Mark Pickerel’s latest record, Cody’s Dream, sounds like Bauhaus gone country. And that ain’t a bad thing. There’s a reason Gothic country’s popular with the indie rock crowd—it invokes the angst of ‘80s punk, with all the upbeat instrumental twang that’s made country music so darn endearing to all the young urbanites who cut their teeth on bands like Nirvana and L7. But most people know Mark Pickerel, thanks to his stint in the Screaming Trees; his opener, the Jon Rauhouse Quartet, is a different story. Though you might not recognize the name, Rauhouse (pictured) is a renowned multi-instrumentalist who regularly contributes his talents on pedal steel guitar (not to mention banjo, if memory serves) to studio and live recordings for popular country musicians like the Grievous Angels and Neko Case. But he’s also made a few recordings of his own; his latest, 2007’s Steel Guitar Heart Attack, demonstrates the chops that earned him a spot in Neko Case’s touring band (one he’s held onto for several years now). Here’s hoping this tour earns Rauhouse a little bit of well-deserved name recognition.

Sun., Dec. 28, 7:30 p.m., 2008