HEY, THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE TITLE OF A GRINDHOUSE-WESTERN FILM! 

If Hank Williams III, Billy Gibbons, James Hetfield, and the ghost of Ronnie Van Zant started a band, you might end up with a sound something like The Pawn Shop Lifters. Mixing Americana, southern rock, and a little punk and metal with a solid country base, these Norfolk boys have been playing out since 2006. This week, they’ll make their Richmond debut at Wonderland.

With twanging guitar and even twangier vocals (courtesy of Wendell Johnson), The Pawn Shop Lifters are making sure that, amidst the influences of many genres, you know country is their home base. They have a real appreciation for honky tonk, and aim to bring a harder edge to that classic sound by bringing in some of the gritty, devil-may-care attitude and sound of punk rock.

The band claims to have a blue-collar mentality, and they certainly don’t mind some hard work – their concert calendar shows about ten gigs every month planned all the way until Christmas. Despite all this gigging, they found time to record and self-release an EP titled “Whiskey Lane,” which is available now at all their shows.

Opening for the Lifters is Gina Dalmas, “the outlaw angel.” This brassy brunette’s throaty twang and guitar playing would give Gretchen Wilson and Terry Clark a run for their money, though she stays truer to real country and honky tonk than either. If you doubt her authenticity, just look at her top friends on MySpace: Bob Wills, George Jones, Wanda Jackson, and Porter Wagoner. If you’re lucky, she’ll bust out a Patsy Cline tune and make all the boys in the room sigh.

If you’re looking for a night of slighty-skewed country and honky tonk, look no further than the Wonderland on Saturday, August 23. The cover’s a mere $4, and the show begins at 9:30 pm. It’s 21+, so leave the little cowpokes at home.

UPCOMING EVENTS
What:  Pawn Shop Lifters
When:  Saturday, August 23 @ 9:30 p.m.
Where:  Wonderland 1727 E Main St.
Tickets:  $4

WEB | http://www.thepawnshoplifters.com