Let’s face it, compared to the bonafide freaks of Akron/Family, who always seem to know where the LSD trails lead, those who get lumped into the ever-growing freak-folk category are pretty much the modern day equivalent of suburban-dwelling flower-power wannabe’s that never actually set foot at Golden Gate Park. Akron/Family are the real deal—folky, skronky, drone-y, jammy, ceremonial, and cultish peaceniks changing the world little by little, one song at a time. They’re the kind of dudes you would’ve seen hanging out with The Fugs, Gary Higgins and/or Ed Askew if any of the four members, all multi-instrumentalists, were actually alive in the late ‘60s or ‘70s. Their just-released Love is Simple takes new leaps into more accessible, mushroom-picking territories while maintaining a similar sense of urgency and mystery that veiled their past last two records. Mind is blown.

Fri., Oct. 19, 9 p.m., 2007