- Prepping to set some tires on fire in the backyard
Illinois rockers Backyard Tire Fire have a knack for writing songs that sound like “back when” and “now” at the same time. Los Lobos’ saxophonist Steve Berlin produced the band’s latest album, Place to Be, and while Backyard Tire Fire rarely sound like Lobos, they have a few things in common, like engaging tunes, gritty group playing, and lyrics about real life. Anchored by crunchy guitar riffs, Place to Be features rustic-sounding songs about working-class life (“My car’s in the shop/I brought it back from the dead”) with Beatlesque melodies. They play the Beachland Tavern. Robbing Mary and Lac La Belle open at 8 p.m. Tickets: $10. —Mark Keresman
