Centro-matic

The key to enjoying a Centro-matic show is to anticipate the jokes, as singer Will Johnson has an arsenal of groaners ready to unleash upon an unsuspecting crowd. At any moment, he might ask you, "What's the best thing about sex while camping?" ("It's fucking in tents!") Aside from the stand-up act, metroplex residents should be proud to claim Denton's Centro-matic as a beloved local band. Last year's Love You Just the Same (Misra) was one of 2003's best records, and now fans get the added bonus of the Flashes and Cables EP, comprising songs that didn't make the final cut for the record (and there are many of them). Johnson's tales of being a biohazardous waste removalist mingled alongside literary musings about love, life and adventures at sea are marked by his eerie, deceptively fragile voice, which is as intoxicating as six gin-and-tonics. Which is how many drinks you'll need to think the jokes are funny.