Friday, July 7, Atomic Cantina (21-and-over); Free: As Terry Zwigoff’s film Ghost World aptly demonstrates, there are plenty of faux blues bands out there–bands that claim to play “Delta Blues” or “Mississippi Roots Blues”–that are just plain awful. They may appeal to audiences of the suburban persuasion nationwide, but they’re hardly authentic in any real sense of the word. Because of this, it is always with sincere skepticism that I view any blues band, such as Moreland, Arbuckle & Floyd of Wichita, Kan. Luckily for this trio of fairly stocky fellows, their music speaks for itself, and the world is listening. In 2004, MAF made it all the way to the finals of the annual International Blues Challenge, and a quick listen is all you need to assure yourself that what you’re hearing is sans schlock. “Locomotive” rumbles through harmonica- and riff-heavy terrain while Aaron “Chainsaw” Moreland’s smoky vocals grungily plod along in a guitar soup that devours its listener. The one-guitar format keeps even the most raucous of MAF tracks from becoming abrasive, and more laid-back tunes like “Long Past Midnight” are proof that this band doesn’t have to make your ears ring to blow you away. Albuquerque’s I is for Ida headline the show that begins at 8 p.m.
Moreland, Arbuckle & Floyd
With I Is For Ida, Primates And Lagoon
2 min read
