PUP and Jeff Rosenstock with Ekko Astral @ Palace Theatre—Well, this positive appears just like the pop-punk occasion of the summer time. The newest from the Canadian malcontents in PUP, Who Will Look After the Dogs?, is much less conceptually bloated than its predecessor, The Unraveling of PUPTheBand. I don’t come to PUP for concepts—a minimum of not past “I suck but so do you.” That’s not an actual PUP lyric (a minimum of not that I do know of) however relaxation assured the brand new report is chockful of strains which you can’t imagine they haven’t used already like “If you give me another chance/I’m probably gonna fuck it up anyway” and “Fuck everyone on this planet/Except for you.” Who knew there have been so many hilarious methods of reminding the world that you simply’re a self-loathing loser. And talking of self-loathing losers… properly, really, Jeff Rosenstock appears extra at peace than ever on his newest, 2023’s HELLMODE. Which is to not say it doesn’t bop: “LIKED U BETTER” and “FUTURE IS DUMB” (boy is it) are classic Rosenstock, they’re simply paired with extra reserved tracks like “HEALMODE.”—Keith Harris
Loudon Wainwright III @ Parkway—The onetime unhealthy boy of folk-rock (what a distinction, huh?) involves city on the eve of his 79th birthday, which I point out primarily as a result of he’s been making outdated age his topic for greater than a decade, most lately on his newest studio album, Lifetime Achievement. As Wainwright places it, “Almost all the songs I write, somehow pertain to me,” and his setlist today consists of not simply seriocomic plights of the aged like “I Remember Sex” however older vignettes about his profession as a less-than-ideal father together with “I Knew Your Mother” (“When love was the means, and you were the end”) and “Rufus is a Tit Man,” written earlier than the youthful Wainwright turned out very a lot to not be. At least that’s what I collect from Loudon Live in London, which dropped this previous January—III’s fifth reside assortment, by my depend, not counting two bootlegs that had been later formally launched, which is lots of reside albums for any folkie. But hey, he is outdated.—Keith Harris
Marc Ribot @ Cedar Cultural Center—As a bandleader, Marc Ribot has tailored his spiky guitar strains to Cuban montuno and John Zorn compositions through the years; he’s additionally taken on loads of gigs as a sideman. (You might have heard him on Tom Waits or Elvis Costello information with out understanding his identify.) His final time by city was on the Dakota, fronting an organ trio referred to as the Jazz-Bins. He’s even fronted what’s virtually a standard rock band by his requirements, Ceramic Dog. But he’s not a lot for the usual singer-songwriter factor, so the brand new Map of a Blue City is a little bit of a departure even for a man whose whole profession is a sequence of exits. Many of the album’s songs had been written within the ’90s, and as well as Ribot performs the Carter Family’s “When the World’s on Fire” and units Allen Ginsberg’s “Sometime Jailhouse Blues” to music. Tonight he’ll be joined by multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, the much-sought-after sideman who performs bass in Ceramic Dog.—Keith Harris
Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley & Stephen Marley @ Fillmore—The inheritor to his daddy’s vocal and ethical authority, Damian appeared poised to come up as Bob’s clear successor in 2005 (no matter that meant a quarter-century after the legend’s dying). Acknowledging hip-hop with out wavering from reggae, Welcome to Jamrock was a business and creative breakthrough, with standout manufacturing from co-headliner and half-brother Stephen. This newest tour doesn’t seem to formally rejoice the twentieth anniversary of that album, however let’s face it, Damian did little to construct off that achievement (other than the 2010 collaboration with Nas, Distant Relatives, which I in all probability like greater than you do) and neither did Stephen. But that doesn’t make it any much less of an achievement.—Keith Harris
A Tribute to Shania Twain @ Turf Club—Everyone however fun-haters, folkie dead-enders, and sexists (lotta overlap there) now acknowledges Shania as a significant nation artist, and this annual tribute is the occasion she deserves. Last 12 months’s iteration was some of the enjoyable reveals I went to in 2024, and I can assure that this can be some of the enjoyable reveals I’ll attend in 2025. In addition to ringleader Faith Boblett, this 12 months’s Shanias embody Andrina Brogden, Laura Hugo, Jillian Rae, Leslie Vincent, Molly Brandt, Clare Doyle, Sarah Morris, and Siri Undlin. All can be capably backed by ace cowl band A Little Too Short To Be Stormtroopers. And should you’re not cautious, somebody will educate you find out how to line dance—or, in my case, attempt to.—Keith Harris
The Messthetics & James Brandon Lewis with Yr Knives @ Cedar Cultural Center—On their very own, the Messthetics—the rhythm part from Fugazi, teamed with guitar whiz Anthony Pirog—have already got extra jam than most rockers gone improv. So it was thrilling to listen to that the trio had teamed up with some of the bold younger saxophonists in jazz (early 40s nonetheless counts as younger on this context). Lewis has lengthy proven himself to be a type of guys sharp sufficient to know that the selection between trad and avant is a false one. His sound is huge and welcoming with out pandering, and he slides into the Messthetics’ groove so neatly you’d suppose he was an everyday. If you missed them on the Turf Club final 12 months—properly, you shouldn’t have, however right here’s a second probability.—Keith Harris
City Country Fest @ Palmer’s—No, this isn’t the premature finish of Palmer’s Bar—that’s happening next week. This all-day reside music blowout is only a reminder of what we’re dropping when Palmer’s, a goddamn Minneapolis establishment if there ever was one, closes after a 119-year run. Twelve rootin’/tootin’ native bands are slated for City Country Fest 3, which’ll start on the patio and head inside when it will get late. Headlining (kind of) outdoors are Racket-approved nation ace Molly Brandt and outlaw guitar-slinger Cole Diamond (aka Ryan Otte), with intriguing “emo/alt-country” outfit the Hilltop Pines closing issues down within the bar. Click here to see the total lineup.—Jay Boller
Dusty’s Daze @ Dusty’s—The Northeast dive’s fifth annual competition gathers Dusty’s regulars just like the Bill Patten Trio and Whiskey Rock and Roll Club, flashy performers like Grammas Boyfriend and Mark Mallman, and Instrumental jazz teams Room3 and the Riffin’ Trio. And all for $10!—Keith Harris
The Front Row Project @ Hook and Ladder—The Suburbs needed to withdraw from this fundraiser, it’s true, however we nonetheless get the Shackletons and a jam led by an precise member of Foghat, to not point out Loki’s Folly, Devon Worley Band, the Melismatics, Sleeping Jesus, Products, Oister Boy and Yonder. Proceeds will go to the Project, which supplies grants and studio time in honor of two much-missed native music fixtures: mega-fan Paul Engebretsen and musician Ed Ackerson.—Keith Harris
Clipse @ Myth Live—For a strong decade, the brothers Thornton, Pusha T, and Malice, made each different dope boy on the nook out of date, using Neptunes beats that had been so arduous that even moralizing twits like me, the sort who don’t suppose crack dealing and computerized weapons are the most effective issues to occur to rap or humanity, needed to take discover. Their 2025 reunion, Let God Sort Them Out, begins pointedly with “The Birds Don’t Sing,” about their lifeless mother and father, with John Legend lending histrionic gravitas—positive they’ll cop to having emotions, however they’re gonna deal with that straight off to allow them to get again to the dirty shit ASAP. Push and Malice don’t sound as hungry as they did 15 years in the past, and so they now fall again on terse robust guy-isms reasonably than spinning hard-boiled narratives. What’s extra, Pharrell’s beats don’t hit as arduous as they did earlier than his life story was informed onscreen through Legos. But the duo has nonetheless received the pure bile and the talent to again it up, and also you don’t get a cosign from one of many world’s largest toy firms should you don’t know a little bit one thing about hooks. That they’ve downsized from the Armory to Myth does make me surprise how a lot money this tour is pulling in, however should you doubt Clipse’s dedication to their financial institution accounts, properly, what number of road rappers could be financially savvy sufficient to observe up “E.B.I.T.A.” with “F.I.C.O.”?—Keith Harris