The guys of the long-grinding Miami quintet Alukard hail from all over the city, but have made it their new mission to bring live rock back to the suburban expanses of Kendall, a couple years after staple venue Kaffe Krystal's demise. "They were known for bringing a lot of emo, screamo, punk rock, and indie bands, and they would pack up the house every Saturday. This was something going on that wasn't covered by everybody, but all the young kids knew about it," says Level, Alukard's singer/guitarist. "All these kids were able to just walk or skate to this place, instead of driving their cars for a million miles." So a few months ago, the guys scoped out a venue similarly situated -- Sandbar, near Miami Dade College's Kendall Campus.
Since then on Wednesdays, Alukard's been hosting a well-attended "closed mike" event. But their biggest booking to date will be Saturday's show by the decade-plus-running Indiana pop-punk band the Ataris. That band was set to end its current national tour after its Orlando date on May 22, but Alukard bassist Pupo convinced his longtime friend Kristopher Roe, the Ataris' guitarist and frontman, to hop south. "It's more of a favor, for-fun type thing for them," says Level, "but it's a nice little venue and Kendall's got a good demographic for the crowd the
Meanwhile, the guys of Alukard are working on their own full-length album of what they've dubbed "305 rock." "It's a Miami-based sound starting out there, what I would say is the perfect mixture of hip-hop and rock," says Level. "When you listen to hip-hop on the stereo, you'll hear more bass. So when our album is released this summer, you'll notice a lot of low-end frequencies, which was missing in rock music. We also incorporate it in the live show by turning up the bass and drums a lot more."
For a taste of that, here's a live recording of the band's song "Everyday Life," which, Level says, despite its catchy chorus is really a criticism of politicians.
MP3: Alukard - "Everyday Life (live)"
The Ataris, Alukard, Dyslexic Postcards, and the Swingers Chef Club. Saturday, May 23. The Sandbar, 10575 SW 9th Ct., Miami. Doors open at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 in advance, $15 at the door for those over 21, $20 for those 18 to 21. Ages 18+ with ID. 786-355-8851; myspace.com/305rock
