Chewy Marzolo has to be one of the most versatile percussionists working in San Francisco. He's been a fixture in the rock scene here for nearly 20 years, beginning in the late '80s with hardcore band Osgood Slaughter and then with dark metal purveyors Hammers of Misfortune. Since then, he's been in close to 10 other bands (many simultaneously). At "Chewy's Birthday Bash," Marzolo will undoubtedly be the hardest-working dude in the room, as he'll be playing with five of those groups. Expect a wide range of styles, for Marzolo is just about the only thing these diverse bands have in common. Pantz Noyzee is a glam rock project, Breakout a tribute to Thin Lizzy. The members of King intriguingly describe themselves on MySpace as "acoustic/Latin/comedy." Reuniting for this special occasion is the Big Meat Combo, a group of former Escape From New York Pizza employees, led by singer and local DJ Mikebee, that tenderly covers bluegrass ditties. And then there's Django Obscura, which takes its name from a free-spirited German jazz nut. Even if you don't know the guy, don't forget to say happy birthday to Chewy during each of his performances on Thursday, Oct. 20, at the Bottom of the Hill; call 621-4455 or visit www.bottomofthehill.com for more info. -- Tamara Palmer
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Americans love trash culture. We're prurient by design. Which is why Heavy Trash may soon rise like a double-barreled phallus to the top of the pops. A visionary marriage of sick pups with serious musical chops, HT finds Jon Spencer (of Pussy Galore and Blues Explosion infamy) and fellow arrested adolescent Matt Verta-Ray drawing from the sanctified scrapheap of Rock 'n' Roll, USA -- from early Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis to American Bandstand to Iggy Pop and even Vinnie Barbarino (picture this: "You make me lose controool and make my paaaants all wet!"). The guitars are greasy with the filth of roadside diners and condom-strewn gutters, the lyrics often straight nasty or full-frontal stoopid ("Hey baby, your mama's a whore!"). Yet there's beauty in the band's no-shit ID: Heavy Trash is raunch defined. And nearly every song's got an infectious do-the-jerk groove. The bouncy brand subversion "Gatorade" -- appropriated as a "sweet and wet" euphemism for "a little piece of heaven right between the thighs" -- is one of countless catchy hits on the group's eponymously titled CD debut. Sing along with Spencer -- "Yeeeaaah, baaaaby ... c'mon, let's ball!" -- Monday, Oct. 24, at the Bottom of the Hill; call 621-4455 or go to www.bottomofthehill.com for more info. -- Sam Prestianni
The buzz from this year's Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Southern California was about the second coming -- no, wait, make that the third coming -- of Bauhaus , which stole much of the spotlight. Bauhaus -- Peter Murphy, Daniel Ash, Kevin Haskins, and David J. -- was first around between 1979 and 1983, and is remembered for creating the goth anthem "Bela Lugosi's Dead," though the band has remained influential to rock, industrial, punk, and even techno artists in the 20-plus years since. The musicians reunited in 1998 for two storied shows in L.A. and are now on a full-fledged tour of the U.S. and Mexico. Ash, Haskins, and J. continued on post-Bauhaus as Love & Rockets, in which they nurtured a brighter vibe and a more dance/electronic-oriented sound that showcased Ash's supersmoky vocals -- in short, they got more funky. Meanwhile, Bauhaus lead singer and all-time hottest goth pinup Murphy went on as a solo artist who, admittedly, peaked in the late '80s. But if the Bauhaus show at Coachella was any indication, Murphy still has some intense, gravity-defying tricks up his sleeve, as well as a few new dance moves. Forget all the contrived Halloween parties this week and check out the true masters of goth entertainment when Bauhaus performs on Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 25-26, at the SF Weekly Warfield; call 567-2060 or go to www.bgp.com for more info.-- Tamara Palmer
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