FRIDAY, MAY 3
Red Wanting Blue/The Trews
Through the years, the true-to-Ohio indie rock act Red Wanting Blue has attached itself to scenes in Athens, Cleveland and Columbus. In 2016, they celebrated with a 20th anniversary retrospective album/concert film entitled RWB20 Live at Lincoln Theater, which captured the band at a sold-out hometown show in Columbus. They also just unveiled the video for the new single “I’ve Got a Feeling it Hurts,” a lovely duet with a former tour mate, powerhouse singer Liz Brasher. (Jeff Niesel) 8 p.m., $33 ADV, $38 DOS. The Kent Stage.
SATURDAY, MAY 4
New Kids On the Block/Salt-n-Pepa/Tiffany/Debbie Gibson/Naughty By Nature
When New Kids on the Block played the Q in 2017, they started off the set with “One More Night,” which segued into “My Favorite Girl." They then they quickly delivered the goods with “You Got It (The Right Stuff)," a track they punctuated with pelvic thrusting. They also knew how to pander to the crowd; Donnie Wahlberg changed the song's lyrics to “All that I wanted was Cleveland…and all that I needed was Ohio.” The guys spent most of the night on the stage extension, a winding maze that extended through a portion of the crowd. Expect something similar this time around as the group comes to town on its MixTape tour. (Julia Charvat), 8 p.m., $29.95-$109.95. Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Pete Seeger 100th Birthday Party Featuring John McCutcheon
Generally regarded as a master of the hammered dulcimer, veteran folkie John McCutcheon only learned to play the instrument by happenstance. He had a girlfriend back in the early 1970s who went to a summer workshop at a West Virginia college. One of the classes was instrument building. They built a couple of different instruments. A hammered dulcimer was the first one. So on a visit to see her, McCutcheon learned to play it. That was a time when you couldn't just sign up for a class or go online and watch a YouTube video that would instruct you how to play an instrument. That kickstarted his career and he's just now issued his 40th album, a tribute to folk singer Pete Seeger. Tonight, McCutcheon will play Seeger songs alongside tracks from his other albums. A multi-instrumentalist, he'll jam on guitar, banjo, piano, hammered dulcimer and more. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $27 ADV, $32 DOS. The Kent Stage.
Michael Stanley & Friends Benefit Concert for Cleveland Arts Prize
Earlier this year, Cleveland Arts Prize (CAP) announced that it’ll give singer-guitarist Michael Stanley a special Lifetime Achievement Award to acknowledge not only his 50-year career as a musician but also his work in local media and his philanthropic endeavors. Tonight at the Beachland Ballroom, an event honoring Stanley will feature a pre-show VIP party in the tavern, a silent auction in the lobby and a special CAP benefit concert featuring an acoustic performance with Stanley and friends. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $85-$275. Beachland Ballroom.
SUNDAY, MAY 5
Leon Bridges/Jess Glynne
Last year, R&B singer Leon Bridges had a banner year that included rave reviews for his sophomore effort, Good Thing. The album commences with the piano ballad “Bet Ain’t Worth the Hand,” a song that enables Bridges to show off his soulful voice. “Don’t get your feelings broken for nothin'," he croons on the track. The rest of the album is a little livelier as Bridges gets funky on “Bad Bad News” and "If It Feels Good (Then It Must Be)," uptempo tracks that should translate well when he plays them live. (Niesel) 7 p.m. Jacobs Pavilion.
Todd Rundgren
Earlier this year, singer-guitarist Todd Rundgren embarked on a concert/book tour that supports his autobiography, The Individualist: digressions, dreams and dissertations. The show's setlist will feature songs from the inception of his musical career through 1996. The performances that take place tonight and tomorrow night at the Ohio Theatre will also include segments during which Rundgren will tell the stories behind the songs and answer questions from the audience. (Niesel), 7:30 p.m., $39.50-$75. Ohio Theatre.
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