SPACE COKE + THE MAXINES + TEMPTRESS + DEAD REGISTER @ EL ROCKO
THUR FEB 1 | 8 PM
Savannah fans of live, loud music know Space Coke. They play out often, turn it up to 11, and end their shows with an eternal version of Black Sabbath’s “Sweet Leaf” that makes you feel like everything is going to be okay. The Maxines are also well-known quantities, delivering hot live shows and recently released a very strong record. So the local bands have well-deserved followings. That means the main message here is: DO NOT MISS TEMPTRESS. The Dallas trio (pictured) formed in January 2019 after a simple jam session revealed bigger things to the participants. One year later, they had their debut album written, played shows with the mighty Wo Fat and our own Black Tusk, and were on their way. Guitar/vocalist Kelsey Wilson steams up the joint with her playing and singing, offering a slow burn that gives way to higher tempo numbers. Temptress rides that hard rock/metal ridge like three bosses, uncompromising and focused. Atlanta doomgazers Dead Register get you in the mood.
COUGAR FEST @ EL ROCKO
FRI-SAT, FEB 2-3 | 4:30 PM
Advertised as a birthday celebration for Sara Morgan, Austen Minor, and Miranda Norman, Cougar Fest is a weekend takeover of El Rocko with live music from a ton of bands. The buzz seems to be the announcement that this will be the "final hometown show in Savannah" by Friday night headliner Bastardane (pictured). What this means is unknown. Are they splitting up? Changing their name? Giving up material trappings and joining the Peace Corps? Could be anything, but expect to find out. Other Friday bands include S’Villes, Dustin Price, Manarovs, Femme Reaper, Lobstrosity, Hotplate and a “Woo!”-inducing burlesque performance by Thicc Flair and Lady von Luft. Saturday kicks off with Slumper, followed by Pink Peugeot, Coffee Stain (where?), Ziploc, Whiskey & Co., Chimes, Ex-Boogeymen, and headlining is Atlanta’s excellent anthemic punk rock heroes Shehehe. And if all this wasn’t enough, there will be a puppet show by Mr.Pants4u and a drag performance by Magnolia Minxx and Corbin Monoxide.
ALMOST MONDAY @ DISTRICT LIVE
FRI FEB 2 | 8 PM
The year 2020 may be imminently forgettable, but it was a good one for Almost Monday. The relatively unknown San Diego garage band gained millions of streams of their disco-flavored song “Broken People” and began playing out. A record company decision-maker liked what he saw and signed the band. Several singles were released in 2021, including a remix of their big hit by Sofi Tukker that helped increase the band’s profile. Last year, their song “Cool Enough” also got the remix treatment, this time by the Knocks. Their bright and positive vibe is unusual in a world where cynicism can run rampant, and any fanbase can get jaded instantly. A nice change of pace. Hilton Head singer-songwriter Nick Poulin opens.
NATHAN OWENS @ THE WORMHOLE
FRI FEB 2 | 8 PM
The West Virginia-born comic, now Atlanta-based, is really into the awkward side of things. We all have our quirks and unusual juxtapositions of experience, but Owens finds the funny in them better than we do. He talks about his former employment as a professional nanny, what marriage was like during the Covid-19 lockdown, and bizarre living situations. He also gets into his Appalachian roots and homeschooling, and how those values collide with the modern world. Owens released his special last year, “Name Brand Human,” recorded in the hills of Chattanooga. In non-awkward comedy, he also hosts the Fourth and Ten podcast with Atlanta’s funniest sports fans.
WEDNESDAY + HOTLINE TNT @ LODGE OF SORROWS
THUR FEB 8 | 7 PM
Plenty of bands from the region write songs that tell stories about life in the American South, but how many do it over a shoegaze-country rock soundtrack? Not many, but that’s what Wednesday (pictured) does, and you won’t find many others. Band leader Karly Hartzman formed the band in Asheville in 2017, turning her solo project into a full-fledged band in short order and releasing albums regularly ever since. Hartzman cites Drive-by Truckers, Lucinda Williams, and Richard Buckner as music and lyrical influences, but the band name is a riff on UK alt-rockers The Sundays. Their “Reading, Writing and Arithmetic” album was her first inspiration. She added country lyrics and a sonic style borrowed from obscure Boston indie rockers Swirlies to create what Wednesday has become. Joining them is fellow shoegazers Hotline TNT from New York. They do that big wall of sound version of shoegaze, and their album “Cartwheel” earned a “Best New Music” nod from Pitchfork.
