ROCKY’S BEST BETS

AFRICAN GUITAR SUMMIT

African Guitar Summit blends the dancing Ghanaian strings of Alpha Yaya Diallo, the fiesta guitar of Professor Adam Solomon and the blues of Madagascar Slim and the Mighty Popo. Extraordinary musicianship. African Guitar Summit performs Thursday, 7:30 p.m., in the Studio of the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. $47. Call the box office at 905-681-6000.

THE SEAMS

The Seams are a straightforward Toronto-based guitar band that take their cues from ’60s garage rock, ’80s nerd rock and ’90s Britpop. Their debut album “Meet the Seams” is available digitally through Hand Drawn Dracula Records. The band performs Thursday, 8 p.m., at The Casbah (Queen at King West), with With Flea Committee, Eggg and Flying Buttress. $10

BLUE RODEO

There’s only a handful of single seats available for Blue Rodeo’s two concerts (Thursday and Friday, 8 p.m.) at the FirstOntario Concert Hall (you know it as Hamilton Place). Expect to hear all the old favourites and a few tracks from the new album “1000 Arms.” Tickets are $61.50 through Ticketmaster or at the FirstOntario Centre (you know it as Copps Coliseum) box office.

ELIZABETH SHEPHERD

Protest songs are back in style now that Donald Trump has taken over the White House. Canadian jazz heavy hitters Elizabeth Shepherd and Michael Occhipinti team up to present “Artists as Activists: Socially Conscious Musicians” Friday, 8 p.m., at The Pearl Company, 16 Steven St. They’ll be mining the music of songwriters such as Bruce Cockburn and Stevie Wonder, as well as performing a few of their own. $20.

BEAUTIFUL NOTHING

Burlington indie-rock band Beautiful Nothing are working on an album called “Sleep Walk,” for release in March. They’ve already released two singles, including “The Unknown,” from the upcoming LP that’s powered by eerie ’80s-style synth-rock. Expect to hear the new songs when Beautiful Nothing perform Friday, at This Ain’t Hollywood, 345 James St. N., with Lava Dolls and Last Bullet. $7. Doors 9 p.m.