Rubblebucket

Excellent songwriting, energetic performances, and dynamic sets should be enough to draw music fans to Rubblebucket's show at the Beachland this weekend. But three words seal the deal: Giant. Robot. Puppets. Alex Toth, the Brooklyn-based octet's trumpet player, says the 12-foot puppets with giant heads, foam innards, and light-up eyes weren't supposed to make it much past the band’s New Year’s Eve concert: “We thought if they last six shows, we got our money’s worth.” But emergency trips to hardware stores have extended their stay so far to 40 stops on the group’s current tour. (A pair of lucky concertgoers will be randomly chosen to operate the puppets on Friday.) In addition to the new visual elements, Rubblebucket are testing three new songs in preparation for an EP scheduled for release in the fall. “Sound-wise we took another step in solidifying who we are and who we want to be musically,” says Toth. “We’re constantly rejuvenating it, reinvigorating it, and discovering what it is.” With Kitschy. 9 p.m. Tickets: $14, $12 in advance. – Adam Burroughs