Issue date: 2/10/05 Section: The Verge

Broken Teeth (above) and Crank County Daredevils (below) are set to highlight a night of rock at Friends and Co. Friday. And from the looks of these guys, you should know what you´re getting into by attending their show.

Musicians from North Carolina, Texas and Charleston will put the rock back in raucous, no matter how the words are spelled.

Crank County Daredevils, from Asheville, N.C., are scheduled to headline, followed by Austin, Texas' Broken Teeth and Charleston's new group, Romancing the Bone.

Crank County Daredevils play "just old-school, drivin', hard, in-your-face rock," said the band's bassist Billy Velvet.

The origin of their name stems from location and a growing trend across the United States.

"We live in crank county," Velvet said. "In North Carolina alone, there were 243 meth labs busted last year-that's one every three days."

A contributing editor for Metal Edge magazine awarded the Crank County Daredevils Album of the Year. Crank County Daredevils are finishing up writing their second record, tentatively titled "Back to Piss You Off," the follow up to the independently-released "Kings of Sleaze."

Crank County Daredevils have been playing for three years. Singer and lead guitarist Scotty P. and guitarist Adam Stevens have played together since high school. They met drummer Mark Hammer as he was passing through Asheville, N.C, while backpacking around the world. Velvet, who also blows glass professionally, plays a three-string bass.

"If you need anymore than three strings in rock 'n' roll, you've got a problem," said Velvet.

Crank County Daredevils count Faster Pussycat, Motorhead and Motley Crue among their influences, as well as Swedish band the Backyard Babies, who are currently on tour with Social Distortion.

Though the band most often tours independently, they've played with Super Join Ritual, Reverend Horton Heat and are about to play with Jackyll, and Slaughter or Skid Row for the upcoming Bike Week in Daytona, Fla.

The show at Friends and Co. kicks off Crank County Daredevils' American tour. They plan to hit 27 cities in 29 days, as they've done before.

"We try to hit as many cities as we can as fast as we can," said Velvet. "We roll fast and hard. We're gonna tour till the wheels fall off." The band is considering doing an overseas tour in August.

The band has few contemporaries, Velvet said.

"There's not anybody doing anything that we're doing. We're hardcore gypsies."

Straight from Austin, Texas, Broken Teeth is set to play between Romancing the Bone and Crank County Daredevils.

"It's four-on-the-floor rock and roll and it's played with fire," said Broken Teeth vocalist Jason McMasters.

Though Broken Teeth has been together since 1999, McMaster and guitarist Paul Lidel were in the late-1980s group Dangerous Toys. They had a string of hits on MTV and toured internationally with the Cult and Motorhead. Broken Teeth guitarist Jared Tuten was in Pariah on Geffen circa 1992. Rounding out Broken Teeth are bassist Brett McCormick and drummer Bruce Rivers.

"We're nastier than just hair metal," said McMaster. "There's a lot of metal sprinkles on top of what Broken Teeth does." Broken Teeth has opened for Buck Cherry, Dokken and LA Guns.

Broken Teeth recently released "Blood on the Radio," a live show and DVD on Perris Records, through the band's Killing Bird label. Their discography includes 1999's self-titled record and "Guilty Pleasure" in 2002.

Broken Teeth's name was taken from an AC/DC song called "Kicked in the Teeth."

"That song kind of stuck out as just to what exactly is the kind of music and what's our vision," McMasters said. "It sure does connote a lot of weird visuals."

Bring your earplugs, warned McMasters.

Supporting Crank County Daredevils and Broken Teeth will be Romancing the Bone. Containing members of the former Charleston hardcore band Dipshit, this will be their first show.

"Romancing the Bone is a little more on the rock 'n' roll side of things," said guitarist Paul Beck. "The riffs are less punk and more rock. There's a lot more rippin' solos in it."

Dipshit was together for two years. Romancing the Bone is comprised of Sean Joyce on drums, Greg Franco on guitar, Andy Wellington on bass and vocals by Tony McAley.

"We just kind of stopped," Beck said of Dipshit. "It was time for a change." Dipshit included Aaron Stiovall on guitar and Adam Dupois on bass.

Cover for the show is $ 5. Friends and Co. is located at 509 Van Buren Ave. on the South Side of the Square.

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