I arrived just in time at the Tractor to catch the first local band set up. What What Now is the punk-pop project of Brian Weza, Brittian Piper, Mikey Kalnoky, and Tara Sloan. Singer Brittian Piper filled up the Tractor Tavern with the Midwestern angst of Cap'n Jazz and the Kinsella clan. The raw energy of the MC5 and more blues-oriented classic rock creeps out from What What Now's punk leanings. Throw some long hair and low-rise pants on guitarist Mikey Kalnoky and you might think you were watching the Who, if not for Brittian's rebel bark. What What Now are an unstable mixture of old and new, making for a volatile rock show. The band turned each song over at a dizzying speed, leaving only seconds for the band to breathe deep and reset- by the end, the house music was welcomed by all.

Heatwarmer's live performance electrified the club and once again turned the underground into an alternative to the mainstream. Eclectism enveloped Heatwarmer's musical compositions, a varied combination of progressive, synthesized orchestra harmonies and pedestrian, DIY kitsch. Their boisterous live performance incorporated Captain Beefheart extravangance with the campy execution of theater musicals. Heatwarmer's music seemingly belied the technical abilities of the individual musicians; the players comprising Heatwarmer(Luke Bergman, Kristian Garrard, Aaron Otheim, Andrew Swanson) all spend time in musical projects that produce folk or jazz or minimal electronic soundscapes, among other genres. The subtle oscillation between punk and the avant-garde is the key to Heatwarmer's exciting work. The band's live sound may be rehearsed but on stage it came alive without sounding improvised. The flexing of their music highlighted influences like Sun Ra while shaping new forms of northwest pop. Heatwarmer affirms experimentation in pop music with a combination of keyboard, electric wind instrument and the soft melodies of singer Luke Bergman's voice. For a better examination of their sound, you can catch Heatwarmer at Cafe Racer this Saturday night.