Hoodoo Gurus

Rock. $50/$40 adv.

media release: Stars in their native Australia and cult heroes around the world, the Hoodoo Gurus are a band who blend their passion for ’60s and ’70s rock & roll with a delight for the joys of pop culture — vintage exploitation cinema, television comedies, dance crazes, and roadside attractions, among other things. Their songs were usually rooted in classic garage rock, surf, and AM Pop formulas, but with the punch of power pop (especially on 1985’s Mars Needs Guitars) and the crunchy guitars of hard rock (especially prominent on 1989’s Magna Cum Louder and 2004’s Mach Schau), while the lyrics shifted between sincere contemplations of love and heartache and witty celebrations of all that was cool and trashy. The excellence of their material and the joyous ferocity of their performances won them a loyal audience that kept them in the game even after four decades together, when they released 2022’s Chariot of the Gods.