Pentagram with Electric Citizen

Inspired by the pioneering sounds of The Stooges and Black Sabbath, Virginia-based underground hard rockers Pentagram forged a dark, foreboding style in the early 1970s that should have made founding lead singer Bobby Liebling a star. Though blessed with a remarkable gift for writing catchy, menacing songs and unshakeable tenacity that led him to front numerous versions and offshoots of Pentagram well into the 1980s, Liebling was equally cursed by his own destructive appetites.

Struggling with drug addiction as well as industry indifference, and questionable business dealings, Liebling and Pentagram would remain in the shadows until the turn of the millennium after the Internet helped spread the word of the cult band. Boosted by such disciples as Hank III, Jack White's Dead Weather, and Witchcraft covering their songs and the official reissue of archival recordings First Daze Here for Relapse Records in 2001, the band finally started to get their due.

While the singer's ongoing difficulties with substance abuse led to a revolving door of collaborators (a battle vividly depicted in the harrowing 2011 documentary Last Days Here), Liebling would eventually conquer his demons and Pentagram toured the world to wide acclaim. Reunited with longtime guitar foil Victor Griffin -- who contributed to the '80s-era Pentagram albums now recognized as early doom classics -- Pentagram plays fan favorites and tunes from their latest effort Curious Volume when they headline these two Bay Area shows. 

The group is joined at both shows by unabashed Midwestern retro-rockers Electric Citizen, a Cincinnati-based psych-metal quartet fronted by magnetic lead singer Laura Dolan. Local favorites Hot Lunch open the sold-out Friday night show at the Chapel in San Francisco, while Sacramento doom acolytes Chrch join the bill at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz.

Pentagram with Electric Citizen

Friday, Aug. 28, 8 p.m. $22-$25 (sold out)
The Chapel

Saturday, Aug. 29, 8:30 p.m. $22-$25
The Catalyst