With choice of Orono shows tonight, either way you win

Orono is the place to be this weekend for live music.

Tonight’s events feature two distinctly different genres at two different venues. At Soma 36, the club within the Bear Brew Pub, Audible Mainframe, a Boston-based hip-hop band, will return for its second visit to the nightspot.

While Audible Mainframe’s use of live instrumentation may bring to mind the hip-hop group the Roots, the band’s sharp horn section (featuring Dave Miller on trumpet and Bob Moriarty on sax) and accomplished guitarist Dave Sherman bring a different kind of vibe, along with bassist Barry Ryan and drummer John George’s solid rhythm foundation.

It’s turntablist Jayceeoh and rappers Exposition and Marco that bring the socially conscious hip-hop edge to Audible Mainframe’s already stellar lineup. Exposition in particular stands out – his lyrical style is equal parts KRS-One and Common, deeply political but with a true poetic flair.

With influences as diverse as Radiohead, Miles Davis and De La Soul, there’s something for everyone – both die-hard and casual hip-hop fans can enjoy it, while fans of funk, jazz and jam bands can appreciate Moriarty’s smooth sax lines and Sherman’s subtle but powerful guitar work.

Meanwhile, at Ushuaia the Beautiful Locals showcase rolls into town. A kind of consolidation of power from some of the Portland area’s best bands, the project features a CD with bands covering each other’s songs. The show in Orono features Twisted Roots, Eldemur Krimm, Thrust 13 and Pigboat, all of whom can be lumped under the term “heavy rock,” though anyone who knows anything about rock knows these bands are quite different from one another.

In particular, Pigboat’s combination of fuzzy, sludgy guitar and intricate rhythms stands out. Imagine Fugazi’s rhythm section with Tommy Iommi of Black Sabbath on guitar and Glenn Danzig on vocals, and you might get an idea of what Pigboat is all about.

Pigboat, rising out of the ashes of the Portland band Broken Clown, formed in 2002. It features Mark Belanger on vocals and guitar, Chad Palardy on drums and Ed Porter on bass. After an unsteady start, the band finally recorded an EP, due out in the next month or two, and have been playing frequently throughout Maine. Tonight’s show is the band’s Orono debut.

The only bad part about Friday night’s shows is that you might have to choose between one or the other. Neither choice, however, is a bad one.

Audible Mainframe will take the stage at 9:30 p.m. at Soma 36. The show is 21 plus, and there’s a $5 cover charge. The Beautiful Locals showcase at Ushuaia starts at 7 p.m., it’s 18 plus and tickets are $10. The Bear Brew can be reached at 866-2739, and Ushuaia can be reached at 866-7700. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.