MELVINS + BORIS @ DISTRICT LIVE
THUR SEPT 28 | 8 PM
This is the other end of the Hellish proposition fate has bestowed upon Savannah. The same night Midwest hardcore legends show up, the Twins of Evil Tour stops in for a spell. And the word is LOUD. Get double the aural punishment with two bands that are huge fans of each other. Tokyo’s Boris formed in 1992, naming themselves after a Melvins song from the Bullhead album. They’ve released 29 LPs since, blending metal with drone, psychedelia, and experimental electronic music. Melvins — Kurt Cobain’s favorite band growing up — are equally prolific, with 28 LPs to date. Their influence radiates beyond grunge, with Mike Patton, Helmet, Sleep, Mastodon, Baroness, and countless others citing Melvins’ ability to combine gargantuan Sabbath-like riffs with a DIY punk sensibility as an inspiration in their art. Each band puts on a mesmerizing presentation of loud, heavy music, not quite like what anyone else is doing. Assuming other bands can.
NEGATIVE APPROACH @ EL ROCKO LOUNGE
THUR SEPT 28 | 9 PM
This Thursday presents a brutal conundrum for fans of old school heavy music, with two certified legends playing on the same *#@%&’n night. The upside is you can’t go wrong with either show. The smaller/less expensive show features Detroit hardcore godfathers Negative Approach. Their original run from 1981-84 laid the foundation for the Midwest scene, and decades later their influence is properly outsized, considering they released only one LP. In 2006 they reformed and continue to put on furious, energetic shows. Original members John Brannon (vocals) and drummer Chris “Opie” Moore (drums) name fellow Motor City pioneers The Stooges, UK hardcore phenoms Discharge, and early Oi! band Sham 69 as their idols. Few would have guessed two years after the 1970s mercifully ended, a band this raw would still be performing more than 40 years later. Supporting are three Savannah hardcore and postpunk acts Defiant Path, Protozoan, and Malpais Anhedonia. It is suggested you experience all three to prepare your mind, body, and ears for NA.
JOE BUCK YOURSELF @ THE WORMHOLE
FRI SEPT 29 | 9:30 PM
The undisputed king of trailer park folk and Hellbilly punk rock graces a Savannah once again. Buck had a strong resume before going solo with his evil one-man band show. After his first band, Gringo folded following two disjointed releases in the late 90s, he reemerged as the guitarist for Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers a few years later. He also worked with Hank Williams III on “Straight to Hell” and “Damn Right, Rebel Proud” as he was releasing his own slew of records from 2004-12. The Kentucky native makes quite a racket all by his lonesome on stage, with percussion, melody, and his trademark vocal delivery transcending the typical one-man band performances you may have wept to in a moment of self-indulgent oversensitivity. None of that fretfulness is necessary here. You can tell Joe is having a ball doing his thing, and crowds seem to agree.
RIOT TEN @ ELAN SAVANNAH
SAT SEPT 30 | 10 PM
El Paso DJ Riot Ten broke out in 2016 with his debut EP “Hype or Die: Headbangerz.” The hit single “Like Kanye” (there’s a title that aged like milk) included an assist by Trinidadian dancehall toaster Bunji Garlin. It got the attention of EDM press and fans, but none were as crucial to Riot Ten’s next move when Dim Mak label boss and EDM kingmaker Steve Aoki signed him. In 2017, “Rail Breaker” became the anthem he’s known for. Since then, Riot Ten has worked with or remixed for Shaquille O’Neal, Bear Grillz, Modestep, and his boss, Steve. As the name of his debut EP implies, Riot Ten likes to mix hard rock influences in his music, which is primarily a combo of dubstep and hardtrap.
THE UNI BIG BAND @ JEWISH EDUCATION ALLIANCE
TUES OCT 3 | NOON
NOTE: If a Tuesday noon showtime is difficult to make, the UNI Big Band is also playing a free show at Plant Riverside’s MLK Park on Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7 pm.
It takes a lot to bring a band this size all the way to Savannah from Germany. To pull it off, the Teutonic Council of Savannah (yes, there is one), along with Georgia Southern U. campuses in Statesboro and Savannah, partnered with Martin Luther University in Halle, Germany, to hold the event at the Jewish Educational Alliance. Got all that? Bet that the effort foreshadows the impact. UNI Big Band were founded in 1993 by conductor and director Hartmut Reszel. The band features students and teachers from Martin Luther U. and specializes in big band-style jazz, pop standards, and original compositions. The Jewish Education Alliance is on the campus of Rambam Day School, 5111 Abercorn St. Give these talented musicians from Savannah’s sister city Halle the warm welcome they deserve.
This article appears in Connect Savannah | September, 2023.
