FRIDAY, DEC. 8
Will Hoge Band/Augustana/Dan Layrus
Originally, singer-songwriter Will Hoge intended to be a basketball coach and school teacher. When that didn’t work out, he started the rock band Spoonful in the mid-’90s. He's been touring and recording ever since and has written songs for Eli Young Band and Lady Antebellum. A solo tour inspired the songs on Hoge’s latest album, Anchors. After writing the tunes, he assembled an all-star band featuring drummer Jerry Roe (Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, Darius Rucker), bassist Dominic Davis (Jack White, Wanda Jackson), and guitarists Brad Rice (Son Volt, Ryan Adams) and Thom Donovan (Lapush, Ruby Amanfu) to record the thing. The album opens with the rootsy ballad “The Reckoning” and then veers into more rock-oriented territory with songs such as “(This Ain’t) An Original Sin.” Expect to hear these tracks and more at tonight's show. (Jeff Niesel) 9 p.m., $20. Musica.
SATURDAY, DEC. 9
Do Make Say Think
Nearly a decade after the release of their last album, the legendary instrumental post-rock act Do Make Say Think is back in action this year with yet another poetically named album, Stubborn Persistent Illusions (other record titles include Winter Hymn Country Hymn Secret Hymn and You, You’re A History In Rust). And that means the Toronto-based five-piece is on the road, bringing more than 20 years worth of jazz-fusion tunes to cities across the world. The new record, five years in the making due to the fact that some members also play in Broken Social Scene, shows off the band's signature interlooping guitars and drums while still pushing forward to new heights. (Laura Morrison), 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Agora Ballroom.
Ottawa/Public./Saint Light
After their previous band, the Royaltons, split up, singer Dale DeLong and guitarist Tim Czajka formed the local indie rock act Ottawa in 2013. They had a good run with the Royaltons, which played around town from 2007 to 2010, but they've had an even better run with Ottawa, which has built a bigger local following and produced more material. Earlier this year, the band released the EP Small Talk. Now, the group has announced it plans to record a new album in Atlanta. Tonight's show at the Beachland will serve as a send-off, and the group plans to play about five new songs at the gig. (Niesel) 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $13 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.
The Whiskey Hollow EP Release/The Tom Katlees/The Mason District/Meg & The Magnetosphere
A local indie rock band fronted by powerhouse singer Madeline Finn, the Whiskey Hollow takes inspiration from a number of sources. The band cites Shakey Graves, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Jeff Buckley, the Black Keys and Alabama Shakes as influences. Tonight, the band will play an EP release party at the Grog Shop to celebrate the release of Greenhouse. The group has just released a music video for the anthemic single “Wristwatch Wishes.” Local videographer Thomas Sawyer shot the video. The new EP represents a major departure from the stripped down, Americana sound of the band's first release, X Waters. (Niesel) 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop.
SUNDAY, DEC. 10
Tab Benoit/Eric Johanson
Arriving pretty consistently in Cleveland each winter, Tab Benoit returns again to drop some Nawlins heat on the north shore. He most recently dropped a greatest hits album, but to really get the bayou bliss from this guy, you should turn your attention toward 1994’s What I Live For or 2002’s Wetlands, each of which sum up Benoit’s Cajun vibe quite adroitly. Through tunes like “Blues Come Walking In” and “Time and Time Again,” he shows off his effortless approach to six-string rhythms and inventive vocal acrobatics. Check out his 2016 Jazz Fest set, which is available on Youtube. Sick stuff. Of course, you could also just stroll on down to the Beachland Ballroom tonight, where he and Eric Johanson will delight the Cleveland masses with edgy Delta blues. (Eric Sandy), 7:30 p.m., $30. Beachland Ballroom.
Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience
The son of the late John Bonham, drummer Jason Bonham does his best to keep the Led Zeppelin legacy alive by playing music from his father’s band's back catalog. For several years now, his Led Zeppelin Experience Tour offers a chance for fans to hear the classic rock band's music. And Bonham, who's drummed since he was 4, certainly has the pedigree to pull off a credible tribute. He even performed with the remaining members of Led Zeppelin when the group reunited to play the Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in London in 2007. Bonham brought his Led Zeppelin Experience to Hard Rock Live last year and now the tour returns to the venue tonight. (Niesel), 7:30 p.m. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park.
Katy Perry/Purity Ring
Three years ago, singer Katy Perry performed in front of a capacity crowd at Quicken Loans Arena and delivered a highly entertaining family-friendly performance that would’ve been rated PG-13 as she kept her banter with the crowd on the safe side, talking about the garden she has at home where she grows kale and other veggies (she even bristled when one fan suggested she grows pot). Perry’s two-hour show was never dull as she regularly changed outfits and strutted across the giant catwalk that extended about 100 feet into the audience. While she’s not athletic enough to pull off the kind of gymnastic moves that P!nk does during her concerts, she did allow herself to be hoisted into the Q’s rafters during various parts of the show. Expect a similar performance when Perry returns to the venue tonight in support of her new album, Witness. (Niesel) 7 p.m., $50.50-$150.50. Quicken Loans Arena.
