Go For The Opener: Hunx And His Punx and Nobunny before Jay Reatard

Welcome to Go For the Opener, in which we at The A.V. Club plead that if you’re getting ready to see a big concert, be sure to get there early and pay attention to the opening acts.

The big show: Jay Reatard, Empty Bottle, Mon., Sept. 28, 9:30 p.m.

The openers: Useless Eaters, Hunx And His Punx, and Nobunny

Why you should listen: The night starts off with Useless Eaters, a band that follows the garage-rock slacker cues previously laid down by bands like The Dead Milkmen. Their music is breakneck, rife with reverb, and the barebones riffs are just lean enough to be cutting. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a no-frills attack that gets the point across and definitely warrants the attention.

The real spectacle starts with Hunx And His Punx. Jay Reatard may have been worried about sounding “wimpy” on his latest album, but Hunx And His Punx relish exactly what they are: gay. Need proof? Listen to their lyrics, or just read Hunx’s Twitter account (sample: “RT @HunxAndHisPunx I love it when super hot guys take their shirts off in my store”). Hunx And His Punx combines Memphis garage fuzz with '50s girl-group vocals and chord progressions. The music is equal parts lovelorn and hilarious.

And then there’s Nobunny. Reatard might be the garage-rock clown, but Nobunny is like garage rock’s creepy superhero: He has no name and no face. Nobunny wears a horrifying bunny mask, hosts plenty of 5 o’clock shadow, and has a knack for performing in underwear. But despite how unsettling his outward appearance might be, he’s a master when it comes to writing garage-pop. The hooks are infectious, he channels '50s rock 'n' roll, and gets incredible sounds out of a cheap drum machine. Plus, he uses a carrot as a microphone. Entertaining? Sure. Horrifying? Absolutely.