Scott H. Biram

Scott H. Biram plays Knuckleheads on Saturday, December 5, at 8 PM. He's performing in The Gospel Lounge, the venue's intimate room at 2715 Rochester Ave in Kansas City.

Biram comes from Austin, Texas, and calls himself the "Dirty Old One Man Band." The name isn't just for show—he handles the whole sound on his own. He plays a '59 Gibson guitar while his amplified left foot drives the backbeat, and he rounds it all out with beat-up amplifiers and old microphones. The music blends blues, hillbilly, and country with raucous punk and godless metal, so it's a wide reach for one person to cover.

There's a story behind the act that explains the grit. In 2003, Biram took the stage at Austin's Continental Club just a month after being hit by an 18-wheeler at 75 MPH. The accident left him with two broken legs, a broken foot, a broken arm, and part of his lower intestine missing. He got back on stage anyway. Critics have compared his presence to Clint Eastwood's and noted the raw immediacy he brings to a room.

Knuckleheads is a spot with its own reputation. Raul Malo of The Mavericks once said, "When I try to tell someone about what Knuckleheads is like, I can't. I find it easier to buy them an airline ticket, a hotel room and let them come see for themselves." General admission is $23.14, and the show starts at 8 PM.