Certainly, the boys in Gospel Claws are a pack of strapping young men, especially burly, bearded bassist John "Baby J" Mulhern. He seems nice, sure, but my gut tells me he's more than willing to bust a head if the situation calls for it.
The dudes in Black Carl are no slouches either -- and the band features the ferocious Emma Pew, who certainly sounds like she has kicked an ass or two.
I'm going to reserve judgement on who would "bring it" harder until after the pair's free show Friday, May 6, at The Duce. It should be a prime night for a rumble: First Friday will be in full effect, and The Duce is simply one of the coolest things going downtown.
Even factoring in the chance that the bands don't do it for you, The Duce still features a plethora of distractions to keep any First Fridayer occupied, including an Airstream kitchen out back, a military surplus style clothing store, and a well-stocked bar featuring vintage beers and cocktails in mason jars. The venue's school bus will even be making rounds, which will come in mighty handy if you give the Chi-Town Slammer a chance to work its magic and need a ride home.
In addition the show, Black Carl has announced a super cool promotion for their upcoming releases. The Black Carl Record Club, a subscription service directly from the band, ensures fans that the band's three forthcoming hand-numbered, exclusive colored 45s will be delivered directly to their doorsteps. If vinyl isn't your thing, you can also sign up to receive the tunes digitally, and for the Black Carl mega-fan, the group is offering a combo pack of a T-shirt, the seven inches, and "special gifts" from the band. Check out their site for the skinny.
Or, y'know, just ask the band about the whole thing at the Friday night gig. Music kicks off at 9 p.m., and there's no cover charge. In the meantime, check out these videos (+ commercial for the Record Club) from Black Carl and Gospel Claws; they may help you decide which band you're going to tell that skeevy-looking bookie out back to put your money on.
