Jon Spencer and the HITmakers in Albany

Time for an upstate beatdown! Jon Spencer and the HITmakers will make their Hudson Valley regional debut when they bring their singular brand of roaring, roughneck rock ’n’ roll to Lark Hall on January 31.

After grinding it out on the Lower East Side with 1980s noiseniks Pussy Galore and Boss Hog, singer and guitarist Spencer smashed through to wider fame in the 1990s with the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. The latter outfit found a whole new level of notoriety when their underground hit “Bell Bottoms” was featured in the 2017 film Baby Driver. After waxing the solo Spencer Sings the Hits in 2018, the front man launched his newest band, the HITmakers, which also features Sam Coomes of Quasi on keyboards/synths and Bob Bert of Sonic Youth and Pussy Galore on “trash” percussion. The group’s second album, Spencer Gets It Lit, was released in 2022 and has elicited across-the-board raves for its classic-Spencer cocktail of raw, danceable avant-garage rock ’n’ roll.

Dig this video for the Spencer Gets It Lit track “Junk Man”:


Jon Spencer and the HITmakers and special guest Bloodshot Bill will perform at Lark Hall in Albany on January 31 at 8pm. Tickets are $24.44.