One of the most eclectic performers on the blues circuit, Texas music
master Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown hits town this week for a
two-night stand at B.B. King’s Blues Club on Friday, October 26th, and
Saturday, October 27th. The septuagenarian Brown’s latest record, Back To
Bogalusa, explores the Louisiana influence of this roots legend’s varied,
jump-blues-based sound, but there’s no telling how far he’ll range in
concert.

Both bands play often enough that their shows aren’t really special
occasions, but I say when Lucero and The Subteens — two of the
three or four best live bands in town right now — team up for a double bill,
that’s one to make sure you see. Their double-bill-by-chance at the Memphis
Music and Heritage Festival over Labor Day weekend saw both bands in fine
form, but here’s betting their show at the Young Avenue Deli on Friday,
October 26th, will be a much rowdier experience. — Chris
Herrington

This Halloween I’d strongly advise going to New Orleans. Take a cheesy
vampire tour and party down with some people who know a thing or two about
costumes. If you stay in Memphis for October 31st you are just going to be
frustrated because no matter what you do, and no matter how cool the thing you
do seems, you are going to live with the sneaking suspicion that you are
missing out on something even cooler. For an old-time, foot-stompin’
spookfest, The Bluff City Backsliders will be performing a slate of
ancient murder ballads at the Young Avenue Deli. Nothing is as chilling as a
ghostly old song about killing, and while the Backsliders may not be able to
improve on the creepiness of the Louvin Brothers’ “Knoxville Girl”
or the Stanley Brothers’ “Little Glass of Wine,” there’s no doubt
that this whorehouse-ready jug-band extravaganza can get your butt shaking to
some pretty macabre material.

Just a stone’s throw away at the Hi-Tone Café, everybody’s
favorite bluesy garage-rock hobgoblins, The Porch Ghouls, will unleash
their loungey maraca-enhanced hill-country ruckus. Even better, M. Jeffrey
Evans’ signature trash-rock ensemble ’68 Comeback will make an all-too-
rare spook-night appearance at the ‘Tone as well. No matter where you end up,
however, I’d strongly advise beginning your Halloween at Murphy’s.
Automusik, those mysterious rock-and-roll robots, will be making their
deliriously entertaining Kraftwerk-inspired brand of noise as a prelude to
The Gabe & Amy Show‘s ultra-smooth roots-rock history lesson. And,
of course, the annual pagan celebration of Memphis music, Hell on
Earth, will be back for another installment at the Premiere Palace at 629
Monroe Avenue. The Chiselers, The Subteens, Crypt Orchid,
Rev. Greg T. Green and the Sinners, The Gabe & Amy Show,
Rhino Push, Nicholas Ray, and Jeffrey Evans are among the
scheduled performers. — Chris Davis