VALLEY OF THE VAPORS
7 p.m. Low Key Arts. $7.
Valley of the Vapors got rolling last Sunday down in The Spa City, and the unfettered rock ‘n’ roll revelry continues right on through Saturday night.
Wednesday’s lineup includes the witchy, Farfisa-fied garage rock of The Black Belles, a Nashville quartet that has the imprimatur of Jack White stamped all over it (they’re on his Third Man label). The Grayces — also outta Music City — sound kind of like The Runaways mugging The Ramones. The Jukebox Romantics make a racket that falls on the scruffier, warts-n-all edge of the pop-punk map. The Svetlanas (motto: “Soviet punk since ’77) are on another map entirely, specifically, one of a place where bruising street punk, vodka shots and pickled herring are a natural combo. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Yuri Landman leads a workshop that’ll teach you to make your own crazy experimental guitar. At 6 p.m., there’s a Pass the Hat show (i.e. secret band, secret venue; find out by asking around).
Thursday’s festivities include another one of Landman’s workshops and a Pass the Hat show at 4 p.m. The main lineup leans toward the gnarly punk rock side of things, with Brooklyn weirdo duo Japanther, likeminded misanthropes Unstoppable Death Machines, Little Rock classic hardcore revivalists R.I.O.T.S., NYC gutter-dwellers Filthy Savage and the catchy throwback punk of Ritz Riot.
Friday has a presentation on the history of rock ‘n’ roll from musician and teacher Phil Ajjarapu. Kicking things off at 7:30 p.m. is Projexorcism, a bizarro multimedia project that’s a bit like a verging-on-bad acid trip crossed with overlapping reels of old educational filmstrips soundtracked with all manner of schizoid sonic terror. Moody indie rockers Bagheera follow that up, with Galaxy Express (one of South Korea’s top rock exports), Ume (shoegazer-y guitar-pop squall from Austin) and The White Glove Test (hometown rock heroes) rounding out the evening.
Saturday, there’s a 16mm film workshop starting at 10 a.m., which includes an installation and discussion. The music starts at 8 p.m. with the Appalachia-by-way-of-the-San-Joaquin-Valley sounds of The Old Tire Swingers. Closing out the whole shindig is Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe, which should be a good time for anybody who digs funk-flavored sounds from southern Louisiana.