This local band is a delightful trio of goofballs who seem to write songs around whatever silly inside joke has most recently popped into their heads. What sets them apart from many fun-loving semi-novelty acts of the time is twofold: their ability to twist those simple ideas into hard-rocking, tightly-picked jams; and their natural ability to rip it up live. When I stumbled upon a Schew Aquarium show last year at the Sunset, the band’s quirky banter and aforementioned journeymen rock skills kept the entertainment level at a surprisingly high level that effectively pulled me away from my Flying Squirrel pie and onto the dance floor—a tough thing to do. With The Quiet Ones. TODD HAMM

Thu., Sept. 13, 9 p.m., 2012