CURTIS ELLER @ THE SENTIENT BEAN

THUR OCT 5 | 7 PM

Eller has released seven LPs of energetic, edgy folk with his band American Circus over the last 23 years, plus a half dozen EPs and singles. The banjo player and singer makes a solo stop at The Bean for a Thursday night treat. The folk is stripped down and raw with old-school rock and roll energy. Eller’s interesting lyrical explorations include historical events like the Hartford Circus Fire of 1944, historical figures like Jack Ruby and Buster Keaton, and diverse topics like presidential assassinations and pigeon races. The overall sound feels like a Ken Burns documentary or, on the quieter tunes, mid-70s ragtime jazz revivalist Leon Redbone. As is often the case, the live shows push the vigor past the recordings and have been referred to as “high energy, intensely physical events.” Can the Hostess City hose its first folk mosh pit? It can.

FRI OCT 6 | 9 PM

If you call yourself a Cheech and Chong fan, you better know the reference. Space Coke is the opposite of subtle. They don’t do ballads, they might do something regrettable, and they will do loud, fuzzy, big riffin’ psych-punk-metal the way it’s supposed to be played until the authorities demand they stop. That could be 17 minutes into the extended Sweet Leaf cover at the scheduled end or sooner. Anyone’s guess is as good as Gooch’s. Preparation is key. The lineup is packed to the bowl’s meniscus, so no excuses. With Savannah death metal contenders Lobstrosity, Atlanta doom sludgesters Canopy, and NC black metal suppliers Noctomb and Nganga on the bill, that’s a full four mid-band periods to get HAF.

NIGHT TRAIN – THE GUNS N’ ROSES EXPERIENCE @ COACH’S CORNER

FRI OCT 6 | 7 PM

Given the heroic amount of drugs and alcohol consumed by the band even before they were bazillionaire untouchable rock stars, it’s a miracle they are back in existence 35 years later, touring occasionally and still playing 3-hour shows. But, they are few and far between, and seats close enough to see them might require a HELOC. That’s what you can do when your debut is the best-selling in American history, it sells 30 million copies, and your worldwide total is a mind-boggling 100 million. For a closer, more personal experience with a damn good rendition of the band’s Illusion-era, Manson t-shirt, inexplicable kilt glory days, Night Train puts on a big, loud, rocking show with a 2-digit ticket price. And they start on time!

TIMOTHY EERIE + BLACK HAT @ EL ROCKO LOUNGE

TUES OCT 10 | 8 PM

Sometimes, you can tell a book by its cover. Eerie might remind you of a younger Beck, and his aesthetic might make you think of Ty Segall. As much as those two are musical chameleons, they have a vibe connecting their work and each other’s. Put on some Timothy Eerie, and you’ll hear the extension of both. If that’s your thing, you’re encouraged to get your fill of trippy, meandering, psychedelic jams from an act whose name rhymes with Timothy Leary for a reason. Two local bands start the night. Psych-spaghetti western experimentalists Black Hat add a dose of approachable weirdness. Garage punk duo Beneath Trees recall national act Local H, former local act Wet Socks, and international rock legends Sebadoh’s angry Jason Loewenstein songs.

TOM SANDOVAL & THE MOST EXTRAS @ VICTORY NORTH

TUES OCT 10 | 8 PM

Mocking reality shows into oblivion is like shooting fish in a barrel. Sure, the idea of tossing a dozen “real housewives” into giant, novelty-sized barrels of and getting locked and loaded sounds fun, but it’s just too easy. Tom Sandoval comes from reality sensation Vanderpump Rules. Surprisingly, this somehow has nothing to do with Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek. Who knew? Anyway, Tom gained fame from Bravo’s SoCal restaurant reality show, a Housewives spinoff, and this is his big-ass cover band. Taking on hits from Wolfmother’s “Joker and the Thief” to Chicago’s “25 or 6 to 4,” they are not afraid to try anything you’ve heard of, and they are very good at picking songs you have heard of.

This article appears in Connect Savannah | October, 2023.