There is no shortage of awesome things to do in Atlanta come summer, and this June is no different — particularly if you want to rock out.
There are shows worth seeing at Masquerade, the 529 and Smith's Olde Bar, featuring some of the best rock and roll acts around including Brooklyn-based guitarist Steve Gunn, Brazilian psychedelic rock act Boogarins, local favorites T. Hardy Morris (of Dead Confederate) and Muuy Biien.
Here are the top picks for under-the-radar bands to catch in Atlanta this month:
8 p.m. June 10 @ Rowdy Dowdy. Tickets are a $5 suggested donation at the door.
1300 Sylvan Rd. SW, Atlanta
Good music, good drinks, and good people are always promising at Rowdy Dowdy. The art collective holds an array of music, drag and theater shows in an unmarked garage on a street corner − unsuspecting, but makes for an incredibly unique experience. On June 10, newcomers The Pellys will hit the Rowdy Dowdy stage. The band emerged from Grayson, Georgia, with rock in their souls and love in their hearts. They play jangle pop, punk with pop melodies, expanding on songs full of youth and sharp hooks.
Eddie Rascal is the headliner of the event, providing a melting pot of sounds from grunge, funk, pop, and funk − think Modest Mouse meets At The Drive-In.
7 p.m. June 14 @ The Masquerade. Tickets are $15 and can be bought here.
75 M.L.K. Jr Dr. SW, Atlanta
The DIY punk band Girlpool started as a duo between Harmony Tividad and Cleo Tucker. In 2015, they made a mark with their debut album, full of simple sounds from only guitars and their voices. It was an intimate, unique sound that gained a following and an interest to try something new −adding a drummer to the mix. On "Powerplant," their second full-length album released last month, they introduce a new sound, a full band with hard full-fledged with cymbal-heavy percussion and shoegaze-esque melodies.
Credit: Jason Thrasher
Credit: Jason Thrasher
9 p.m. June 16 @ 529. Tickets are a donation at the door.
529 Flat Shoals Ave. NE, Atlanta
The Athens, Georgia native T. Hardy Morris has released a ton of music in the last decade; from playing in the alternative-rock band Dead Confederate to jamming in super group Diamond Rugs to going solo. His exploration between grunge and Southern rock is a staple to his sound. Morris' stage persona is magnetic; there's something disheveled and gritty about him. (It's probably the way he's able to lose himself yet remain polished in his electrifying messy howl.) Whether you're listening to an album or a live show, Morris is authentically and undoubtedly a carefree rock and roller.
Credit: Constance Mensh
Credit: Constance Mensh
8 p.m. June 16 @ Smith's Olde Bar. Tickets are $17 in advance, $21 at the door.
1578 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta
A few things to note about about neo-folk artist Steve Gunn: He used to play guitar for Kurt Vile's backing band, The Violators, his 2014 solo album "Way Out Weather" rocked, a lot and Gunn's most recent album, "Eyes on the Lines" came out just last year.
Credit: Mike Gerry
Credit: Mike Gerry
Muuy Biien, Material Girls, Glare
9 p.m. June 23 @ The Mammal Gallery. Tickets are $8 and can be bought here.
91 Broad St. SW, Atlanta
There is no set path for how rock bands develop over time, and Muuy Biien is a good example of that. The band initially started in Athens, Georgia, as a way for frontman Joshua Evans to explore creative ideas on his own. It morphed into a quintet and the group quickly honed in on post-punk for their first album. Muuy Biien's third record, "Age of Uncertainty," was released last year and with it traded in their hardcore angst for a bit of goth and vintage rock 'n' roll. The group's sound may experiment and evolve, but their sultry stage performance will always remain familiar with high energy and superb instrumentation.
Material Girls is another Atlanta-based band, featuring former and current members of Concord America, Chief Scout, Saint Pé, and Slang. They debuted in 2016 with just 33 copies of a 7-inch record and a slight push from digital on Soundcloud. This stylistic approach leaves us with just the music and swaggering theatrics that tie who they are all together − saxophones, jangly pianos, moody vocals and all.
Credit: Courtesy of Boogarin's Facebook page
Credit: Courtesy of Boogarin's Facebook page
9 p.m. June 24 @ The Drunken Unicorn. Tickets are $12 and can be bought here.
736 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE, Atlanta
Boogarins, a psychedelic pop band, began in the central Brazilian city of Goiânia between friends Fernando Almeida and Benke Ferraz while in high school. Most of their music was recorded in their parents' gardens, heavily influencing their sound drenched in Brazil's rich musical history through a very modern lens. Since adding two more members, the quartet continues to cruise between mellow riffs and disruption of musical textures.
Released in 2015, their second album, "Manual, ou guia livre de dissolução dos sonhos," (Manual, or free guide to the dissolution of dreams) is aptly titled. The album is layered with overdubs −and a sense of wanderlust. That hard to describe je ne sais quoi has made Boogarins a major draw in Brazil and in cities around the world like Paris and New York.
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