The Baseball Project, with Rookie Card:

It’s been 12 years since R.E.M. called it a day, and the band has shown no sign of reconsidering its decision. But two of R.E.M.’s co-founders — guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills — do re-team periodically in The Baseball Project, a group they launched in 2007 with musical pals Scott McCaughey, Steve Wynn and Linda Pitmon. The Project’s fourth album, “Grand Salami Time,” came out in June and combines baseball-inspired lyrics with songs that draw from punk, power-pop, psychedelia, country and more. 8 p.m. Tuesday. The Music Box, 1337 India St., downtown. $27 (must be 21 or older to attend). musicboxsd.com

Don Byron Quartet: How skilled and versatile is clarinet master Don Byron? A quick look at his discography provides a compelling answer. Byron’s superb 2012 album “Love, Peace and Soul” focuses on songs by gospel music pioneer Thomas A. Dorsey. Byron’s 2006 album “Do the Boomerang” is a potent salute to the music of R&B sax great Junior Walker, while Byron’s 2000 album “A Fine Line: Arias and Lieder” features compositions by not only Puccini, Chopin and Schumann but also Stevie Wonder, Ornette Coleman and Roy Orbison. For good measure, Byron has performed as a guest on albums by everyone from Living Colour and Burt Bacharach to Allen Toussaint, Suzanne Vega and former San Diego trumpeter James Zollar. The rarity of Byron’s San Diego performances — he last played here 20 or so years ago — makes Byron’s Thursday return especially welcome, all the more so with a band that includes bass great Mark Helias. 7 p.m. Sept. 21. UC San Diego’s Park & Market, 1100 Market St., downtown. parkandmarket.ucsd.edu/ events