Michael Dean Damron

This time last year, Michael Dean Damron, former frontman for I Can Lick Any Sonofabitch in the House, was planning a trip to Denver with his current combo, Thee Loyal Bastards. But he ultimately canceled the gig, and the rest of his tour, due to high gas prices. "Michael was really bummed, because he hates canceling shows," Alex Steininger, Damron's publicist, explained. "But the bass player's actually a finance major, and he was like, 'It's not going to work. It's just not going to work.'" Since then, however, the price of unleaded has dipped, and that's a good thing for these Bastards (joined on this bill by Chad Price). After all, the sort of rough-hewn roots rock Damron pens was made to be heard live in clubs like 3 Kings, where the atmosphere more than compensates for the modest capacity. And besides, it's tough for a rock band to fit into a Prius.