>>> Friday, March 22

Horace Pickett

As a rule, I'm generally all for any puns involving "Monster Mash" singer Bobby "Boris" Pickett. Nailed it, Horace Pickett! As if its awesome name wasn't enough, the band actually does well at evoking the cheesy party vibe of "Monster Mash." Though the band claims that it often gets comparisons to the Kinks, They Might Be Giants and Beck, to me it couldn't be more perfectly channeling Devo. Stiffly voiced robot-funk, surging electro-pop, concerning topics such as the Milky Way and the weirdness of having a body - and all that entails. In "Phantom of Dance," perhaps Horace Pickett's most overt allusion to its namesake, an uptight party-goer is urged to give himself over to party-loving - albeit quite terrifying - apparition. Overall, Horace Pickett acquits itself very well in avoiding becoming merely a joke band. The words may be a put-on, but those grooves are as real as it gets. - Rev. Adam McKinney

LE VOYEUR, W/ THE WHOREWOODS, 10 P.M., NO COVER, 404 E. FOURTH AVE., OLYMPIA, 360.943.5710

>>> Saturday, March 23

Olympia Acoustic Festival

Better living through music is a real thing. It's apparent all over the South Sound. From the Warehouse's interactive shows to Le Voyeur's obscure line-ups, from The New Frontier's rock to Northern's all-ages, s--- is popping off everywhere. Saturday, a new celebration hits the area - the Olympia Acoustic Festival. The event, held at the increasingly popular Olympia Ballroom, is sponsored by KAOS and features local vendors such as Tamale Fusion and La Dee Dee Da Jewelry. And, of course, a regional line up of many great acoustic acts, including Olympia bands Erev Rav, The Pine Hearts, Oly Mountain Boys and Oly singer-songwriters Gabriel Wolf Child, Jonah Tolchin, Paul Mauer as well as musicians from Seattle and Portland such as Aaron English, Impossible Bird and others. "Anyone who comes will have their ears filled by a potpourri of really talented musicians," says Jabi Shriki, co-coordinator of the event. Sounds awesome. - Nikki McCoy

Olympia Ballroom, 1 p.m., 116 Legion Way, Olympia, 360.943.9242

>>> Saturday, March 23

RED HEX AND "ICH HUNGER"

For weeks, now, I've been trying to shake the images of Ich Hunger from my brain. Made by local filmmaker Isaac Olsen, Ich Hunger is a German expressionist freakout concerning a "creature boy" who lives in the forests of Germany and eats people. Saturday, as if Ich Hunger wasn't visually and aurally stimulating enough, the film will be screened along with musical accompaniment by the onslaught of local garage-rockers Red Hex (featuring Isaac's brother, Sam Olsen), as well as original electronic music. Afterward, the melted brains of the audience will be invited to disco dance. It'll be an experiment in (slightly) ordered chaos. How far can your ears and eyes be stretched, and when that breaking point is reached, will you ever really be the same? Wear a helmet to this one, dear reader. - Rev. AM

THE NEW FRONTIER LOUNGE, W/ RED HEX, ACE TONE FUZZMASTER, 9 P.M., COVER TBA, 301 E. 25TH ST., TACOMA, 253.572.4020

>>> Wednesday, March 27

Derde Verde

Derde Verde continues the grand journey set forth by bands such as Radiohead and Hawkwind. The LA-based band's new EP, Let Me Be A Light, glows with the organic warmth of the band's indie-electronica, while possessing the mechanical propulsion of Krautrock bands like Neu!. If those names don't pique your interest, then Bobble Tiki can't help you. Intentionally dense, minimalist, electronics-heavy, post-rock opera with layers of blips and synthetic sounds blending into lush orchestral pieces and starkly original compositions just isn't your thing. Bobble Tiki understands. He will not think of you when he turns down the lights, puts on the headphones and takes Let Me Be A Light into the night. - Bobble Tiki

LE VOYEUR, W/THE HARD WAY AND BABYSOFT, 9 P.M., 404 E. FOURTH AVE., OLYMPIA, 360.943.5710

THE NEW FRONTIER LOUNGE, W/A LEAF, SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 9 P.M., 301 E. 25TH ST., TACOMA, 253.572.4020