The five-piece local act Alukard reps Miami proudly, even dubbing its sound "305 rock," but it doesn't fit neatly into any of the city's music sub-scenes. It's too hip-hop for the punk and hardcore purists, too punk for the live hip-hop-heads, not hippie-ish enough for the fusion folks. And the hipsters, well, they wouldn't touch rap-rock with the proverbial ten-foot pole, usually. Yet somehow, Alukard has embraced its outsider status and managed to penetrate almost every musical fortress in town -- even said hipsters' central hive, the Vagabond.
Chalk it up to, well, one, persistence, and a humble, stick-with-it attitude that is refreshing. But also chalk it up to the band's strange musical brew, which zips along with a high-octane energy that's only amped up by MC E. Grizzly's gravelly calls to action. Singer Level, meanwhile, handles the melodic singing parts, and isn't afraid to sing a bit of New Wave or even a wistful little ballad for effect. It all comes across in a relentless live show that inspires crowd participation, even if it's in spite of that crowd's hipper self.
Alukard. 10 p.m. Saturday, April 3. Tobacco Road, 626 S. Miami Ave., Miami. Admission is $5; age 21 and up; 305-374-1198; tobacco-road.com
