Human Eye unleashed an eerie vibe of alien weirdness on the Pinhook crowd last Monday. Synthesist Johnny LZR looked like he’d teleported to the show and materialized in an incarnation stuck somewhere between the likeness of Lou Reed and Alan Vega. Frontman Timmy Vulgar oozed out Hendrix-y guitar solos while gesturing cro-magnon facial expressions towards awed onlookers. Their rendition of “Impregnate the Martian Queen” was spot on, while “The Movie Was Real” built a sludgy urgency before climaxing into a damaged interpretation of space rock showmanship.

It was hard to tell, but half the crowd seemed unsure what to make of the spectacle. Which is somewhat understandable. Solos like these shouldn’t sound so brutal and ‘garage-punks’ generally don’t make attempts at reviving them. But something about it works, and whatever ‘that is’ works alarmingly well. If Hawkwind attempted to elevate its listeners into space, Human Eye simply yearns to bring its back down, one cretin at a time.

The night fittingly opened with Whatever Brains, who are finally getting some national attention. The crowd was alarmingly thick despite the Raleigh band’s early set and their jerky, spazzed out anthems kept it that way. There’s something super ’90s about their songs, but in a cheese-less, non-throwback type of way. Maybe it’s the screechy vocals of Rick Ivey or the fact that their music seems so apathetic despite being so well put together. “The Future of Porn” and “Withnail” crushed. ‘Nuff said.