Thursday, Jan. 25

SINGER/SONGWRITER johnny walker and the hitchhikers

Whenever I discover a gifted songwriter, it excites me to no end.  I mean, anyone can write about new love, lost love, sex, broken dreams, etc., and those topics get a bit annoying to listen to after awhile.  Great songwriters can look outside the box and paint portraits with poetic words.  Tom Waits is one of my favorite songwriters, so even before I read his bio, I knew Jonathan Remien, aka Johnny Walker, was intensely influenced by him. While they have only been together a few months, Johnny Walker and the Hitchhikers are quickly making a name for themselves as they are profoundly different from any other band in town.  No, you can’t dance to their music, but that’s OK.  Sometimes you just need to sit at the bar, drink your cocktail and listen to the music.  With Walker on piano and vocals, Lori Darling blowing a haunting saxophone, Bobby Galaxy splitting duties between trumpet and guitar, Dahler Show flip-flopping from bass to drums, and vocalist Steve Hall, the band credits three-fifths Fighting Cock brand Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey for their unique sound and moody disposition. No disc to peddle quite yet, but they have four tasty tunes on MySpace for you to experience. — Tony Engelhart



[Swiss Pub, 9 p.m., 1904 S. Jefferson Ave., Tacoma, 253.572.2821]

Friday, Jan. 26

AMERICANA rouge motel

Ever find a band that made you feel like you discovered gold?  It’s rare for me, but every so often something takes me by total surprise, and Rouge Motel did just that.  With the gruffness of John Hiatt, the jam band influence of Widespread Panic, and the alt country flavor of Steve Earle, the Portland-based quartet has a vast understanding of Americana roots music.  Dressed in flannel, old, faded jeans and worker boots, their look is just as minimally windswept as their music.  Two of the members are originally from Nashville: Mathew Kendall (guitar) and Reg Bradley (guitar and B3 Leslie), which accounts for their fondness of their chosen genre.  The band released their self-titled debut EP last summer, on which they offer up a teaser of introspective tunes that will leave you begging for more.  While the entire disc is close to flawless, I’m especially fond of the slow burning “Eloise,” which is seemingly about an abused woman who offers up sex for a room to sleep. With a sincere vocal delivery and a hauntingly sinister organ in the background, this tune sent a chill up my spine while putting a smile on my face. — TE



[4th Ave Tavern, with Toney Smiley and Band of Waxx, 9:30 p.m., $3, 210 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.786.1444]

Saturday, Jan. 27

FOLK ROCK shotgun kitchen

I racked my friggin’ brain trying to figure out who might have influenced Shotgun Kitchen and came up empty.  Maybe Trick Pony meets Frank Zappa?  Heck, I don’t know. What I do know is that the Olympia-based quintet doesn’t take themselves too seriously as they poke fun at religion and politics with their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks.  While they dub themselves as folk rock, the band’s songs tell a different story as they flirt with s#$%-kicking country, blues, and straight up rock and incorporate banjo and acoustic guitars for a down-home feel.  Opting not to list who plays what, Shotgun Kitchen is Joe McInnis, Bekah Jurgenson, Joe Moralez, Tony Ryder, and Vanessa Lavalle.  They will drop their first disc Saturday, Jan. 27.  The record includes all original material and is a downright fun listen with tunes such as the campy “If Jesus Had a Gun” and the hardcore country shuffle “Go Baby Jesus Go,” which is led by the powerhouse vocals of Jurgenson. They lighten things up a tad for the slow moving ballad “Carol’s Bar.”  Shotgun Kitchen skates on the urban fringe and does so with candor and style. — TE



[Tacoma Mountaineers, 7 p.m., all ages, $5, 2302 N. 30th St., Tacoma, 253.566.6965]