shesus is a good band. they have a fairly interesting sound, and they probably put on a pretty decent live show. under most circumstances, i would have liked to go see shesus. these were unusual circumstances.
despite the enjoyment that the aforementioned show would undoubtedly provided, it would have been foolish not to immerse myself in the psychobilly freakout of the infamous reverend horton heat. the facts are as follows: art-school scenester types may have good musical tastes some of the time, but the people gotta rock. the rev knows how to rock, and he demands that the people rock with him.
but first, thee invaders. this is a band that is not particularly hard to pin down. let's start with this: the cramps. the rockabilly, the surf, the hypersexuality, the pseudo-gothicism, the sleaze - it's all there, and it is all good. my insistence on the innovative can almost always be quelled by a good live show, and thee invaders did not fail to provide one. a writhing, thong-clad lead singer, rock bravado aplenty and - this was the best part - freaking go-go dancers (of a distinctly unattractive variety, it should be noted) made their set hard to resist. oh, and a song about seducing a sexy alien.
after just the one opener, the rev took the stage. his red suit with sparkling blue flames had me largely won over before the music began, at which point things got even better. it was psychobilly at its finest, and it was dripping with texas. some of the best upright bass playing i have witnessed (or, at least, the fastest) and even better drumming made the show both more authentic and more enjoyable (not to mention some impressive stage antics). the crowd was one of the more interesting i've seen since my last trip to tee-jaye's country place, with conservative-looking middle-aged folks and old crust punkers and partyin' rednecks all getting down. my clothes are now inundated with beer and pot smoke, and some jock assholes acted out their jock asshole fantasies, but the good times never stopped. let the rock be with you, reverend.