punk

Being the chubby naked dude in a punk band can apparently also be a unifying force. Just watch how many people are going to pack the church this weekend for Dillinger Four's only East Coast show of 2006; ticket holders are allegedly pouring into town from points north and beyond. They're not flocking just so they can watch rowdy bassist Patrick Costello strip mid-set (most folks, if they know nothing else about D4, at least know he's going to do that). But over the years, that's helped spread the word for a band that might have otherwise been smothered by the similarity-stricken rabble of the punk underground. Because of the spectacle, crowds paid attention and liked what they heard—tight riffs sprinkled with snarky social commentary. Meanwhile, the laid back Twin Cities quartet watched as its reach stretched across crowds that wouldn't normally overlap. Hardcore kids dug their vitriolic grit and pounding energy, punk purists connected with the band's strident DIY ethic and indie listeners tuned in for the well-crafted, hook-laden pop that lay underneath it all on records like 2002's excellent Situationist Comedy (their most recent offering). All this solidarity under one roof because Costello likes to pound his booze and rip his clothes off. Gotta love America, as the social critic side of D4 might say.

Sat., Jan. 7, 2:30 p.m., $12, with Hardskin, Paint It Black, Fucked Up and Mischief Brew, First Unitarian Church, 22nd and Chestnut sts., www.r5productions.com.