The Wires — a Portland-based garage band who will play McCoy’s in Olympia Saturday, Nov. 3 — are not Wire. I promise.

Wire, as you probably know if you’ve studied English punk rock, formed in the mid’70s and are credited as one of the forefathers of “post-punk” (one of my least favorite genre titles). The Wires, however, are fresh-faced members of Portland’s eclectic music scene who heavily credit Dead Moon and bands like the Rats, the Sonics, and Dion and the Belmonts to their sound, which is heavy as mud and a lot sloppier.

Though the band’s name leaves room for confusion, their live act answers all questions. Garage rock is built on the idea that perfections should be avoided at all costs, and fucking up, when done properly, makes the music real. The Wires know how to fuck up properly. There’s a reason Dead Moon bassist Toody Cole called the Wires her favorite young, local band in Portland in an interview with the Willamette Week.

It’s because the Wires rock. If you’re looking for a band that knows how to throw down, look no further. Don’t expect the Wires show at McCoy’s to be pretty. Expect it to get on you, stain your clothes, and forever alter your eardrums.



[McCoy’s Tavern, Saturday, Nov. 3, 9 p.m., $2, 418 Fourth Ave. E., Olympia, 360.352.0696]