Rocket from the Crypt

San Diego has birthed its share of respectable bands over the years, and whether their success was of international or mere underground bent, each has carried the same ineffable quality specific to our border-straddling hamlet. Perhaps no band better embodies the San Diego sound than Rocket From the Crypt, which over the past 16 years has been laying down its signature blend of rockabilly-laced garage punk with unmitigated aplomb. In what will surely be a day of mourning for fans in San Diego and around the world, RFTC will hang up its guitars and horns for good after a final show on the band's "favorite day of the year," Halloween.

Finding success amidst the national fervor in the early '90s for "grungy" acts that could drum up the type of fandom that Seattleite bands of the time were generating, RFTC landed itself on Interscope records in 1995, following the critical success of its second record, "Circa: Now!" With "Scream, Dracula, Scream!" Subsequent releases amassed the band an "army" of supporters. Keeping with the underground insider spirit that has accompanied the group's driving throwback rock, RFTC is offering free admission to their final show to all fans with RFTC tattoos (RSVP required).