Over and Under
One big show, one smaller
Given the thickets of competition that choke the Colorado bluegrass scene, the question for acts like Fort Collins’ Head for the Hills isn’t “Can you play?” (In the homeland of Hot Rize, Leftover Salmon and Yonder Mountain, prowess is a given.) The question instead is “What makes you stand out?” The band has answered that with a smart mix of alternative influences (think forlorn 1990s rock lyrics) and a knack for driving, down-home rhythm that gets crowds to ground their heels in. Catch the group at the Bluebird Theater on March 17 and you’ll also get the pleasure of stomping along with the amazingly fun Railsplitters. Tickets: $12-$15 via axs.com. Listening to the oddball Toronto pop project Weaves, it’s impossible to predict how a song will start or where it will end. With enigmatic frontwoman Jasmyn Burke as its emblem, the band prides itself on taking chances: Punk choruses are softened and stretched over funky basslines; melodic lines sing-song up and away, like a butterfly caught in an updraft (“Coo Coo”); guitar solos are requisitely teeth-picked. The four-piece’s verve for performance is contagious, even over computer speakers. Live, it could spark a dance floor revolution, if only for a night. Catch Weaves at Globe Hall on March 22. Tickets are $10-$12 and are available via ticketfly.com. — Dylan Owens