7 p.m. / M. Bison
There’s no predicting what direction an M. Bison song will take from one minute to the next. Part singer/songwriter, part synth pop, and part lo-fi, songs like “All Things to All People” are composed in movements. A few bars of low, synthy keyboards and breathy vocals are followed by tinkling crescendos that give way to steady guitars. It’s an eclectic combination of sounds that songwriters Jeff Grant and Brian Kinsella blend flawlessly.
9 p.m. / Watch It Sparkle
For a name that conjures images of cleaning-supply commercials and freshly scrubbed bathroom floors, there’s nothing remotely commercial or clean about Watch It Sparkle’s dirty garage pop. “My Baby Has a Red Tooth” is a noisy-but-simple, heavy-but-bouncy track that epitomizes the band’s formula: add Justin Mellor’s warbly, wailing vocals to organs and an unrelenting drum beat to create messy, irresistible songs. Just try not to pogo along.
10 p.m. / The Chevy Chasers
When a band is named after the star of Caddyshack and National Lampoon‘s Vacation series, you’d expect screwball humor in their music. Unexpectedly, there’s a balance between slapstick and serious musicianship in the Chevy Chasers’ brand of rock. Sure, there are repeated references to “rocking hard,” and the band’s long-haired, costumed guitarist is known as the “Ice Wizard.” But musically speaking, the guitars are clean and the drumming powerful. Think of them as Seattle’s version of Tenacious D.
11 p.m. / The Fucking Eagles See preview.