Ancient Shores, Single Dads return to 123 Pleasant Street

West Virginia-bred talent is set to take center stage at 123 Pleasant Street Friday, as Ancient Shores, Single Dads and Horseburner are primed to perform at the historic venue.

The show will undoubtedly appeal to fans of sludge and doom metal looking for a rowdy live experience, but Ancient Shores guitarist B.J. Rochinich sees the show as an opportunity to impress not only the crowd in attendance, but also one of his long, lost fans: his brother.

"My brother has never seen us, or any of the bands, and will be attending the show," Rochinich said. "I have not seen him in six years and do not plan on leaving him disappointed."

This motivation will lead the hardcore outfit to put on an especially poignant performance, and with a group that already feeds strongly on emotions and the crowd’s energy, this could lead to a show of epic proportions.

"We are playing a nine-song set that we have re-ordered which, to us, creates a fresh presentation of our music," Rochinich said. "No matter what we do, you can wonder if the set ended on an upward movement or if the high points of emotion occurred elsewhere."

In this way, Ancient Shores is able to produce a set that Rochinich likens to the Christopher Nolan film "Inception;" is there resolution in the music and the emotions invested, or does the music emotionally peak in the beginning or middle of the set?

Ancient Shores leaves this unanswered, and this results in a brand of already tense music becoming even more effective through such a noteworthy presentation.

Also taking the stage Friday night is local indie/math group Single Dads.

One of the most progressive acts on the local scene, Single Dads employs a keen understanding of rhythms, tempos and musical orchestration, and the result is a technical display of musical aptitude scarcely matched on the local circuit.

Led by guitarists and vocalists Aaron Dawson and Brian Spragg, Single Dads, like Ancient Shores, delves into its music and seeks to unearth the deep-seated emotion within each track, an endeavor it succeessfully achieves.

"In terms of approach, I actually feel we are very similar," said Rochinich. "Live and on records, they have the same effect on me that our own music does."

Rounding out the evening’s festivities is the Parkersburg, W. Va., stoner metal outfit, Horseburner.

With a sound that evokes classic groups like Black Sabbath and Blue Oyster Cult, Horseburner looks to set itself apart from the pack with a unique brand of slow-moving, 10-ton-elephant-heavy rock that will have the audience bobbing its collective head.

"Horseburner has a really big sound and lots of riff dynamic," Rochinich said. "They make very enjoyable tunes that are even more dense in a live setting."

Led by chugging, grudging guitars and driving percussion, Horseburner looks to open up the evening in dramatic fashion and set the stage for a raucous night of Mountain State-born musical mayhem.

"We try to keep things as fresh as possible," Rochinich said. "We do not want to waste anyone’s time."

The show starts at 10 p.m., and there will be a $5 cover charge for attendees. You must be 18 to enter, 21 to drink.

Ancient Shores can be heard online at http://ancientshores.bandcamp.com.