GIG OF THE WEEK

Photo courtesy of JKutchma & the Five Fifths

JKUTCHMA & THE FIVE FIFTHS (Pastoral release party) @ THE PINHOOK, DURHAM

Once you’ve seen Red Collar careen around a stage like supercharged pinballs, it’s natural to assume that their leader’s new countrified vehicle, JKutchma & the Five Fifths, will be a more laid-back and sedate affair on stage. But the differences can be deceiving. They mask the fact that though Jason Kutchma may spend most of a Five Fifths show anchored in front of the microphone, adding boot-spurs percussion to the slow-burn beats, the leader and his band still generate an intense heat. That’s testament, of course, to the life-or-death commitment the 38-year-old brings to his music, and readily apparent in Pastoral’s nine classic-sounding country-tinged songs that this release party celebrates. Yes, this is a man who takes his work seriously, and from the Nebraska-worthy “End of the World” and punkabilly declaration of defiance “Teenage DMZ” to the hard-times raging blues “I’ll Survive” and gospel redemption of “There’s a Light On,” urgency informs everything that happens on that riser. Credit has to go to the other Fifths, too, who exhibit the same all-hands-on-board commitment. With bassist Rusty Sutton filling in the gaps, drummer Evan Rowe’s brushes and sticks keep track of time passing; Patrick O’Neill’s keys offer essential depth and colors, and Elysse Thebner’s electric fills and backing vocals are the cloud formations in Kutchma’s big-sky songs. Given the home-field advantage here, it’s even money you’ll get a guest-spot or two as well, making this an easy pick for Gig of the Week. —John Schacht 

CALENDAR

July 5

• Paint Fumes w/ Bloodshot Bill @ The Cave, Chapel Hill
• The White Cascade w/ Alpha Cop and Museum Mouth @ Tir Na Nog, Raleigh
• These United States w/ Henry Clay People @ Local 506, Chapel Hill
• Shovels & Rope @ Soapbox, Wilmington

July 6

• Hammer No More The Fingers (EP release) @ Kings, Raleigh
• Mutant League w/ Zack Mexico @ The Blind Tiger, Greensboro
• Trevor Watts & Veryan Weston @ Museum of Art, Columbia
• Lonnie Walker w/ T0W3RS, Lilac Shadows, Museum Mouth @ Soapbox, Wilmington

July 7

• Shuffle Party (Modern Man, Company, Jon Lindsay) @ Visulite Theatre, Charlotte
• Guantanamo Baywatch w/ Serfs @ The Milestone, Charlotte
• “What Did You Expect?” Archers of Loaf tour documentary @ Cats Cradle, Carrboro
• Grohg (EP release party) @ Kings, Raleigh
• Dex Romweber Duo @ Snug Harbor, Charlotte
• Last Year’s Men @ The Pinhook, Durham

July 8

• Paint Fumes w/ Bloodshot Bill @ Jack of the Wood, Asheville

July 9

• The Clockwork Kids w/ Coastal Vision, Villa Verde @ Local 506, Carrboro

July 10

• Andrew Bird w/ Mavis Staples @ North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh
• The Coathangers w/ The Piedmontsmen @ Local 506, Carrboro

July 11

• Mandolin Orange @ Duke Gardens, Durham