VELCRO LEWIS GROUP The Velcro Lewis Group is Earth's premier acid-rock, space-funk septet. The band twists the aesthetics of Funkadelic, Hawkwind, Temptations, and Black Sabbath into their own living -breathing planet of sound. Lead by Hawk Colman, the brother with the 5 octave range, honky tonk veteran, Lawrence Peters singing bass and scrubbing the washboard, and blind growler/Moog-eater, Andy Slater, people can't deny the commands and demands shouted from the stage. Travers Gauntt's Skylab crashing guitars shake and quake, Alison Hunger's psychic Theremin shreds the tapestry of time, drummer Izzy Price is actually Ian Paice, and Halden Spoonwood's bass playing has more pocket than a pair of overalls, revealing the band to be a source of both confusion and totality. Once it becomes possible to drive an Impala through space and time the Velcro Lewis Group Will be hot glued into the tape deck. All aboard the Starship Impala! EL MEJOR Formed by 3/4 of the short-lived Aloha Satan and 1/4 of ambient psyche juggernauts Implodes, El Mejor spent the first year of it's existence finding sounds and ideas that were diverse yet cohesive. Mutual love for bands like Black Sabbath, The Stooges and Fugazi, as well as early hardcore , punk and noise-rock informed a sound that is heavy and chaotic while maintaining precision and melody. TIJUANA HERCULES Mutant-blues trio Tijuana Hercules were led by singer/guitarist John Forbes, an Indiana native who first surfaced in the late '80s as a member of the Atlanta band Phantom 309, which also featured future Jesus Lizard drummer Mac McNeilly. After a subsequent stint in Dirt, he relocated to Chicago in 1993, founding noise merchants Mount Shasta and issuing four LPs on the Skin Graft label. In the months prior to Mount Shasta's 1998 dissolution, the drummer's seat was occupied by Chad Smith, later Forbes' roommate. Together they co-founded Tijuana Hercules in early 2000, adding percussionist Mike Young to complete the original lineup. Fueled by vintage blues, rockabilly, and gospel, the group started as a cover band but Forbes' original compositions eventually moved to the fore. Young's tenure with Tijuana Hercules proved brief, however, and Forbes and Smith added horn player/percussionist Zak Piper in time to record the trio's self-titled 2001 debut EP, released on its own Black Pisces label. A second EP, When the Moon Comes Up Wild, followed in late 2002. Years in the making, Tijuana Hercules' eponymous full-length debut finally appeared in mid-2005 6pm DOORS/ 8pm MUSIC $10