I saw Night Beats throwing bones in a shot bar in Austin, Texas. I saw Night Beats drinking fresh-pressed apple juice in the backyard of a mobile home on Tacoma's South Side on the Fourth of July, just after finishing my first interview as a music writer for the Weekly Volcano. I saw the lead singer of Night Beats light up a cigarette onstage during the last leg of a set-closing jam, and saw no one tell him to stop.

Night Beats are unfuckwithable road warriors, psych-rock workhorses, a meeting point between Tacoma-centricity and the great scary beyond where other local bands fear to roam. They revere psychedelia and early rock 'n' roll, and aim in some way to pay homage to those sounds, while also forging a vision of their own. Often, the band's sound is huge and their guitars slash and burn in furious acid-rock waves. This has always been clear from the live set, but with the band's debut LP - officially released June 28 - the sound has finally been captured on vinyl. The band will celebrate the release of Night Beats on Friday, July 1, at the New Frontier.

To read Rev. Adam McKinney's full article click here.

Night Beats

with the Fucking Eagles, Basemint and The Cigarette Bums
Friday, July 1, 9 p.m., cover TBA
The New Frontier Lounge, 301 E. 25th St, Tacoma
253.572.4020