One calls its music surf rock. The other is celebrating the music of a man who made life on the islands sound so enticing, especially to landlocked Ohioans.

That aquatic connection may be the only thing in common between the two shows playing Westside Bowl in Youngstown on Friday.

In the Trophy Room will be Peanut Butter Conspiracy, a celebration of the music of Jimmy Buffett featuring performers from several area bands.

On the main stage will be Messer Chups, a retro surf rock band hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia.

Peanut Butter Conspiracy is the brainchild of Larry Elefante’s Michael Rutushin, who’s loved Buffett’s music since he was kid.

His grandfather gave him a cassette of Buffett’s music when he was in grade school, “And if my grandfather liked it, I loved it,” Rutushin said.

Shortly after that his older brother, Chris, had an extra ticket to see Buffett live, and Rutushin got to go to the concert with his high-school-aged brother and his friends. He called his first exposure to the Buffett bacchanal an “eye-opening experience.”

Doing a show of Buffett songs is something Rutushin had talked about with his friends in Athens for years.

“We never got around to it,” he said. “After he passed Labor Day weekend, we really have to do that now, so we got it together. Unfortunately that’s what motivated us to finally do it.”

The Athens show happened on Jan. 5.

“It was fun trying to cram 24 Jimmy songs into your set,” Rutushin said. “It was certainly cathartic, definitely a vibe.”

For the Westside Bowl show, Rutushin, guitar and vocals, will be joined by Kari Ann Rutushin, ukulele and vocals; Lexi Kays, vocals; Hayden Brooke, guitar and vocals; Dallas Craft, vocals; Andrae Reed, keyboard; Andrew Ptichkin, bass; Ed Davis, drums; and Matt Hayes, percussion and steel drums. Coming up from Athens will be Angela Opkins, clarinet and vocals, and John Wetzel, harmonica and vocals.

“We have so many great singers,” Rutushin said. “I like just sitting back and watching it all unfold.”

Rutushin is partial to Buffett’s 1970s and early ’80s output, up to “Coconut Telegraph,” and he said the setlist will gravitate toward Buffett’s ballads and story songs more than his party anthems, although a DJ will be spinning those songs between sets.

Rutushin, who also makes and sells hot sauces, even created a special hot sauce for the event that he’s calling Habanero Daydreamin’, complete with an image of Buffett on the label circa his 1976 “Havana Daydreamin'” album.

“I was going to call it Last Mango in the Yo, but this opened up much better imagery,” he said.

Messer Chups brings its surf rock sounds and retro kitsch visuals to Youngstown as part of its 22-city “Killer Icicles” tour.

Guitarist Oleg Fomchenkov started the band more than 25 years ago, and the group has more than 30 albums and EPs on its Bandcamp page.

The look and approach will be familiar to fans of The Cramps, although the band puts its own spin on surf rock with a Dick-Dale-meets-the-theme-song-of-“The- Munsters” sound. Check out “Tchaikovsky Beat,” a reverb-drenched take on Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Both shows run from 8 to 11 p.m. Friday at Westside Bowl, 2617 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown.

Admission for Peanut Butter Conspiracy is $10 at the door. Bob’s Country Bunker will open for Messer Chups, and tickets are $15 in advance through Eventbrite and $20 at the door.

Andy Gray is the entertainment editor of Ticket. Write to him at agray@

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