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Friday, March 27
Roky Erickson & the Hounds of Baskerville
THE ROXY
In the mid-1960s, Roky Erickson strode through the streets of Austin like a colossus. At a time when most American garage-rock singers were stiffly imitating Mick Jagger’s secondhand blues affectations, Erickson and The 13th Floor Elevators were cranking out wildly propulsive, expansively psychedelic incantations such as “Reverberation” and the immortal garage nugget “You’re Gonna Miss Me.” The band’s freewheeling hedonism and experimentation with drugs did not go unnoticed by the authorities in Texas, and Erickson found himself silenced and locked up in a psychiatric hospital for five years. A 2005 film, You’re Gonna Miss Me, documented Erickson’s sometimes surreal ordeal, but the good news is that he’s finally productive and healthy again. On his most recent album, 2010’s True Love Cast Out All Evil, Erickson was backed by Okkervil River and revealed a newfound rustic-folk vulnerability. — Falling James
Young Dubliners
CANYON CLUB
More than a quarter-century from their fluid-lineup beginnings at Santa Monica’s Irish Rover pub, Young Dubliners are a Celtic rock juggernaut. They tour stateside tirelessly and frequently travel to Europe, including the ultimate genre litmus test: tours of Ireland. A solid quintet since the turn of the millennium, the Dubs’ sound reflects their trans-Atlantic makeup (founding frontman Keith Roberts and bassist Brendan Holmes are Dubliners; their bandmates are American): a steroidal, guitar-based and fiddle-fueled take on nostalgic Celtic sensibilities, with arena-scale hooks, radio-ready production and a wry wink of punky, Pogues-y irreverence. Boasting a swaggering crowd connection that only countless shows can craft, Young Dubliners’ open-minded interpretation of musical tradition has made them a multidecade institution unto themselves. — Paul Rogers
Saturday, March 28
Burgerama 4
THE OBSERVATORY
It might seem quaint that Burger Records specializes in retro garage rock, and quainter still that many of its releases are on cassette. But the Fullerton label nonetheless keeps getting bigger on its apparent path to total world domination. There isn’t enough room to list every performer at Burgerama, a two-day festival that includes seemingly every punk, pop, garage, indie rock and psychedelic performer in the galaxy. Saturday is headlined by alt-rock vets Weezer, local skate-punk prodigies FIDLAR and postpunks Gang of Four, but the bill also encompasses the disparate likes of Roky Erickson, rap producer Madlib, sweetly engaging garage-pop duo Summer Twins and the doom-ridden blues of Bass Drum of Death. Sunday’s bill answers with punk everyman Ty Segall, Atlanta sonic saboteurs Black Lips, Ariel Pink, Thee Oh Sees and Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis, but arrive early to be beguiled by the haunting blues-rock chansons of Sarah Bethe Nelson. Also Sunday, March 29. — Falling James
Japan Nite with Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re, Quorum, The Fin
BOOTLEG THEATER
After celebrating the 20th anniversary of Japan Nite at SXSW, three artists are bringing the tour to the Bootleg. All-girl rock trio Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re shreds genre lines, pairing heavy punk-rock breakdowns with sweet vocals and quirky lyrics (in Japanese) about everything from food to death to living by the sea. Hailing from Tokyo, classic rockers Quorum are breaking the mold in Japanese rock. Relying on ’70s rock influences, their ingenious, technical guitar riffs and Ozzy-like vocals are head-spinning, as are lead singer Shintaro Namioka’s lyrics, sung in English. Kobe-based indie quartet The fin. round out the night with a calming, energetic groove. Citing influences based in American chillwave, it’s no wonder hints of Washed Out and Toro y Moi creep into their songs. — Britt Witt
Sunday, March 29
45 Grave, Nervous Gender, Egrets on Ergot
THE ECHO
Los Angeles’ original deathrockers, 45 Grave, emerged at the end of the punk era with hard-edged riffs and a bit of “Monster Mash”–style cheekiness. Singer Dinah Cancer is the rock equivalent of a TV horror-movie host, guiding the crowd through creepy tales with a wink and a smirk, letting you know that it’s all in good fun. When 45 Grave were building the foundation for deathrock, Nervous Gender were pounding on synths inside venues like Hong Kong Cafe. While not as well known as like-minded U.K. artists of the time, such as Fad Gadget and The Normal, the band’s influence is felt in a new generation of synthpunk bands that have emerged over the past decade. Locals Egrets on Ergot are part of the current crop of bands putting a 21st-century spin on deathrock. No less a genre legend than bassist David J (Bauhaus/Love and Rockets) will be the night’s guest DJ. — Liz Ohanesian
Dirty Ed’s “Dirty 69” Birthday Blowout
CAFE NELA
Venerable Hollywood rock-club soundman Dirty Ed is an underworld institution, an instantly recognizable character whose magnificently crusty presence is essential at both the control board and your next backyard BBQ. This mad-dog celebration for his 69th birthday features an appropriately unhinged line of local noisemakers, with the propulsive, Stoogenized, slash-and-burn punk of Million Kids; the low-slung, throaty, thunderous trash supreme of former Civet guitar slinger Suzi Moon’s Turbulent Hearts; and the wildly filthy rock & roll testimony of frantic local troubadour Lightnin’ Woodcock. The Ed-centric occasion also boasts a delicious wild card: the debut performance by CinX, a new trio fronted by The Gypz’s Cindy Ramos, a visionary vixen who’ll be debuting an all-original set of songs that are certain to thrill. — Jonny Whiteside
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