Vegas Amplified is a monthly feature highlighting must-see concerts in smaller local venues.
We know what you’re thinking: If you’ve seen one “back-porch space cowboy blues, swamptronica and electro-twang” group, you’ve seen them all.
But hear us out on Dirtwire.
The San Francisco trio favors a unique blend of antiquity and modernity, merging Old World instruments like the West African kamale ngoni, kalimba, fujara, banjos and jaw harps with 21st-century electronic music tech to form a globe-spanning sound that’s earthy and organic, immediate and experimental all at once.
On their current tour, which hits town Dec. 12 at Area15, 3215 S. Rancho Drive, Dirtwire is pairing up with Kansas City electro-funk duo The Floozies, the two having recently collaborated on sci-fi hoedown “Neon Sundown” (which doubles as the name of the outing).
Seeing the two together promises to be kind of like square dancing on Mars.
Other under-the-radar shows of note for December:
Jiggy Buckaroo
Dec. 5, Fremont Country Club, 601 E. Fremont St.
“My style different, partner,” Jiggy Buckaroo announces early on his self-titled new album, which dropped Friday. And the same could be said of the flamboyant country rapper’s home turf: He’s among the rare hip-hop acts to hail from Wyoming. Musically, he’s akin to the equally eccentric Riff Raff, albeit with far bigger belt buckles.
Catbite
Dec. 12, Showcase Theatre at Rockstars of Tomorrow, 1181 S. Buffalo Drive
Coed ska punk up-and-comers Catbite keep good company: Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump guests on their latest EP “Doom Garden,” and the band has teamed up with Against Me!’s Laura Jayne Grace for Operation Ivy tribute performances on numerous occasions. See ’em in a small room while you still can.
Madball
Dec. 13, Backstage Bar & Billiards., 601 E. Fremont St.
New York City hardcore lifer Freddy Cricien was just 12 years old when he founded Madball in 1988, the band’s initial lineup basically the same back then as scene pioneers Agnostic Front, but with a preteen singer. (AF frontman Roger Miret is Cricien’s half-brother.) Like his older sibling, Cricien has been synonymous with the most rugged of East Coast sounds ever since.
Eyes Set to Kill
Dec. 13, Swan Dive, 1301 S. Main St.
The early aughts metalcore scene was as heavy on the dudes as it was on the breakdowns. But with Eyes Set to Kill, Arizona siblings Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez countered all the testosterone with a feminine take on metalcore’s meaty, cast iron riffs and lacerated vocal chords. On their current tour, they’re celebrating the 15th anniversary of their fan- favorite third album, “Broken Frames.”
Ariel Pink
Dec. 16, Swan Dive
Ariel Pink’s boundless indie pop spans a little bit of everything, it seems — doo-wop, art rock, ’80s-indebted electro, far-out folk, ever farther-out-there funk. You name it, and the incredibly prolific multi-instrumentalist has most likely day-dreamed his way through said genre at some point over the past 30 years, his repertoire as heartfelt as it is expansive.
‘A Natalie Cole Christmas’ with Queen Aries
Dec. 17, Backstage Bar & Billiards
Mariah Carey is cool and all, but if you’re looking for some seasonal sounds that are more elegantly understated than octave-hoppingly overblown, check out Vegas R&B chanteuse Queen Aries as she delivers “A Natalie Cole Christmas” with Bobby Rose.
Rushadicus
Dec. 19, Grey Witch, 722 W. Sunset Road, Henderson
Like an open bar or cheese in a can, some things are so wondrously awesome, they just sell themselves. Add Rushadicus to the list. The self-described “infamous cello goblin from the land of Sneth” is here to make your “Mandolin Truckbed Fantasie” come true with some supremely screwy folk/extraterrestrial psychedelia for anyone looking to experience a peyote trip sans the illicit substances. Hop on the “Magic Potato Carpet,” and let’s ride.
Black V Neck
Dec. 26, Bauhaus Las Vegas, 115 N. Seventh St.
If all you wanted for Christmas was a night of sweaty tech house revelry and Santa left you hangin,’ pout not, for Miami duo Black V Neck will pick up St. Nick’s slack with bombastic dance floor bangers that’ll help burn off any excess holiday calories for good.
High Stakes Fest
Dec. 27, A-Lot at Area15
Describing himself as a “sick (expletive) foo on the 1’s and 2’s,” DJ-producer Bolo sure knows how to top a resume. He’s also skilled at crafting relentlessly heart-pounding, Latin-informed EDM. He teams up with Croatia’s San Pacho and New York City’s Westend for a night of high-impact house music with three headliners on one bill.
Contact Jason Bracelin at [email protected] or 702-383-0476. Follow @jasonbracelin76 on Instagram.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source neon.reviewjournal.com ’
