Black and Blue

Anyone not accustomed to a Black Lips show would probably think the band was on the verge of self-destruction. After all, it’s not often you see band members drop-kick each other during a performance, finishing the set in a giant dogpile of blood, sweat, and beers. Ah, but for Georgia’s favorite sons of sped-up garage-punk, random bursts of faux violence are as routine as a sound check. Bassist Jared Swilley admits that arrests and hospital visits aren’t uncommon for the Lips, though a lot of the show madness isn’t the band’s doing. “Recently in Green Bay, our show was shut down after the police raided the place,” he says. “The bartender was taken out in handcuffs, along with a guy that had a warrant out on him for manslaughter. They caught a bunch of underage kids and arrested them and shut down the bar as we were loading in.” The four Lips made their South Florida debut at 2003’s Fuzzfest, a two-day orgy of rock ´n’ roll that brought bands from across the country. The Black Lips weren’t the biggest name on the bill (remember the Fleshtones?), but when the dust finally settled that raucous weekend – and it was a hairy time, even for Churchill’s – the Lips clearly came out on top. Surviving chaos-ridden shows night after night is a daunting task for any band. But the Black Lips have already endured the worst possible scenario – the 2002 auto accident that killed guitarist Ben Eberbaugh. However, three albums later, as well as a few trips to Europe and countless tours of the States, and it’s clear there’s not much that can seal these Lips. Opening for the Black Lips are the Tuff Luvs, Stay Hitt, Learning Curves, Nancy Boys, Dead Hookers Bridge Club, Electric Bunnies, and Agro.
Fri., Jan. 20, 9 p.m.