Eight Gigs: The Kelps

Word on the street is that the Kelps EP For Neuroses was written while each band member had his or her cerebral cortex stimulated with a live wire. OK, that’s not true, but it’s not hard to believe the songs were conceived under the provocation of a mad scientist determined to figure out “where all those feelings come from.” Sometimes dark sentiment is best expressed with dramatic flair, like the way a disguise at the masquerade allows both revelry and anonymity. The Kelps are like that—songs dressed up so that raw wounds can be touched and yet held at arm’s length at the same time. 1111 H Street, www.facebook.com/thekelpsmusic.