True to the name, the Bismarck is made up of friends who met while growing up in North Dakota, though the band was formed in 2002 after they had individually made the trip out to the Pacific Northwest. Bismarck's songs are raucous, jumpy affairs, dominated by overdriven guitars and an unerring sense of energetic urgency. To describe the band as punk would be incorrect, though the Bismarck does seem to embrace a DIY spirit and a fuck-you attitude (at least musically). Mostly, it just seems like Bismarck values noise and the very real possibility of damaging eardrums as much as classic rock structures. This also helps to explain why the vocals seem to have an insistent and frequently futile desire to rise above the music.

To read Rev. Adam McKinney's full feature, click here.

Note: Dorky's will host two Bismarck shows Saturday - with an early, all-ages show preceding the 21+ show.

[Dorky's Arcade, Saturday, Oct. 15; 7 p.m., all-ages early show with Red Hex and Girl Trouble; 9 p.m., 21+, with Klondike Kate, no cover both shows, 754 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.627.4158]