Sure, many folks will pack the Orpheum to see nutty national act the Frogs do outlandish songs about being gay (they're not, but the band released an entire album pretending it was) and doing drugs, or maybe wearing the 6-foot bat wings, but Team Pop suggests getting to the hipster hangout early to check out two of the local scene's craziest acts, Arcade Inferno and Crippled Masters.
Crippled Masters is known for a raucous live show energized by a punk rock that teams with a 1960s spirit. It's tough to say who's drinking more beer at a Masters show, the band or the fans. This is garage rock the way it was meant to be, served in sweaty spurts, doused sometimes in sloppiness, and spiced by singer-guitarist Ted Diamond's hilarious stage patter.
Arcade Inferno is a guitar-bass duo aiming to split your ears open with sonic blasts that make sense to it and a handful of die-hard fans. The music is edgy, uncompromising and intriguing if you're willing to go with its ebbs and pierces. Get unglued and you may find yourself digging it, or at least sensing occasional humor behind its schism.
The Frogs perform with Crippled Masters and Arcade Inferno at 9 p.m. Friday at the Orpheum, 1902 E Eighth Ave., Ybor City, Tampa. $8.
