Meat Puppets Ride On

Within the first 30 seconds of last night's Meat Puppets show, we were asked, "You a weed smoker? Because I got this whole joint no one is smoking!"

And, sadly, Chicagoist was not smoking up. But ... maybe we should have been!

Whilst we were enamored of Los Bros., Kirkwood, we couldn't help but notice the prodigal bros.were worse for the wear physically. However they won us over totally. It makes sense, though. Seriously, they were pulling blurbs from atmospheric strata, then turning it into a string-percussive breakdown (replete with scantily clad chicks shaking their 'groove thang').

The band has long been famous for turnin up the volume and tuning into, and channeling, some alternate radio station the rest of us aren't gifted enough to receive. The years may have taken the toll on their flesh, but the ban's reception was as strong as ever.

They took the Pixies loud-soft dynamic, turned it on its head, bent the Grateful Dead over a barrel, and had their way with deep=South countrified psych. Boys swayed, lighters sparked, and guitar lines snaked about, stinging everyone in the way. It was a welcome return.

The band does it all again tonight at Double Door, 21+, 9 p.m.