Troika: Portastatic

It can't be easy being saddled with the "local hero" tag, but few people in this day and age merit the distinction as much as Portastatic's Mac McCaughan. As indie rock fans no doubt know, McCaughan was the creative center of Superchunk, the hottest young band in the emerging Chapel Hill scene of the early '90s. It may be difficult to believe now, but our neighbor down 15-501 was once hyped as the next Seattle.

McCaughan and company rejected major label advances in favor of starting their own label, Merge Records. Now one of the most powerful independents in America, it's home to Spoon, the Arcade Fire, Neutral Milk Hotel and many others.

But the past is the past. What should be recognized now is that McCaughan continues to write great songs and, with Portastatic, creates an affecting brand of power-pop that consistently defies expectations. Like McCaughan and Portastatic, Duke Coffeehouse-where they'll play Thursday-is a local fixture with its own share of underground fame, and an ideal venue for these indie veterans. Show your local pride and check it out.