Thursday, Feb. 26
Though it bills itself as “the world’s first Gruntry [grunge + country] band,” Red Heart Alarm leans more toward the twangier of the two flannel-favoring genres. The quartet’s latest, Hammer Anvil Stirrup, does feature a few heavy guitar riffs and lyrics about darker topics like loss and addiction, but for the most part there’s a subtle country flair to it, especially on tunes like “Looking for Trouble” and album-closer “Autumn.” Corey Allred and Jared Monschein, who share vocal and guitar duties, create strong harmonies while bassist Scotty Summers and drummer Donovan Pfeifer make sure everything stays on course. With Whiting Tennis. Conor Byrne Pub, 5140 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-3640, conorbyrnepub.com. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over.
Those whose only exposure to actress Leighton Meester (aka Blair Waldorf on Gossip Girl) as a singer is via her appearance on Cobra Starship’s 2009 hit “Good Girls Go Bad” are in for a surprise. Meester’s debut full-length, Heartstrings, which follows a handful of one-off singles, is more folk-pop than dance-pop, with Meester alternating between breathy vocals (the title track, “L.A.”) and a richer style (“Good for One Thing,” “On My Side”). She isn’t the first actress to try her hand at music, but Meester is one of the few who can rely on actual talent, and not just a name, to succeed. With Duke Evers. The Showbox, 1426 First Ave., 628-3151, showboxpresents.com. 8 p.m. $20 adv./$25 DOS. All ages.
After the members of folk-rock group Buffalo Springfield decided to go their separate ways, vocalist Richie Furay began working on a new project with fellow Springfielder Jim Messina on bass. That band, Poco, became a country-rock pioneer following the release of its debut album, Pickin’ Up the Pieces. It peaked commercially in the late ’70s with “Crazy Love” and “Heart of the Night,” and though lineup and label changes have been a major part of the band’s nearly-50-year career, Poco has always come out on top. Original pedal steel guitarist Rusty Young now leads a revamped crew, and Poco released its 21st album, All Fired Up, in 2013. With Firefall. Snoqualmie Casino, 37500 S.E. North Bend Way, Snoqualmie, 425-888-1234, snocasino.com. 7 p.m. $30. 21 and over.
There’s a timelessness to the ballads on the self-titled debut from country six-piece Annie Ford Band that makes them relatable to lovelorn listeners of all generations. “Dirty Hearts and Broken Dishes” and “My Brother” are particularly stirring, and even some of the more upbeat songs are lyrically down on their luck. On “Lovesick,” for instance, the Virginia-born Ford sings about a girl who just won’t let her go: “I’m lovesick and sick of loving/Please let me be.” There is a bit of fun here, though. The band really kicks it into high gear on “Frankie” and closes the album with the devious “Gotta Kill a Rooster.” With Ole Tinder, Pepper Proud. Sunset Tavern, 5433 Ballard Ave. N.W., 784-4880, sunsettavern.com. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over.
Now in its third year, the multi-bill night known as Family Reunion is a reminder that, though it may sometimes feel like the opposite is true, someone always has your back. Hosted by KEXP’s Don Slack, Family Reunion benefits MusiCares, a program that helps people in the music industry with financial, medical, and personal issues. This year, a jam-packed lineup (Barb Hunter, Cooper Smith, In Cahoots, The Crying Shame, Massy Ferguson, Red Jacket Mine, The Ganges River Band, Long Dark Moon, the Swearengens’ Fredd Luongo, Inly, Casey Ruff, the Riveters, Jackrabbit, Matthew Harvey, and Gabriel Mintz) will perform the music of alt-country outfit Uncle Tupelo and the bands that grew out of its demise, Wilco and Son Volt. Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 8 p.m. $12. 21 and over.
Friday, Feb. 27
“Folk-apocalypse” six-piece Day Laborers & Petty Intellectuals covers it all on its self-titled debut: life, love, and of course the apocalypse. “Irene, Goodnight,” a nod to blues musician Lead Belly, is a song about hipsters in Everytown, U.S.A. that’s equal parts snarky (“We’ve got Ginsberg and Kerouac on the bookshelves/We built those ourselves”) and self-aware (“We sing old folk songs and play acoustic instruments”). And on album-opener “What’s the Meaning of this Magic?”, singer/guitarist Robert Anderson talks of running through the forest while wolves and helicopters circle. There’s a cinematic build to each song that amplifies the epic nature of each lyric. With Levi Fuller & the Library, Roselit Bone, Greenhornbluehorn. Conor Byrne Pub. 9 p.m. $8. 21 and over.
In honor of its namesake’s birthday, the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, which “celebrates, nurtures, preserves, and presents African-American and Diaspora performing arts, cultural wealth, and iconic legacies,” is hosting the 3rd Annual Langston Hughes Motown Birthday Bash. The poet, novelist, playwright, and activist was actually born on February 1, but the institute notes that Hughes would’ve wanted to move the party back so as to not interfere with the Super Bowl. Now that football season is over, DJ Robin Summerrise will spin Motown classics to celebrate Hughes’ impact on the world. Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, 104 17th Ave. S., 684-4757, langstoninstitute.org. 7 p.m. $10. 21 and over.
The only thing that captures the energy of Mardi Gras better than Carnivale Electricos, the latest full-length from jazz-funk quintet Galactic, is being at the annual pre-Lent celebration yourself. The group worked with musicians from its native New Orleans, including the KIPP Renaissance High School Marching Band on “Karate” and carnival mainstays Big Chief Juan Pardo and the Golden Comanche on album-opener “Ha Di Ka,” to translate the experience. Galactic also touches on the celebration’s love of hip-hop with “Move Fast,” featuring renowned Mardi Gras beatmaker Mannie Fresh and rapper Mystikal. The event’s Brazilian influence also gets some time in the spotlight on “O Coco da Galinha” and the reworked Carlinhos Brown song “Magalenha.” The Showbox. 9 p.m. $28.50 adv./$33 DOS. 21 and over.
As its title suggests, Mixtape of the Open Road, the latest from rock ’n’ soul singer/songwriter Martin Sexton, is a thoughtfully curated album meant to show off Sexton’s versatility while capturing the casual nature of a road-trip soundtrack. Album opener “Do It Daily” is a rousing bluegrass song, “Give It Up” is a smooth R&B jam, “Supper Time” is a foot-stomping country tune, and “You (My Mind Is Woo)” is Sexton at his soulful best. Each song is spirited and engaging, likely a result of Sexton’s early years building an audience while busking in Boston. With Brothers McCann. The Neptune, 1303 N.E. 45th St. 682-1414, stgpresents.org/neptune. 8 p.m. $35. All ages.
Ian McFeron found his bearings in the local music scene in 2003 thanks to a major winning streak on 103.7 The Mountain’s weekly “New Music Throwdown” competition with “Love Me Twice,” from his debut full-length Don’t Look Back. But the folk singer with Dylanesque lyrics has really built a name for himself over the past decade with near-constant touring around the world. Before McFeron hits the road with a calendar booked through May, he’ll mark the release of Radio, his eighth studio album, by playing the record in full, as well as select favorites from previous releases, all with a full backing band. With Josh Clauson. The Triple Door, 216 Union St., 838-4333, thetripledoor.net. 8 p.m. $15 adv./$20 DOS. All ages.
Saturday, Feb. 28
Since playing his first local show in November after moving to Seattle from Chicago, Charlatan, aka Omar Rashan, has quickly become an exciting addition to the scene, bringing his blend of reverb- and synth-heavy noise pop to the stages at Vermillion, High Dive, the Lo-Fi, and the Rendezvous. There’s a performance art quality to Rashan’s live set as he runs from the guitar, which he sometimes plays with a bow, to synthesizers and back, while video clips are projected behind him. Rashan is currently working on the follow-up to his self-titled debut, so expect to hear a lot more from this newcomer in the coming months. With Nostalgist, Shadowhouse, Satsuma. Hollow Earth Radio, 2018 E. Union St. # A, 905-1250, hollowearthradio.org. 8 p.m. $7-10. All ages.
Fans of brutal rock are in for a treat with this show, as sludge-metal trio Sandrider and drone/psychedelia quartet Kinski celebrate the release of their split LP. The Good to Die Records release features five new songs, three from Sandrider (two originals and one spot-on cover of Jane’s Addiction’s “Mountain Song”) and two from Kinski. Sandrider made sure Side A was as massive as its sophomore album, Godhead, with “Rain,” “Glaive,” and “Mountain Song,” while Kinski took Side B down a more instrumental road on “Beyond in Touch With My Feminine Side” and “The Narcotic Comforts of the Status Quo.” Remember your earplugs; this one’s gonna get loud. With Blood Drugs. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9442, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $10 adv. 21 and over.
JMSN, pronounced Jameson, the stage name of Los Angeles-by-way-of-Detroit R&B singer and multi-instrumentalist Christian Berishaj, falls somewhere between Justin Timberlake and How to Dress Well’s Tom Krell on the “White Guys With Soul” spectrum. He doesn’t have the former’s choreography or the full extent of the latter’s falsetto, but on his self-titled sophomore album, also referred to as Blue Album, Berishaj is just as lovesick. “You’re everything I want, yeah/It’s something that you got, oh/And I just want to make you stay/Keep you here right next to me,” he croons on album-closer “Foolin’.” With Rochelle Jordan, Devon Baldwin. Barboza, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9951, thebarboza.com. 7 p.m. $13. 21 and over.
Throughout his decade-long career, Pennsylvania-born musician Langhorne Slim, aka Sean Scolnick, and his backing band, The Law, have become a staple in the folk-rock scene, known for putting on shows full of both rowdy foot-stompers and earnest, heartfelt tunes. The band’s latest, The Way We Move, captures both those sides. The album was cut live to tape over four days, so there’s a raw energy to tracks like “Song for Sid,” a tribute to Scolnick’s late grandfather, and the lively title track. The band recently completed its fifth album, this time treating itself to two weeks in the studio, so expect new foot-stompers and tearjerkers soon. With Jonny Fritz. Tractor Tavern. 9 p.m. $15. 21 and over.
Drummer D’Vonne Lewis, perhaps best known for setting the pace in avant-jazz quartet Industrial Revelation, was practically destined to perform. His great-grandfather, Dave Lewis Sr., played the guitar and taught Jimi Hendrix and Quincy Jones a thing or two, and his great-grandmother played the piano in churches around town. Then there’s his grandfather, who fronted the influential Dave Lewis Combo, which pioneered the region’s blues, jazz, and rock scene in the mid-1950s. Now the youngest Lewis, playing tonight as part of the Bill Anschell Standards Trio with pianist Anschell and bassist Phil Sparks, is carrying on the family legacy. Tula’s, 2214 Second Ave., 443-4221, tulas.com. 7:30 p.m. $16. All ages until 10 p.m.
Monday, March 2
As a producer, Daniel Lanois is known for his work with Brian Eno on several U2 albums, including The Joshua Tree and All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and for working with the likes of Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, and Emmylou Harris. As a musician, Lanois has contributed to film soundtracks, formed a group called Black Dub, and released several solo albums. But no matter what hat he’s wearing, Lanois does things with an ambient bent. Flesh and Machine, his most recent full-length, is an instrumental album that uses steel and electric guitar, piano, and the human voice to create otherworldly textures. With Rocco Deluca, Matt Bishop. The Crocodile, 2200 Second Ave., 441-4618, the crocodile.com. 8 p.m. $25. All ages.
