What To Do? Marrow at Elbo Room

Photos by Michael Friel (top) and Eric Harger (bottom)

​Marrow @ Elbo Room

The members of Marrow -- the group behind the Society for the Advancement of Despair, the Web site www.blissisignorance.com, and shirts that say, "Everything will not be OK" -- can't possibly be that bummed out, right? Right. "Most of it is tongue-in-cheek," admits Jeremy Fortes, whose responsibilities include singing, composing, and producing. "In the end, our message is about joy, hope, and accountability, and the journey to get there. We feel laughter and tears come from the same place, and embracing both is a healthy and honest way to live your life."

Fortes, wife Erin Fortes, and David Earl formed the San Francisco-based industrial outfit after working together on Scabaret!, a self-described "twisted cabaret/musical/antiredemption story," and they've made sure to keep up the drama in their latest project. To help celebrate the release of Marrow's second album, Sunshine Enema -- which is available on CD and, more intriguingly, a pill-shaped USB drive that comes in a prescription bottle -- the band is pulling out the stops tonight at the Elbo Room. There will be some special assistants parked at the merch table that night.

"We will be setting up our Unhappiness Enhancement Mobile Unit, where our 'Emotional Integrity' test can be taken," Jeremy says. "Our nurses and mood-crash coaches will be observing emotional and physical responses to the test. Subjects receive a free gift and a custom recommended dosage of Marrow music based on the test results." If misery really does love company, expect the Elbo Room to be a crowded house. (9 p.m., $6)

For more Tuesday recommendations, check out our calendar picks.

Follow us @SFAllShookDown.