SEVEN IN SEVEN
Welcome to Seven in Seven, where we look at shows coming to the region over the next week. As always, whether your musical tastes are rock and roll, jazz, heavy metal, R&B, singer-songwriter or indie, there will always be something to check out.
Here are seven of the best on the docket for the week of March 24:
1 Why Bonnie — Friday at Kung Fu Necktie
Last summer, following a series of EPs, New-York-byway-of-Texas quintet Why Bonnie released their debut long player, “90 in November.” Throughout the LP, frontwoman Blair Howerton propels her songwriting into new realms of emotional sincerity and her band to new heights of sonic adventurousness. The songs are full of poetic, cinematic lyrics that flash like colorful scenes glimpsed from the window of a car as it barrels along an interstate highway cutting through the Lone Star State, each one a road stop revealing a different facet of Howerton’s experience. Live, the indie rockers bring a slice of that to the stage each night.
2 Goose — Friday and Saturday at The Met
Connecticut-based rock quintet Goose had what was unquestionably a careerdefining year in 2022, as their one-of-a-kind brand of rousing songcraft and spirited improvisational performances was highlighted with the release of their critically acclaimed album, “Dripfield.” The band fluidly traverse genres with head-spinning hooks, technical fireworks and the kind of chemistry only possible among small town and longtime friends. Evidenced by a two-night run at The Met, Goose are attributing much of their success to a dedicated and exponentially expanding fan base, along with a steady creative output, leading them to be recognized as a premier musical act.
3 The Murder Capital — Saturday at First Unitarian Church
Ireland’s highly touted indie rock unit The Murder Capital had their 2020inaugural U.S. tour cut short by the pandemic after just two sold-out shows in New York City and Boston. Now, with album number two under their belt, they’ve finally returned to make up for lost time. While the material on their debut, “When I Have Fears,” captured the vital beginnings of the group, the 12 songs of “Gigi’s Recovery” push the band into ever braver sonic territories, oceans apart from previous peers. Ambition is put at the front and center, with inventive, expansive guitar work paired to a precise and intelligent rhythmic unit. Electronic elements are noticeably more prominent across the record, with industrial influences explored in greater detail than ever before, with frontman James McGovern’s bold melodies acting as a reassuring anchor so audiences never get totally swept away into the band’s new found soundscape.
4 The Rural Alberta — Saturday at Johnny Brenda’s
Paul Banwatt, Nils Edenloff and Amy Cole will take their
thundering drums, hammered keys, furious acoustics and crystalline harmonies out across Ontario and Montreal before the year is out as they continue to record and release more new music in 2023. But for now, the acclaimed percussive folk-rock trio known as The Rural Alberta are — like The Murder Capital before them — reclaiming the road after getting derailed by COVID last year. Expect to hear more new and yet-tobe-released songs make their live debut as the band continues to drive the musical conversation with their fans, in real time.
5 Dustbowl Revival — Sunday at Ardmore Music Hall
Dustbowl Revival has always been about pushing the boundaries of what American roots music can be. After celebrating over a decade of sonic adventuring and playing thousands of shows together in 10 countries and counting, the group collected a devoted fanbase coast to coast. And since throwing five of their own virtual Sway-at-Home festivals featuring nearly 40 artists during the shutdown, the always evolving group of string and brass players led by founding members Z. Lupetin, Josh Heffernan and Ulf Bjorlin are excited to welcome a new wave of talent to the band after emerging from a pandemic touring hiatus.
6 Elizabeth and The Catapult — Wednesday at The Loft at City Winery
Years of performing in New York City clubs and touring internationally have honed a natural ability that brings Elizabeth Ziman’s colorful imagination, smart lyrics and catchy melodies to life. It’s a testament to why the singer-songwriter, who performs as Elizabeth and the Catapult, often finds herself as an in-demand collaborator. Her fifth studio album, “sincerely, e,” was born out of a need during the pandemic shutdown to cope with the breakdown of communication. Not only is it Ziman’s first fully self-produced effort, it was recorded in her living room during quarantine, making the spotlight that much brighter when the material is performed live on a much larger stage.
7 The Church — Wednesday at The Theatre of Living Arts
Starting out in 1980, The Church have continued to expand their highly cinematic and atmospheric blend of indie rock, shimmering postpunk, icy dreampop and psychedelic post-rock without any retread. Their expansive music career has delivered a string of hit songs, including “Under the Milky Way,” “Reptile,” “The Unguarded Moment” and “Almost With You,” among others, and their equally great live shows. Led by Steve Kilbey, the Australian legends are supporting their first release in more than a half decade, the stellar, conceptual “The Hypnogogue.”