St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Black Pumas
Sadly, Austin psychedelic soul outfit Black Pumas only have one single to their name, âBlack Moon Rising,â but it is one GREAT fucking song. Based solely on the immense strength of their Pickathon set, I highly recommend seeing the Black Pumas live. The fusion of singer Eric Burton and producer Adrian Quesada manifests in fleshed-out, guitar-driven, vintage-sounding soul thatâs sure to win over any audience member with a pulse, and make all of you want to buy a âBlack Pumasâ T-shirt. (8:30 pm, Crystal Ballroom, $35-38, all ages) JENNI MOORE
Richard Reed Parry's Quiet River
Imagine spending 15 years playing in indie rock mega-band Arcade Fire, where every album release is a global event and every show is a giant, life affirming crescendo. Sounds exhausting, doesnât it? Itâs no surprise, then, that someone like Richard Reed ParryâArcade Fireâs redheaded multi-instrumentalistâmight use his time off from the main gig to retreat into something much smaller and more intimate, with more personal connection. Enter Parryâs new folk-rock song cycle, Quiet River of Dust, Vol. 1: This Side of the River. Itâs a lovely little listen, packed with adventurous takes on folk traditions and inspired by hikes through Japan, supernatural experiences, mythological concepts, and the music of Arthur Russell, Tom Waits, and Parryâs late father. Is Parry going to headline Madison Square Garden with this stuff? Probably not, but thatâs surely part of the point. (9 pm, Mississippi Studios, $17-20)
Zhu
When Steven Zhuâwho uses his surname as his onstage monikerâfirst started posting to SoundCloud in early 2014, he chose to remain anonymous and let his music be judged on merit alone. Now he's a Grammy-nominated artist for his club-friendly "Faded." Zhu's musical influences and versatility become apparent when you listen to The Genesis Series, a six-track EP of collabs with artists from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to Skrillex and Mind of a Genius labelmate Gallant. (8 pm, Roseland, $35-40, all ages) JENNI MOORE
R.O. Kwon, Elena Passarello
The Incendiaries is R. O. Kwon's bestselling novel about two young students who meet at Edwards University and are drawn into a secretive cult with a penchant for committing violent acts. Kwon will be joined in conversation by Elena Passarello, author of Animals Strike Curious Poses and Let Me Clear My Throat. (7:30 pm, Powell's City of Books, free)
Lebenden Toten, Violent Party, Destripados, Genogeist
Bands on the crusty end of the punk spectrum might pay lip service to the terrible beauty of chaos, but the medium rarely matches the messageâit doesnât get much more musically conservative than a two-minute blast of Discharge worship. Portlandâs noise punk rulers Lebenden Toten are a bracing reminder that spiky punk can still shock, and last yearâs Mind Parasites LP might be the bandâs most forceful statement yet. An exhausting and essential listen, the album is a 20-minute tour of an infernal punk landscape that is all singing static and melting borders, and the songs that live there sound like monsters feeding on the madness. It is messy and ugly and beautiful. (8 pm, The Lovecraft, $8) CHRIS STAMM
The Twilight Sad
The Twilight Sad's well-crafted wall of sound, led by James Graham's thick Scottish accent, is likely to stick in your head after a few listens. (9 pm, Doug Fir, $16-18) CHRISTINA BROUSSARD
Soweto Gospel Choir
The renowned South African gospel group bring "Songs of the Free" to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, celebrating the life of Nelson Mandela with a set of South African classics and beloved freedom and gospel songs. (7:30 pm, Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, $30-50)
Don't forget to check out our Things To Do calendar for even more things to do!
