Otto spans genres with 'swamp blues,' 'black grass'

Sometimes headlocks and rock ’n’ roll go hand in hand when it comes to the music of Justin Otto. Tonight, Otto brings his “one-man swamp blues” to rock the crowd at the The Handlebar, 319 N. Tarragona St.

Otto’s shows have produced some pretty raucous crowds over the eight years he has performed across the region.

“I had to jump off stage and break up a fight and put a guy in a headlock on the floor,” Otto said of one performance that nearly got out of hand. “That was probably one of the crazier shows I’ve had.”

Growing up in the area, Otto has witnessed his fair share of memorable shows.

“I saw Tool at the Nite Owl when I was a kid, and I saw Sublime at the Nite Owl,” Otto said. “I’ve seen some pretty good bands come through.”

Otto has opened for artists such as country musician Wayne Hancock and the New Orleans roots rock group the Dirty Bourbon River Show.

On any given day, Otto listens to everything from Slayer to Elvis Presley. His own music is just as diverse as his musical taste.

“It’s hard to label, because I go from so many genres,” said Otto, who described his blues, punk, metal, bluegrass and classic country sound as “black grass.”

The show starts at 10 p.m. For more details, visit www.handlebarpensacola.com.

The Gills at Vinyl Music Hall

On Saturday night, The Gills return to Pensacola promoting the latest album at the same venue where they bid farewell in 2010. In August of that year, the popular local group helped kick off the open house event for Vinyl Music Hall, 2 Palafox Place, before heading to Nashville.

The Gills feature Jesse Wheeler and Chris Wheeler sharing guitar and vocal duties while Andy Prince on bass and Matt Prince on drums round out the four piece. The group will be giving away a copy of their new CD, “Motor Running,” with every ticket purchased.

The concert features a full night of stellar music including Chris Staples, whose latest album, “American Soft,” was released in late May. Staples will also reunite with his old band Twothirtyeight to perform at this year’s DeLuna Fest.

Pensacola group, Paloma also perform Saturday. The group, whose members include Giovanni Lugo (guitar/vocal), Hale Leal (bass), Nathan Dillaha (guitar) and Aaron Finlay (drums) performed at last year’s DeLuna Fest and are also scheduled to perform at this year’s music festival on Pensacola Beach.

Nashville-based musician Jonni Greth rounds out the evening of music. Greth is working on a new album and is very familiar with Pensacola and the surrounding area, having performed at the annual Frank Brown International Songwriter’s Festival in Orange Beach, Ala., and recorded with several local artists.

This is an all-ages show and there is a $5 surcharge at the door those under 21. Doors open at 7 p.m. For more details go to www.vinylmusichall.com.