> CONCERT SAMPLER
Thursday No Joy “Hollywood Teeth” Guitarists Laura Lloyd and Jasamine White-Gluz, who also sings, front this Montreal-based psych four-piece whose latest release, More Faithful, shows the same stylistic panache as previous 2013 collection Wait to
Pleasure, and more — as in more sophistication and dynamics, more seasoning and they’re smart enough to leave the ethereal vocals and effects-heavy wall of gee-tar sound intact. They claim they won’t be back for a while, so don’t sleep on this CMW show if power-shoegaze a la MBV, Curve and the like is your bag — they do it as well as anyone. (Velvet Underground, doors 8 p.m.)
Friday Horse Lords “Interventions” Baltimore avant-rock foursome are especially driven in live performance by two drummers, which makes them an interesting choice here to fill the belly even a little more. That’s one of the aims, with local DIYers New Fries, Mimico, Carl Didur et al rounding out the musical side of Feast in the East’s fifth-anniversary clambake. They don’t have clams on the menu, actually, but the food is good (with every $10 ticket a meal), the tuneage always offbeat and adventurous — for two nights, including Saturday, it’s your CMW alternative while that fest offers nourishing choices of its own (a Fat White Family here, Skepta and White Lung there). (Anchored Social Club, 9 p.m.)
Saturday Eagles of Death Metal “Complexity” A busy blues-rock band of some pedigree and profane charm given antic frontman Jesse Hughes and their never-met-a-riff-they-didn’t-like approach, you may well know the rest of the story how their career hit a turning point last Nov. 13 when a Paris gig was stormed by terrorists and 89 in the Bataclan were killed, including their merchandise man. Out of such horror and tragedy they were soon touring again and in about every one of the stops Hughes has been thanking the audience, as if they’re the ones rocking on, for keeping them going — the message is mutual. Now they stop in here for one of CMW’s most anticipated sellout shows, with locals Beaches and Dearly Beloved saluting them on. (Opera House, doors 8 p.m.)
Sunday La Sera “I Need an Angel” Ex-Vivian Girls bass woman Katy Goodman has sure moved on, taking this one-time, though not full-time side project and leaving her old punk band behind. A computer programmer mostly now, last year she married songwriting band partner Todd Wisenbaker. And oh yes, the band they have here is on the move from lightweight garage to their twangiest and slickest on latest, Music to Listen to Music to. Beyond Wisenbaker’s reverb-heavy guitar and their obvious, now matrimonially-bound chemistry, it’s Goodman’s welltravelled voice that’s their beacon — dialed down or full-out belting she ought to light up CMW’s final night. (Garrison, doors 8 p.m. )
Monday Joseph “Lifted Away” Oregon sister trio of Natalie, Meegan and Allison Closner have spent years around the campfire, or at least you’d think so given their clear, warm har- monies and their ease with each other. While the parallels with First Aid Kit are striking, the biggest difference is big sister Natalie with the guitar — between them their four instruments are a well-worked match and quite joyful whether giving or receiving. First time in a year ago they charmed the Drake, but this is a little grottier spot, usually a haunt of sweaty rock ‘n rollers (not their fault, the place is almost airless). At least while they’re on stage, it’ll acquire a heavenly air. (Garrison, doors 8 p.m. )
Tuesday Floating Points “Elaenia” Pearl Jam is the night’s big ticket, but for an artier experience truck on over to this gig to watch a laser light show rhythmically matched with the 11piece ensemble playing multi-suite tour-de-force Elaenia, a debut album topping many 2015 best-of lists, led by accomplished keyboardist, DJ and neuroscience PhD Sam Shepherd. At times resembling a slowed down version of Mahavishnu Orchestra’s busy jazz filtered through House and electronica, the added strings, horns, understated guitar and live drums coalesce to create uniquely trippy light and dark sound textures. The iconoclast Shepherd was raised Mancunian, after all — they do things differently there. (Mod Club, doors 8 p.m.)
Wednesday Ben Folds “Capable of Anything” In a year in which he turns 50, this is Ben Folds at mid-life — still turning out smart, tuneful piano pop but instead of a couple of woolly shirted sissies (his term) alongside like last time in nearly four years ago, it’s chamber sextet yMusic reprising their accompanists’ role from last year’s Folds release So There. It’s a bit stiff at times on the record but in concert there are reasons to be confident: Folds has retained his irreverent and profane edge, the band can swing when they want to and with a setlist drawing from the Ben Folds Five well we’re in for a few singalongs. (Danforth Music Hall, doors 7 p.m. )