The Go emerged from the steely maw of the Motor City in the late '90s as one of a crop of acts (the Dirtbombs, the Detroit Cobras, the Von Bondies, the Soledad Brothers, and the list goes on) with punk attitude and roots deeply entrenched in Detroit's soul and garage-rock heritage, from Motown to the MC5. Still going strong after nearly a decade, the group has veered from the lo-fi grit of its first LP, 1999's Watcha Doin' -- noteworthy for the appearance of Jack White's grinding red Airline guitar -- which had a menacing, dark edge that tasted a lot like Stooges stew with a dash of the New York Dolls thrown in for good measure. Its latest release, Howl on the Haunted Beast You Ride (Cass Records) is a definite departure from that early style, veering squarely onto the sunny side with a psychedelic, folk-pop sound that could have come right out of the wayback machine or at least one of the Nuggets box sets. In eight years, though, they've been practicing. Some fans grumble that they used to be cooler when they were sloppy and mean, but others will dig the tight musicianship and groove-laden new material. Tickets $5. -- Alison Fensterstock

10 p.m. Tue., Aug. 28

Saturn Bar, 3067 St. Claude Ave., 949-7532