Destruction or Percussion?

In America — hell, at Churchill’s alone — everything that can be done already has been. We’ve seen a guy light himself on fire and then ride a motorcycle into the pub (he was briefly banned). Lead singers have thrown their pubic hair on the crowd like an effed-up ticker tape parade. And yes, we’ve even witnessed band members who piss into their own mouths with whip-smart accuracy. Here the envelope has been pushed, pounded, sliced open, and then taped back shut in the name of rock and roll. But for Acrassicauda, the only metal band in Baghdad, simply existing is the ultimate rebellion.

Vice Magazine’s new documentary, Heavy Metal in Baghdad, is an unlikely rock doc: Metal T-shirts are worn over bullet-proof vests, death threats are delivered from insurgent groups and religious fundamentalists, and practice spaces vary according to which ones have been destroyed by missile attacks. So you think you and your Mastodon tattoo have it rough applying for jobs? Try gigging in Baghdad, bro. The good folks at Sweat Records are hosting a free (free!) film screening at 8:30 p.m. They recommend arriving early for a decent seat. We recommend you support Sweat with a purchase so grassroots retail spaces like theirs can continue providing cool shit like this. Visit www.sweatrecordsmiami.com, or call 305-758-5862, ext. 5.
Thu., June 5, 8:30 p.m., 2008