Friday, August 15
A common household name in rock for four decades running, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers pepper hits across modern and classic rock stations alike. The group’s latest release, Hypnotic Eye, is its first to reach the top slot on the Billboard 200, though the Gainesville, Florida natives have been charting since blues-rock “Breakdown” exploded in ‘77. Damn the Torpedos went platinum right out of the gates in ‘79 with tracks like “Don’t Do Me Like That” and “Here Comes My Girl” (it peaked at number two on the charts). Given the mostly positive reviews for Hypnotic Eye, Tom and his boys continue to roll. With Steve Winwood. The Gorge Amphitheatre, 754 Silica Rd., Quincy, Wash., (509) 785-6262, gorgeamphitheatre.net. 7 p.m. $97 and up. All ages. JESSIE MCKENNA
Too many acts these days hit the road with the singular goal of giving fans a live approximation of what’s on record. The three sisters who make up Haim do it differently. While the band’s stupid-good debut Days Are Gone has been racking up comparisons to Fleetwood Mac, its live show has more in common with Thin Lizzy. Between Este Haim’s bass-face, Danielle’s cranked to eleven guitar, and Alana’s do-everything instrumentation, a Haim concert truly is a performance in the purest sense of the world. With Tacocat. The Paramount Theater, 911 Pine St., 902-5500, stgpresents.org/paramount. 8 p.m. $30. CORBIN REIFF
Murder City Devils, the Showbox. Read more
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Saturday, August 16
As festival season winds down, the diverse lineup of the Second Annual Columbia City Blues Festival will fill you up with enough soul to last until Bumbershoot. In the mood for some rootsy blues? Singer Betsy Olson, with drummer Sera Cahoone, is on it. Want to shimmy to a blend of Delta blues and rock & roll? Gravel Road has got you covered. Hoping to catch a bit of “antifolk”? Stick around for the Foghorns. With Michael Wohl, Fat Yap Harwood & the Thesaurusauruses, The Scotch Tops, Bigfoot Wallace and His Wicked Sons. Through Sunday. Columbia City Theater, 4918 Rainier Ave. S., 723-0088, columbiacitytheater.com. 9 p.m. Saturday; 8:30 p.m. Sunday. $8 adv./$10 DOS. 21 and older. AZARIA C. PODPLESKY
Whether you long for Aerosmith’s ‘70s hard rock staples or its ‘80s and ‘90s pop hooks, the 44-year-old Boston band will serve up both on its umpteenth summer arena tour. Though response to 2012’s Music From Another Dimension! was tepid at best, the band has remained (semi) relevant via Steven Tyler’s reality TV judging, a decision that seemed to irk the rest of the band, but which has contributed to its ability to still sell concert tickets so many years into a deep career. With Slash. The Gorge. 7 p.m. $50 and up. DAVE LAKE
Fucked Up is an anomaly. The fact that a band with such a name has achieved anything outside of underground success doesn’t seem feasible. Yet the Toronto band has successfully courted an indie rock audience with its experimental punk wailing, a testament to the band’s willingness to delve into some very non-punk concepts (like writing rock operas or opening a song with a flute solo). Its latest album, Glass Boys, finds leader Damian Abraham contemplating philosophy and soliloquies on what it means to be an adult in the 21st century. With Tijuana Panters. Neumos, 925 E. Pike St., 709-9467, neumos.com. 8 p.m. $15 adv. 21 and over. DH
His father is a member of the Country Music Hall Of Fame, but despite following in dear old dad’s musical footsteps, Bobby Bare Jr. isn’t as easy to pigeonhole. Undefeated, his latest LP with Young Criminals’ Starvation League, reinforces that Bare’s bag of tricks is deep, with rootsy folk sitting alongside psychedelic, rock, and harmony-rich pop sounds. While in Seattle, he’ll encore with an acoustic in-store performance at Easy Street Records on August 19. With Cahalen Morrison and Country Hammer, The Almond Butters. The Tractor, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W. 789-3599, tractortavern.com. 9:30 p.m. $10. 21 and over. DL
