Very Paranoia brings proto punk to the Kilowatt in San Francisco
SAN FRANCISCO -- High-octane rockers Very Paranoia headline a free show at the Kilowatt in San Francisco's Mission District this Saturday night.
An all-star proto-punk venture, the Bay Area band features Hot Lunch drummer Rob Alper on guitar (he also played in SLA, the Fells and the Sermon) as well as members of late lamented punk/metal greats Annihilation Time (bassist Chris Grande and later addition Jamie Sanitate on guitar), Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound (drummer Jefferson Marshall) and Dragon Rojo/Salem Lights (singer Cory Linstrum).
After coming together in 2018, Very Paranoia released its debut 7-inch single on German psych/punk imprint Who Can You Trust Records. In 2021, the group followed up with their first eponymous full-length that features lean, two-minute blasts of primitive ferocity that genuflects at the altar or the MC5 and Aussie punk pioneers the Saints.
While Alper has had to miss some local live dates over the past couple of years due to commitments outside the Bay Area, a spot opening for psychedelic power trio Earthless at Berkeley's Cornerstone in February of 2022 proved Very Paranoia could still deliver the goods as a quartet. Last spring the band unveiled some new tunes from its forthcoming sophomore effort when they supported the Detroit Cobras for one of their Bay Area tour stops paying tribute to the band's late singer Rachel Nagy. For this free show at the Kilowatt, the band is joined by Asheville, NC-based stoner-rock outfit Rocky Mtn Roller, who play songs from their latest self-released album Haywire.
Very Paranoia
Saturday, Sept. 16, 9 p.m. Free
The Kilowatt
