CANCERSLUG + SINS OF GODLESS MEN + THE HYSTERIAS
FRI JUN 12 | 8 PM | THE WORMHOLE
Sporting a pair of muttonchops that could choke a rhinoceros, Alex Story has led Cancerslug for a quarter century. Based on topics, imagery, and Story’s deep baritone vocals, the horror-punk style has a direct line to the Misfits.
That only tells half the tale. For a better sense of what they’ve been up to since the very end of the 20th century, consider the full breadth of Glenn Danzig’s output. When hardcore began to take over punk rock, Misfits released Earth A.D. in 1983, a faster, heavier record that ditched the old-school rock-and-roll foundation, and too much of the band’s personality with it. Danzig then formed the moodier, broodier death rock of Samhain before the blues rock/metal hybrid of his namesake band.
Combine these styles, add some straight-up heavy metal, and you get Cancerslug. That Alex Story is from Alabama, practically a zillion miles from Lodi, NJ, only deepens the myth. A new touring band promises to inject energy into what is already a deep catalog of road-tested “death sleaze.”
A pair of local acts provide support that contrasts with the headliner. Sins of Godless Men play guitar-forward heavy music, with nontraditional song structures and slashing riffs competing with an approachable sense of humor and a potent dose of psych and sludge.
The Hysterias share some of the horror-punk imagery with the headliner, but keep the music centered on authentic, straightforward, old-school punk rock.
VOLITION//IMPULSE + FIELD HOCKEY + THE MANAROVS + BUSTED RADIO + DERAIL 706
SAT JUN 13 | 6 PM | COASTAL EMPIRE BEER CO.
This five-act banger boasts a mix of reliable locals and out-of-towners who warrant a warm welcome. Volition//Impulse is a known quantity, slamming Savannah often with their metalcore that’s made far more interesting than the norm with a dueling male/female vocal attack. That element is elevated by singer Anna’s own dual abilities, ranging from harsh growls to the clean, clear, and pretty.
Fellow Hostess City stalwarts Manarovs are so committed to the downstroke-heavy Ramonescore punk rock that all four members answer to anyone yelling “Hey Joey” or “Hey Johnny” or “Hey Dee Dee.”
The three visiting bands have their own reasons for being. Chattanooga’s Field Hockey plays a tight, driving mélange of post-hardcore that sounds very present. The strong riffs and diverse vocal delivery have earned them a spot on the 2026 Vans Warped Tour.
Wilmington, NC’s Busted Radio are a punk trio that claims early ‘00s influence, but has plenty of older-school stop-start song constructions, snotty vocals, and rawness.
A bit more confined to the late ‘90s-early ‘00s melodic hardcore and pop punk is Augusta’s Derail. It’s not a knock, because they do it well, but they have a stronger focus on the “newer” sound that bands like Green Day and Blink-182 helped make famous. Vocals and drums stand out.
PINE BOX DWELLERS + HABANERO BOBBY
SAT JUN 13 | 7:30 PM | BROUGHTON STREET BOWL & BREW
If you didn’t know Gram Parsons grew up in Waycross, GA, you wouldn’t think the sleepy little southern town has much of a connection to music at all, let alone a style that is currently very popular. Parsons was briefly a member of The Byrds, pushing them in a country rock direction on Sweetheart of the Rodeo before he formed The Flying Burrito Brothers.
That band made no mistake about its intention to combine country and rock, which their debut album The Gilded Palace of Sin makes clear. Pine Box Dwellers are the latest roots rock band of note from Waycross. It’s not as country-forward as the FBB, with more swampy blues and psychedelic influences. There are also some rougher edges that recall honky-tonk stomp, using a cajón for percussion in lieu of a traditional drum kit and a heavy dose of harmonica.
Complementing the Dwellers at this free show is Habanero Bobby, a duo that calls itself “psychedelic grungegrass.” Of all the myriad roots, grass, and bluegrass-adjacent styles covered in Take Five this year, and there’s been a lot, this is a new one.
The music is just how it’s described. The combo sounds odd, but it works and you probably haven’t heard anything like it before.
YESTERDAY’S LAUNDRY + THOR SPEELER + ILLUSION
SAT JUN 13 | 7 PM | SENTIENT BEAN
Hailing from two different worlds, Yesterday’s Laundry claims Statesboro and Ellabell origins. The former is well-known as a college town with all the expected trappings. Ellabell, on the other hand, is perhaps more mysterious.
Boasting huge estates, family subdivisions near good schools, landscaped double-wides with inground swimming pools, and some forgotten backwoods trailers that surely contain a dozen headless corpses, it’s a cornucopia of suburban Southern life.
Drawing from some or all of those options, Yesterday’s Laundry maintains the necessary tradition of local bands jamming their punk-ish alt rock in a garage until it’s time to head to the city and do it live on stage. Debuting on a Saturday night at the Bean is not a bad start.
Thor Speeler is far more experienced, having played in a couple of bands before landing on the highly danceable electro pop heard on his latest single Crazy That I Haven’t Seen You. In an interview last fall, he detailed the music he absorbed from his parents (Pink Floyd, CCR, Ray Lynch, Bowie, ELO), his first “real” concert seeing My Chemical Romance, his Philly punk band, and how overcoming addiction helped his creativity. He also extolls the power of synth- and sample-based music’s lack of blueprint, and the artistic freedom it bestows.
THE ULTIMATE DOORS
SAT JUN 13 | 8 PM | VICTORY NORTH
About 20 years ago, the late, great music magazine Blender polled its readers for the worst rock band of all time. Somehow, The Doors placed high on the list. It seemed odd, given their popularity, influence, and enduring hits. A hundred million records sold globally, LIFE magazine naming them “Kings of Acid Rock,” and Jim Morrison’s madman persona give the legacy even more gravitas.
They were also the first American band to rack up eight consecutive RIAA-certified Gold and Platinum LPs. As funny and insightful as Blender was, they really screwed the pooch with that poll.
The Ultimate Doors plays a slew of their hits, including Break On Through, Light My Fire, People Are Strange, Love Me Two Times, L.A. Woman, and plenty more. Vocalist Darrian Kenney captures Morrison’s rich baritone without the drunken derangement or on-stage brawling with cops. The band plays period-correct instruments for a fully authentic experience.
By Frank Ricci