Music

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Vikesh Kapoor Those seeking a balm after the recent passing of Pete Seeger will find it in Portland’s Kapoor, who opens for Eleni Mandell tonight. Kapoor burst onto the Northwest folk scene last year with a collection of original songs titled The Ballad of Willie Robbins. His songs are steeped in the folk tradition that Seeger carried from the prewar era into ‘60s counterculture, but Kapoor isn’t as direct a musical descendant of the famed banjo-picking civil-rights activist as is, say, Ani DiFranco, who plays the Moore on Saturday (see page 29). In fact, until just a couple of years ago, the slight 28-year-old Pennsylvania native most likely didn’t even know who Seeger was. Kapoor came to folk music through a Johnny Cash LP he bought at a garage sale as a joke; and his styling is so eerily reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s denim years that it would come off as a little naive if his songs weren’t so vivid, his poetry so lucid. Like Cash, Dylan, and DiFranco before him, Kapoor carries the spirit of Seeger, which is really just the act of playing songs about the people for the people.

Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., 789-3599, tractortavern.com. $12. 8 p.m. MARK BAUMGARTEN Tractor Tavern $12 Friday, February 28, 2014, 8pm

Keb’ Mo’ It’s been 20 years since the release of Keb’ Mo’s self-titled debut. In that time, the Compton native has toured the world and kept the dwindling embers of Delta blues alive. With a new record due in April, Mo’ clearly doesn’t intend for the fire to go out on his watch. CR Edmonds Center for the Arts $42 Friday, February 28, 2014, 8:30pm

A Tribe Called Red Canada’s First Nations trio, A Tribe Called Red, fuses electronic club and contemporary indigenous music into something it calls “powwow step.” Nation II Nation, the band’s second full-length album, dropped last spring and earned, among other praise, sold-out shows and a feature spot on Diplo and Friends, the DJ/producer’s music program on BBC1. Red’s sound-aboriginal drumbeats and vocals layered with the thumping of electro bass and clap tracks-elevates electronic music to the next level, marrying the traditional and the modern. This has made the group unofficial spokespersons on current issues affecting the indigenous community: land rights, decolonization, cultural appropriation. (The latter issue has seeped into Red’s live show; adoring concertgoers donning war paint and headdresses have roused ATCR member DJ NDN’s indignation. In an interview for Huffington Post Canada, he called such acts “redface” and asked fans to “Please stop.”) The beatmakers, in town on the Turtle Island Tour, are sure to put on a pulsating show; just please leave the face paint and feathers at home. With Tang & Toast. 21 and over. MARGERY CERCADO Nordic Heritage Museum $13 adv. Friday, February 28, 2014, 9pm

Pentatonix Since winning season 3 of NBC’s The Voice, a cappella quintet Pentatonix has released three Billboard Top 15 albums, including November’s PTX, Vol. II. Whether covering Daft Punk and Lorde or creating groovy originals like the swelling dance number “Love Again,” Pentatonix bowls you over with its impeccable melodies.  All ages. BP West of Lenin $25-$30 Saturday, March 1, 2014, 8:30pm

Jetman Jet Team Neon Sigh affiliates Jetman Jet Team harken back to bands like My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive in their fuzzy, swooning heyday: Dreamy melodies glisten above booming waves of guitar distortion, and the tones are simultaneously harsh and lovely. With Blackstone Rangers, Soft Shadows, Golden Gardens. 21 and over. DUSTY HENRY Lo-Fi Performance Gallery $7 Sunday, March 2, 2014, 6pm

We Were Promised Jetpacks Scottish alt-pop quartet We Were Promised Jetpacks has been quiet of late, but that’s all about to change. The band just released E Rey (Live in Philadelphia), a live album with an accompanying film recorded during its 2012 tour. E Rey also includes a new song, a hazy jam called “Peace Sign,” which should hold fans over until WWPJ’s next album, slated for a fall release. With Honeyblood. 21 and over. ACP Neumos $18 adv. Sunday, March 2, 2014, 9pm

DJ Spooky DJ Spooky The electronic persona of Paul D. Miller is renowned for his “trip hop” and “illbient” sounds. In recognition of Black History Month, he’ll screen Rebirth of a Nation, his reimagined look at D. W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, tomorrow at the Moore. Tonight, just expect some sick, clever beats. 1 and over. GWENDOLYN ELLIOTT Barboza $20 Sunday, March 2, 2014, 9:45pm

Fall of Troy Mukilteo’s Fall of Troy pushed its proggy post-hardcore from 2002 to 2010, landing them slots on the Warped Tour and getting “F.C.P.R.E.M.I.X.” in as a playable track in Guitar Hero III. After a brief breakup, the band has reunited for this “all DIY” tour, leading to what they say will be a new, completely free album due out sometime this year. With Tacos!, Sailor Mouth. All ages. KELTON SEARS Keystone Congregational Church $13 adv./$15 DOS Monday, March 3, 2014, 10pm

Jon McLaughlin Singer/songwriter Jon McLaughlin has been delivering sweet songs with a pop-rock sensibility since 2007, when he released his breakout debut, Indiana. Seven years and nearly as many albums later, his blue eyes, dreamy vocals, and heart-wrenching lyrics are still proving a “Beautiful Disaster.” #Swoon. With Dwayne Shivers. All ages. KP Nectar Lounge $17 adv./$20 DOS Tuesday, March 4, 2014, 6:30pm