Nathan Williams of Wavves spent 2009 getting into brawls everywhere from New York to Australia with doormen, his own bandmates, and someone from the Black Lips. He reached his nadir during a notorious onstage meltdown at a festival in Barcelona, where he got into a spat with his drummer (who quit the band), insulted his audience, and got booed off stage. (He later blamed the incident on a nasty little cocktail of Valium and ecstasy). For now, the 24-year-old Williams has a band — if not his act — together; he has a new bassist and drummer, both formerly of the late Jay Reatards band, and released the third Wavves record, King of the Beach, this month. King is Wavves cleanest effort to date; the lead single, Post Acid, is as invigorating as a splash of water in the face the morning after a wild night (or year). With The Pharmacy, Broken Nobles. ERIN K. THOMPSON
Wed., Aug. 25, 8 p.m., 2010
