“White Mystery headlines a rock-and-roll summer camp,” Riverfront Times
Posted Wednesday, August 22nd, 2018 at 4:20 pm
FRIDAY, AUGUST 17
Radkey w/ the Slow Boys
8 p.m. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street. $8 to $10. 314-535-0353.
The three home-schooled brothers who comprise Radkey wear their Danzig influence on their sleeves — that much is evident from the bellowed vocals — yet spending more than a minute with the trio will reveal more than their punk rock influences. This KC-area crew was primed to take the torch from the onset, starting off their careers with an opening slot for Fishbone in 2011. And where did the band take its clean-cut concoction of punk from there? To SXSW, Coachella, Riot Fest and many more festivals around the world. Fresh off a tour with Jack White earlier this summer, Radkey hits St. Louis with just about every seal of approval to be found in the music circuit.
SATURDAY, AUGUST 18
Momma’s Boy w/ Only Sound, Fangs
9 p.m. Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street. Free. 314-241-2337.
Not to be confused with Mama’s Boys, the Irish-born metal band of the ’80s, Momma’s Boy offers up an overdriven brand of singular surf rock. Its sing-songy choruses sit firmly in pop territory: “Can I tell you things will stay the same? I know you like it that way, yeah yeah. Cuz I don’t really wanna talk about it. Cuz I got nothing to say, yeah yeah.” Dressed up in all the static and hum of garage rock, Momma’s Boy doesn’t come across as a commodity — this is a genuine group of dudes who clearly just wants to play songs for you.
Neiv w/ Hands and Feet, Kudzu
10 p.m. Foam Coffee & Beer, 3359 South Jefferson Avenue. $7. 314-772-2100.
The mountain-dwelling shoegazers of Neiv put forth a soundscape of riffs and sharp, percussive beats. Released this past March, Canyon Dreams is an audacious name for an album by a Swiss band whose members literally live in the Alps. Yet the songs deliver a sense of elevation, bringing dreamy pop with the promise of a heavy sound that often walks on air. To its credit, Neiv makes keen use of space so that every snap of the snare drum cracks like a whip. This pastoral blend of noise and melody coalesces with guitar leading every supercharged song.
Whiskey War Festival 2018
12 p.m. South Broadway Athletic Club, 2301 South Seventh Street. $15. 314-776-4833.
While it’s hard to mention the Whiskey War Festival without bringing up the Maness Brothers, the event has grown much bigger than its jet-fueled, blues-rocking forefathers. With headlining acts James Leg and White Mystery, this is basically a rock-and-roll summer camp with a ton of sonic oddities hidden within every nook and cranny. Seven years on and Whiskey War is still running strong, which is no small feat for a fest that started off as a big party of close-knit friends. And that much, at least, hasn’t changed — it’s just that more members have joined the extended musical family.
Rock the Hops Music Festival
2 p.m. Downtown Alton, 200 Piasa Street, Alton, Illinois. $30. No phone.
Between the 40 different craft beers and nearly 30 musical acts sourced from throughout the greater St. Louis region, Rock the Hops is a firm “must attend” for those who looking to sample either bands or brew. The combination of the two isn’t anything new, of course, but this street crawl with live music offers sensory overload, even if your senses might end up a bit sideways from all the drafts being poured. CaveofswordS, Blank Generation and Hope & Therapy lead this six-hour powerrun, which goes down in six venues in close proximity. For more info and a full list of performers, see www.facebook.com/RockTheHops.
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