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The Heart Attacks / The Queers
7 p.m. Wednesday, February 7. Creepy Crawl (3524 Washington Boulevard).
By Jaime Lees
Published: January 31, 2007

Punk and rock are like mac ‘n’ cheese: While both hold up on their own, mixing them together is even more delicious. Hotlanta punkers the Heart Attacks bring the heat, blasting out their genre-mixing sound with the energy of true old-school rock and the bravado of Van Halen. The Heart Attacks were discovered and signed by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong (the founder of Hellcat Records), while the band’s latest album, Hellbound and Heartless, was produced by another Rancid alumni, Lars Frederiksen; unsurprisingly, the disc has the potential to trigger both a violent pogo-pit and an audience sing-along. There’s also a pretty pop duet with Joan Jett sandwiched between the high-energy title track and a song that lifts the guitar riff straight from “Hot for Teacher.” (Oh, shut up, you love it.) Lou faves the Queers headline.

• article link
• Heart Attacks - MySpace
• The Queers - website

Cheap Trick
8 p.m. Saturday, January 27. Family Arena (2002 Arena Parkway, St. Charles).
By Jaime Lees
Published: January 24, 2007

The members of Cheap Trick have been recognized as the patron saints of power pop for the past 30 years. On album after album, they’ve engaged listeners with a unique brand of amplified sing-along melodies. This year they return to the black-and-white-checkered road in support of a new album, Rockford (named after Rockford, Illinois, the band’s beloved home town). With help from songwriter extraordinaire Linda Perry, this album is one of Cheap Trick’s best yet, one that displays all the catchiness that made classics such as “Surrender” and “I Want You To Want Me” so irresistible. Live, the energy of the boys out front — added to the infectious beats of drummer Bun E. Carlos — implores even the most inactive audience to surrender, surrender to their little nuggets of pop perfection.

• article link
• Cheap Trick - website

Turbo Fruits
7:30 p.m. Friday, January 19. The Acoustic Café at the West County YMCA (16464 Burkhardt Place, Chesterfield).
By Jaime Lees
Published: January 17, 2007

Indie darlings Be Your Own Pet received a lot of attention after Thurston Moore signed them to his record label, Ecstatic Peace — but they backed up his vote of confidence with hard work, constant touring and appearances at nearly every major music gathering in the country (Lollapalooza, SXSW, CMJ). However, band members Jonas Stein and John Eatherly haven’t yet run out of steam or forgotten their roots: The pair still tours as their pre-BYOP garage-pop band, Turbo Fruits (www.myspace.com/78236428). This two-man band kicks up a lot of noise and caustic boogie, and sounds a little like the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion or a punkier T. Rex.

• article link
• Turbo Fruits - website

Local Motion: Clownvis Presley
10 p.m. Wednesday, January 24. Way Out Club (2525 South Jefferson Avenue).
By Jaime Lees
Published: January 17, 2007

Elvis Presley is dead, but his ghost is alive and shakin’ his polyester-covered ass all over town in the form of Clownvis Presley, the side project and alter-ego of 7 Shot Screamers frontman Mike Leahy (who, naturally, dresses and acts like Elvis, but has the painted face and sly demeanor of a circus clown). Clownvis is an old-time “song-and-dance guy,” a true performer who will do anything for a laugh; he’s just as likely to sing as he is to pull a string of handkerchiefs out of his nose. This week he’s debuting a vaudeville-type show at the Way Out Club: In addition to performing impressive Elvis covers in a bedazzled white jumper, Clownvis will play host to a variety of guests, including burlesque dancers, bands, singers and comedians.

• article link
• Clownvis Presley - MySpace

The Dempseys
9 p.m. Saturday, January 6. The Way Out Club (2525 South Jefferson Avenue).
By Jaime Lees
Published: January 3, 2007

George W. Bush rocked out to The Dempseys over the summer, but don’t hold that against them. In fact, this three-piece rockabilly band from Memphis has a gaggle of famous fans. Japan’s former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizum sparked an international news sensation when he sang an Elvis Presley song with the group, mere months after it was featured in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line. But a little band from Tennessee doesn’t receive opportunities like this overnight. The Dempseys have proven themselves through constant touring and a notoriously high-energy stage show. While most other swing-style rockabilly troupes are content to stand and croon to the ladies in polka-dot dresses, the Dempseys are all up in your face, rocking you like a punk band.

• article link
• The Dempseys - website