year and a half later, they added a full-time rhythm section, relocated to Atlanta and have continued to tour and record. Their self-titled debut is a remaster of their many singles, displaying the growth in songwriting and lyrical emotion. There’s a healthy dose of Southern vibes and folk in the music, giving it a unique alt-rock flavor you don’t hear much.
This article appears in Connect Savannah I April 2024.
