If you weren’t at the Elbo Room last night, you missed something amazing. We almost missed it too (thanks to some numpty running on the BART tracks between Civic Center and Powell), but managed to get there in time to see the final 6 bands.

No idea who originated the concept or how many years it’s been going on, but last night, Music City SF and Balanced Breakfast put on something called Rock Lotto.

Drawn at random from a pool that included local musicians and other members of the music community, some who’ve never played a lick, bands were created and given a month to create 10 minutes of original music.

And the result was glorious.

We were treated to GRMMR BCH, Warm Prostate Milk, Ladies of Thunder, Kick Kick Flip, Badly Breaded Thomas Breadison Bitchin Bad Ass Bread Band, and Blossom Suite (apologies to the Pious Prism Preachers and Hold The Door! who sadly we missed).

These newly formed musical organisms included members of The Y Axes, Doctor Striker, The Wyatt Act, Oakland Mind, Your Fearless Leader, Almost Everywhere, Reisender, On Dolphin, Little Spiral, Trez Maschine, Unlikely Heroes, alongside Stefan Aronsen, Piper Payne, Matthew DePasquale, Clara Bellino, Eve Flieshman, and so many others.

Some took the stage in drag, others in elephant and gorilla costumes. Some wore giant extend middle fingers attached to their foreheads. There was ill-advised use of a trumpet and a strap-on, both by the same performer (just kidding, Paul). Much of the music bled over genres while some defied description altogether.

The look on the faces of audience members who showed up unaware of the evening’s concept was also priceless.

It was bizarre and beautiful and hilarious.

And it totally rocked!

Cannot wait for the next time.