> CONCERT SAMPLER
Live music highlights April 21-27:
Thursday
The Residents, “Constantinople” The San Francisco subversives have been at it for more than 40 years and, true to their long-standing MO, this Shadowland tour goes multimedia and masked; calling it art rock sells it a little short. A pre-show documentary film dips into the collective’s history and a bit of their meaning: “offering a different perspective for freaks.” This return visit completes a back-to-front trilogy that began at death, progressed into love and sex, and ends around concepts of birth, rebirth, reincarnation and near-death experiences. Hold on to your eyeballs, it’s the pick of the week. (Adelaide Hall, doors 8 p.m.)
Friday
Michael Hurley, “The Slurf Song” Hobo acoustic troubadour is one of the last iconoclasts from the early ’60s Greenwich Village folk scene, earning the “outsider” label owing to his surrealist outlook and often loopy sense of humour. Naturally, there’s a cavernous well of weird, hard-won stories embedded in the 75-yearold’s bones and deep song catalogue. Part of the Tranzac’s Quiet Quiet Annex Lights series, it’s sold out, with the bonus of Toronto’s Fiver in support (he’s also at Geary Lane Saturday, with Sandro Perri). (Tranzac, doors 8:30 p.m.)
Saturday
SFJazz Collective, “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough” Since Joshua Redman put together this San Francisco Jazz Festival performing band just over a decade ago, they’ve cycled through the songbooks of Coltrane, Coleman and Stevie Wonder, among others. Now comes something even more (king of) pop-leaning, as they take on Michael Jackson. Redman’s no longer involved, but the touring eight-piece is a starry bunch nonetheless, including Grammy winners Robin Eubanks on trombone and David Sanchez on sax, and superb vibes man Warren Wolf. (Massey Hall, 8 p.m.)
Sunday
Bryn Terfel, “The Impossible Dream” It’s been a pretty heady past month or so for the British opera star, with the title role in Boris Godunov at London’s Covent Garden earning him rave reviews and a theatre named in his honour at Bangor University, near his northwestern Wales roots. Nothing new in that, as the guy has sung just about every roof-raising part around, but in recital and out of heavy greasepaint he’s a performer of warmth and wit. This venue debut has him accompanied by regular partner Natalia Katyukova on piano, with the program ranging from some of those iconic roles to nuanced slices of Welsh folk, German lieder and more. (Koerner Hall, 3 p.m.)
Monday
Black Cloud, “Sundogs” On a rare quiet night on the concert calendar, the Winnipeg five-man band should provide some volume and no little atmosphere with their post-rock, which builds to a nice layered soaking from three guitars and bass. Debut LP Sundogs was out in January and brings them to this Toronto debut, one stop on a busy roll through eastern Canada. The Konspiracy provides a local ingredient for this Shoeless Monday bill, which means no cover. (Horseshoe, doors 9 p.m.)
Tuesday
Myrkur, “Onde Born” This may not be the most ideal spot for Denmark native Amalie Bruun to unveil her solo black metal project to a T.O. audience, as the warm-up act to returning Polish death merchants Behemoth on their “Blasfemia Amerika” tour. Having used her pipes to pop effect both on her own and with Danish indie band Minks, she’s now graced herself with a stage name that means “darkness” in Icelandic, an axe, an attitude and a debut LP that earned decent notices last summer, so we hope she’s ready to go full-on Nordic existential before the headliners take the stage. (Phoenix, doors 7:30 p.m.)
Wednesday
Marisa Anderson, “Galax” Imagine a guitarist with Ry Cooder’s slide chops and the idiosyncratic finger-style mastery of John Fahey and Jorma Kaukonen, and you’re approaching ace axe-wielder Marisa Anderson’s wheelhouse. The multiinstrumentalist hails from Oregon by way of California, where she woodshedded in band the Dolly Ranchers before striking out on her own 10 years ago. Now a solo performer, her blues, country and drone roots run rampant during largely improvised set pieces, and she’s touring in anticipation of early summer release Into the Light. Not just for guitar nerds but connoisseurs of steel-string Americana period; add returning visitor Circuit des Yeux and it’s a strong, contrasting double bill. (Ratio, doors 8 p.m.)