There’s a saying that a decade, or what it’s remembered for culturally, doesn’t begin till the fourth year in. For example, Elvis made his first recording in 1954. The Beatles exploded in popularity in 1964. Well, it’s 2004. Has anything happened yet that will define the Oughts for generations to come? Does it even matter? For San Francisco band, The Coachwhips, it doesn’t.Fueled by the holy trio of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll, the Coachwhips could not have a more classic sound. And like any great band, the best way to capture them is to absorb their sound in person. And so the crowd at S.F.’s Bottom of the Hill did on Jan. 31.No doubt, many people were there to see the headlining act Numbers on the night of their record release party. There’s also no doubt, though, that more people were interested in seeing the band that has become local legend.Screeching and thumping their way through material off of “Get Yer Body Next Ta Mine” and their latest album “Bangers Versus F*****s,” the Coachwhips held the audience like moths to a flame. Those lucky enough to be in close proximity to the band danced as though they were in rapture. Highlights included “Peanut Butter and Jelly,” which had front man John Dwyer jumping all over, tossing his messy locks of hair from side to side, and had drummer Mat Hartman shaking his large gourd maraca and howling like there was no tomorrow.The Coachwhips are infamous for playing wherever they feel like, including bathrooms, house parties, laundromats, parking lots, and in the middle of crowds where all the action is. Last year, after a disagreement with Cafe Du Nord officials, the band headed down the road to a MUNI shelter and proceeded to jam the pants off everyone in the street.With the quirky noise funk they make, there are elements that make bands like Numbers appealing. Not included on the list, though, is a danceable beat, much like fellow SF band Deerhoof.This is not to say that trying something different is bad, it’s just that 4/4 time is to what the color black is to a wardrobe-very flattering. In fact, it was precisely this difference that made opening acts Elio Estevez and Dynasty Handbag so enjoyable.Taking the do-it-yourself approach to their live shows, both Estevez and Handbag are one-person bands. Estevez, who was decked out like a black-eyed Freddy Mercury in a sailor suit, slowly stripped down to a slick black number, while grooving to the beats originating from his laptop. No, he’s not only a DJ. He’s much more than that. Singing about being cold in a refrigerator, to bumping music in your “earhole”, to gettin’ it on with your moms, he lived up to his promise to entertain us.Similarly solo, Handbag did not have a laptop, but a pre-recorded soundtrack she sang and rapped over. Interestingly, she recorded inner monologues that she would reply to in a semi-psychotic manner. But perhaps the most enjoyable element to her act was the fact that she dressed like your grandmother, including the huge sunglasses, fake Gucci purse, and some sort of muumuu. She looked confused, and so did the audience, but they lapped up every second of it.Given the fact that this show had a seemingly random sample of the talent out there now, perhaps we can see what is to come in 2004. Will it be solo acts? Maybe. Perhaps awkward rock? Maybe not so much. One thing is for certain, however-electrifying acts like the Coachwhips aren’t going out of style any time soon.