Was it always destined that bluegrass and punk would make such a happy marriage? In hindsight, it seems like a natural fit, but the first person to bring a banjo or washboard into a punk band had to have had such brilliant intuition. The Load Levelers continue in this tradition, slamming together the most recognizable tropes from punk and Southern music into a freakish amalgam that also finds the time to inject some speed metal into the affair. These parts have been privy to the Load Levelers for many years, in various incarnations. The band earned a reputation early on for wild and unpredictable shows. Though it's many years on, I think you can expect to see some pretty crazy shit when they burn through Hell's Kitchen. 

[Hell's Kitchen, with Psycho 78, Holley 750, Gold Records, Klondike Kate, 8 p.m., $5, 928 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.759.6003]