CONCERT SAMPLER

Thursday Yonatan Gat, “Live in Sao Paulo” This is cosmic. The ex-Monotonix bandleader’s power trio is a down-toearth bunch, sometimes even inviting audience participation via percussives handed out pre-show to add more heft to the improvisational thrash built around Gat’s wickedly reverbing, Dick Dale-inspired guitar riffage. Gat should generate considerable heat and communal spirit. (Silver Dollar, doors 8:30 p.m.) Friday K-OS, “Turn Me Loose” Kevin Brereton has been plowing a deep furrow in the Toronto music ground that for two decades has yielded some of the choicest rapand-more around. Always worth a look in, he comes back here to show off latest Can’t Fly Without Gravity — some of his “crustiest, nastiest straight-up hip hop tunes you’ve done in a while,” says the Star’s Ben Rayner, but he’s still rockin’ away. (Danforth Music Hall, doors 7 p.m.) Saturday Butler, Bernstein & the Hot 9, “Go to the Mardi Gras” New Orleans piano maven Henry Butler and New York horn man and arranger Steven Bernstein are the beating, honking heart of this group that last year added all-star sidemen in the studio for a record that, fittingly, was first out from a revived impulse! label. Blind since birth, Butler’s keyboard improvisations riff on Jelly Roll Morton, Fats Waller and his own stuff, pulling from all over the Crescent City’s rich musical ground, while Bernstein’s past credits include NYC avant types Sex Mob and the Lounge Lizards. Add a top-shelf band and rarely does a marriage of old and new move as smartly as this one. (Koerner Hall, 8 p.m.) Sunday Grimes, “Flesh Without Blood” “When you get bored of me, I’ll be back on the shelf,” Vancouver’s Claire Boucher trills a little bit too knowingly on new fourth LP Art Angels. Given the near unanimous critical and public reception — this date sold out within minutes of going on sale — the best-before date is a ways off yet. Boucher brings brainy, hip-shaking pop and an increasingly strong punch live, with dancers and a backup singer, lights and explosions. Stouffville’s Nicole Dollanganger, who has a real slow burner of an LP out in Natural Born Losers, adds another dimension. Pick of the week and one of the highlights of the season. (Danforth Music Hall, doors 7 p.m.) Monday Beach Slang, “Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas” Philadelphia rockers, who needs ’em? We do, apparently, as the latest in an oozing tide from Philly deposits this foursome in a tiny venue that seems a tad too cosy to contain their ringing guitars, been-there done-that weariness and fine appreciation for oldschool Psychedelic Furs and Ramones. That’s what it sounds like to the Sampler on the new disc, The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us, as good a collection of twoand three-chord zingers and deadend town sentiments as you’ll find this year. (The Cave, doors 8 p.m.) Tuesday Choir! Choir! Choir!, “Pride (In the Name of Love)” The Tenors are in town at the ACC tonight, and that’s fine, but if uplifting harmonies are a requirement and the budget is a little below soprano heights, this is the regular place two nights a week to drop in and even join in one of Toronto’s sonic treasure boxes. The rousing power of masses of human vocal chords is what it’s all about, whether turning around a U2 standard to raise the hairs on the back of your neck, or taking aim at Miley or the Muppets — it’s not such a long line at all. (Clinton’s, doors 7:30 p.m.) Wednesday Travis Scott, “Antidote” The easily excitable Houston native’s been a busy fellow this year, jamming in a couple of visits here amid touring that included a Danforth show last winter and getting the ACC crowd ready for the Weeknd just a few weeks back. Now comes a pair of same-day shows added late to replace one planned for earlier this month. Don’t expect a reprise of the Weeknd’s surprise cameo during that sold-out show back in March, but do expect plenty of jumping around, maybe even some rhymes. (Sound Academy, doors 6 p.m. and 10 p.m.)