“Savannah [was] really great to M-Tank. Everyone used to always dance a lot, which doesn’t always happen at shows. The [house show] when Trevor threw up all over himself — there’s a picture from that show that I used to make the cover for ‘Modern Unicorn’ … my graphic novel project.”
Jason Walter, the drummer and co-lead singer behind the South Carolina-based M-Tank, is reminiscing about shows the group used to play in Savannah before they split up — and how some of those shows ended up in the pages of his graphic novel.
The Coastal Empire must have struck a chord with the group (despite their break-up to pursue solo projects), because they’re back tomorrow night at Dollhouse Productions to play with local bands Sauna Heat and Makeout Club.
Although M-Tank hasn’t seen Sauna Heat or Makeout Club perform, Walter is grateful for alumni Michael Younker’s work getting the show together, claiming that ultimately, Younker is “responsible for reuniting M-Tank.”
And what a reunion it will be. Dollhouse Productions has created a setup that will sound great with M-Tank’s “snotty, sexy [sound],” according to Sauna Heat members, who have been fine-tuning their material for the event.
“The songs are a lot faster, a lot more distorted … something you gotta shake your a– to,” claims the group, who hopes the audience has an “itch for garage rock” they can scratch with their “more primal” style of rock ‘n’ roll.
The show certainly isn’t a competition, but Sauna Heat feels that there are a lot of up-and-coming bands in Savannah that are bringing a “force” of new music to the city.
“Within all [the new groups] is some sort of Savannah garage sound, and in the next year or two I think [the city] will start to build a name for that,” says the group, who enjoys contributing to the “music-starved” community in whatever way they can.
They certainly aren’t the only ones. Taylor Noll of Makeout Club (who also has his own solo project, Hallucinex) is “psyched” about the show — it will be Makeout Club’s first time performing at an actual venue, which will offer an exciting twist on M-Tank’s well-oiled set.
Some show-goers might be shocked if they aren’t ready for a mid-week trifecta of dance-worthy surf, thrash, and rock music straight from the low country, but Sauna Heat is right when they say it’s about time to get Savannah a little shaken up.
For more information about the show, visit the event’s Facebook page.
