Naming a band is an act of concentrated creative expression. Square Pig in a Round Hole exists to reward five favorite band names each week. Winners are (usually) listed alphabetically.

Selection is wholly unscientific and subject to whim, with a bias toward wordplay, humor, and local flavor. In most cases, I won’t know anything about the bands at the time of selection. Thanks to the Seattle Times nightlife listings for abundant source material!

(Until live music returns, I am curating retrospective posts from past material. Dates indicate when the band was originally featured.)

SQUARE PIG IN A ROUND HOLE PANDEMIC EDITION #59

I wasn’t kidding about how many sci-fi/fantasy themed band names I found! The celebration continues today and will go on for another 3 weeks. As ever, wash your hands, wear your mask, get your vaccine, and if you are able, please buy these bands’ music and merch while we wait for a better day.

Mind Beams
(March 24, 2018) I want this superpower: the ability to project my thoughts without having to find the right words.

Mythical Vigilante
(February 24, 2018) Who to call when you need to track down the villains of lore and legend.

Mythological Horses
(June 23, 2018) The hero’s horse rarely gets enough credit, even if it can fly. (This is the show I most wish I could get to. They’re on a bill with Square Pig faves Mud on My Bra and local legend Kurt Bloch is their guitarist!)

Old Man Wizard
(August 6, 2016) I’m also a fantasy writer, so always on the lookout for wizard references in the club listings. This one shines an impertinent spotlight on the high-fantasy trope of the silver-bearded sorcerer (you wouldn’t deprive an old man of his walking stick, would you?). For my part, I’m currently writing about a young girl wizard, just to begin evening things up. [Update: she now has a full trilogy. See below for details.]

The Outer Space Heaters 
(March 24, 2012) I’ve always thought “space heater” was an awfully cool name for a pretty mundane object. Now I see why.

Shameless Self-Promotion: Death’s Midwife (Daughter of Magic Book 3) is now available for purchase from your favorite independent bookshop or the usual online outlets. Join me and The Neverending Bookshop next Saturday, May 8 at 3 pm PDT for a live Zoom event featuring an interview, readings, audience Q&A, and more! RSVP here to receive the link.

Two last things before you go:

1. My new thing in 2021 is The Rage Brigade, a Facebook group for conversation about fantasy, science fiction, superheroes, and music (and the intersections thereof). If that sounds like fun, come join us here.
2. I share highlights from this blog in my quarterly author newsletter, The Storypunk Report, as well as news of what I’m writing and reading, upcoming events, and other goodies, including “Wizard in the Mosh Pit,” an exclusive short story just for subscribers. Click the link to check out the first ten issues and subscribe here for future issues. (Or just follow the blog for your weekly dose of band names.)