The Reverend Horton Heat And Special Guest Nashville Pussy & Backyard Tire Fire Wednesday, Dec 3 9:00p
Reverend Horton Heat
The
Reverend Horton Heat is perhaps the most popular psychobilly artist of
all time, really rivaled only by genre founders the Cramps. The
Reverend (as both the three-man band and its guitar-playing frontman
were known) built a strong cult following during the '90s through
constant touring, manic showmanship, and a twisted sense of humor. The
latter was nothing new in the world of psychobilly, and Heat's music
certainly kept the trashy aesthetic of his spiritual forebears. The
Reverend's true innovation was updating the psychobilly sound for the
alternative rock era. In his hands, it was something more than
retro-obsessed kitsch -- it had roaring distorted guitars, it rocked as
hard as any punk band, and it didn't look exclusively to pop culture of
the past for its style or subject matter. Most of the Reverend's lyrics
were gonzo celebrations of sex, drugs, booze, and cars, and true to his
name, his concerts often featured mock sermons in the style of a rural
revivalist preacher. His initial recordings were released by that
bastion of indie credibility, Sub Pop, at the height of the grunge
craze; after a spell on major label Interscope, he returned to the
independents, still a highly profitable draw on the concert circuit.