PIKE VS. THE AUTOMATON
MONDAY 11/14. White Water Tavern. 8 p.m. $20-$25. 

When the pandemic hit in 2020, Matt Pike (of doom legends Sleep and Grammy winners High On Fire) had no bands to play in. No tour to plan. No faces to melt. Like everyone else in early 2020, he didn’t have in-person contact with many people. One person Pike saw regularly was his dog walker, former Lord Dying drummer Jon Reid. Itching to start playing music again, they got together in Pike’s garage for some Metal Therapy. Thus, Pike vs. the Automaton was born. Over the course of the next two years they would jam with a few other prominent players in the metal scene — High on Fire bandmate Jeff Matz and Mastodon’s Brent Hinds, writing what would become their eponymous debut album. The album, while a little more diverse than his other bands, is quintessential Pike. The doom is there, as is the punk, but he also lets a little blues and country influence worm their way in. After releasing the album in February and doing a successful spring tour, they are coming to White Water Tavern as part of a 7-city mini tour. If you’re a fan of any of Pike’s other projects (or classic conspiracy theories), you’ll definitely want to check it out. There’s also the possibility you’ll learn of some sweet new conspiracy theories, especially if you’ve never heard of the Reptilians. Dirty Streets and Seahag open the show.

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