Anyone who read the Meat Puppets cover story in the Austin Chronicle this summer knows that the brothers Kirkwood have had some serious ups and down in their 20-odd years together. From their belated arrival as grunge superstars in the mid-90s and appearing for a four-song stretch on Nirvana's Unplugged album to a heroin-fueled spiral into depression and bankruptcy, the Puppets have lived the kind of life most people are content to read about, and survived to tell the tale. It's all reflected in the title of their new, Austin-recorded album: Rise To Your Knees, indeed. Saturday night at the Parish Room will no dobut find them in fine form, ripping through classic like "Lake of Fire" and "Liquefied" as well as newer tunes, and possibly even their cover of R.E.M.'s schmaltz classic Everybody Hurts.

The Meat Puppets, Ha Ha Tonka at The Parish Room
Doors at 9, show at 10
all ages, $15 [tix]

Meat Puppets MySpace
Meat Puppets official