To truly love psych-rock band Brian Jonestown Massacre, any fan has to overlook one major flaw: The personality of lead singer and founder Anton Newcombe. In the band’s nearly 20 year history, Newcombe has managed to alienate other musicians through his eccentric behavior. Like that time in mid-1990s when he picked a fist-fight with his own band members on stage, or his ill treatment of the Dandy Warhols while filming the documentary DiG! Newcombe talks shit in almost every interview he does, even offering choice words about the death of Eric Clapton’s four-year-old son. So it’s no surprise that Newcombe is the band’s only original member after nearly 20 musicians have abandoned the BJM mantle. And this is why having a BJM cover night is such a brilliant idea: All the good songs with no Newcombe to screw things up. There’s no denying that the Seattle bands covering BJM were heavily influenced by Newcombe’s ever-changing sense of musical style. Seattle band Watch it Sparkle pulls off the same deliberate, mildly dissonant guitars that have become a staple in BJM’s music. This Blinding Light’s music incorporates the same shoe-gazing solos that Newcombe adores. These bands can hopefully prove that a lead singer’s antics aren’t what makes BJM a standout among experimental 90s bands; it’s the music that deserves attention.

Sun., March 22, 9 p.m., 2009