On Jan. 18, Iowa musician William Elliott Whitmore performs insurgent gutter-punk blues at Art House, supported by Jim Ward from the singular Texas experimental hard rock band At The Drive In, and his more mainstream project, Sparta. Whitmore is touring behind 2024’s Silently, the Mind Breaks, a collection of original itinerant blues, folk and bluegrass, sung in his gravely twang and performed on banjo, guitar and kick drum. Whitmore says he grew up on his grandfather’s Ozark mountain music before discovering punk bands like Minutemen. “That’s the music that then becomes your own,” Whitmore says. Still, he adds, “I just always loved the old stuff. That was the music I was compelled to make.” Typically performing alone, Whitmore used to stomp the stage before adding the kick drum. “To me, the beat is really important,” as important as melody, he says. Whitmore says others play music similar to his style, “but I think I do it uniquely.” Whitmore’s Silently follow-up is expected later this year. As for Ward, his solo material is stripped down compared to his better-known bands, but delivered with a similar feral energy. Combined, it’s a bill reminiscent of Portland hellfire and brimstone hootenanny duo Hillstomp, or at points, The Black Keys.

With Jim Ward opening, William Elliott Whitmore plays 7:30 pm Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Art House, 492 East 13th Avenue. Tickets are $25 and are available at EugeneArtHouse.com. The show is all ages.