San Antonio's live music offerings this week range from the familiar and comforting to the truly odd and outside.
If you're after the former, Austin blues rock outfit Rochelle & The Sidewinders keep things enticingly traditional, while Pearl & The Oysters deal in soothing low-key synth sounds.
But if a stiff shot of the weird is what you crave, look no further than Japan's legendary and mind-altering Acid Mothers Temple and Current, a Connecticut-based metalcore band that brings plenty of rhythmic complexity to the genre.
Your pick. Let's run it all down.
Wednesday, May 24
Komrads, I Ya Toyah, The Russian White, Zen Hander
This lineup of solo acts in the post-industrial and darkwave genres proves that it doesn't take a whole entourage to create trancey, apocalyptic tunes. Headlining act Komrads from Rochester, N.Y., emphasizes the ominous and eerie aspects of synthwave, while the dark electronica of Chicago's I Ya Toyah feels almost operatic in its intensity. Reading, Pennsylvania's The Russian White leans more danceability, and San Antonio-based opener Zen Hander, has carved out a unique niche with a minimalist approach to synthwave. $8, 9 p.m., Hi-Tones, 621 E. Dewey Place, instagram.com/hitones_sa. — Dalia Gulca
Wednesday, May 24
Rochelle & The Sidewinders
The self-described "Texas Songbird" Rochelle Creone fronts the award-winning Austin blues rock outfit Rochelle & The Sidewinders, and true to her nickname, she entices the audience with velvety vocals while the Sidewinders lay down rhythmic riffs. The group recently celebrated the release of 3rd Times a Charm with new label MoMojo Records. $10-$45, 8 p.m., Sam's Burger Joint, 330 E. Grayson St., (210) 223-2830, samsburgerjoint.com. — Danny Cervantes
Saturday, May 27
Pearl & The Oysters, Tele Novella
The duo Juliet Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack — The Oysters — delivers eclectic low key synth-pop that evokes both Stereolab and '70s soft jazz. A friendship that began in high school in Paris has blossomed into a creative and personal pairing that followed the pair to Los Angeles via Gainesville, Florida. The Oysters' latest release, Coast 2 Coast, drips with a decidedly West Coast vibe. $15, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com. — DC
Tuesday, May 30
Acid Mothers Temple
Unless a band is comprised of chemistry profs, there's a certain expectation when the word "acid" appears in its name. And yeah, this legendary crew from Japan is trippy as fuck. At an Acid Mothers Temple show, audiences can expect a brain-melting menagerie of sounds that includes heavy psych, krautrock, dissonant freakouts and shimmering soundscapes. Many of the group's songs stretch past the 10-minute mark. $16, 8 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com. — Mike McMahan
Currents, Like Moths to Flames, Unity TX, Foreign Hands
Put your thinking caps on, because here come the mind-bendingly complex rhythms of the Meshuggah-inspired djent subgenre. Headliner Currents also pulls from the closely related metalcore genre. The Fairfield, Connecticut-based act has weathered numerous lineup changes since forming in 2013 and dropped its new album The Death We Seek on May 5. Hit this one up if you're craving breakdowns. $19.50-$22, 6:30 p.m., The Rock Box, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 772-1443, therockboxsa.com. — MM
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
