Going to a Go-Go

The GO

Comments (0) By Heather Wisner Wednesday, Oct 27 1999

Detroit's the GO, going where some men have gone before.

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Detroit, the macho Midwestern capital of cold, gleaming chrome and pro sports teams, has inspired some of rock's punchiest interludes. Think Iggy Pop and the MC5, KISS's "Detroit Rock City," or Bowie's "Panic in Detroit." Motor City fivesome The GOare an amalgam of all that grit and glam, an invigorating treatment of vintage material. On their Sub Pop debut album Whatcha' Doin', mop-topped frontman Bobby Harlow channels Iggy's skinny, cocksure strut, while the twin guitars of Dion Fischer and John Krautner echo the Stooges' scuzzy guitar feedback. A couple of well-placed handclaps and exhortations of "Hey!" recall rock's R&B roots. And with uncluttered, instantly memorable titles like "Suzy Don't Go" ("Wait around for the show/ There's gonna be a rock and roll band/ I hope it goes real good!"), the Ramones make their inevitable appearance. Of course it's not rock without lust, and the GO are all over it: Fellas will appreciate the pleasure-pain dynamic of waiting on a woman in "Meet Me at the Movies"; the swaggering "Get You Off" goes out to the ladies. Self-proclaimed "Sunset Strip Go-Go Music" band Saturn V, the Mean Reds, and Australia's Breadmakers join in. The show starts at 9 p.m. at the Cocodrie, 1024 Kearny (at Broadway), S.F. Admission is $6; call 986-6678.