FRIDAY, DEC. 15
Marty Stuart and His Fabulous Superlatives
With his latest tour, country singer-songwriter Marty Stuart will finally play his way out of the woods. He’ll land at House of Blues tonight for an intimate show in support of Way Out West, his newest record. The tour represents the culmination of a vision that Stewart had when he first assembled the Fabulous Superlatives, his backing band. By playing small, off the circuit cities, Stewart has found cultures and causes to represent as he and his bandmates were out playing shows, and all the while, Stuart knew that eventually he’d bring the band back to the mainstream in good time. Way Out West finds Stuart, long a student and advocate of country music history, continuing to dig through the layers of the genre, his way of helping to keep a form of music alive that he views as an endangered species. It’s part of what has been an ongoing process for the veteran artist, who has spent the past decade working in earnest on a series of themed projects. (Matt Wardlaw), 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $25 DOS. House of Blues.
Petula Clark
Brit singer Petula Clark recorded a number of hits throughout the '50s and would go on to release her signature song, the orchestral pop tune "Downtown," in 1965. Producer and collaborator Tony Hatch played her a working version of the tune that she liked. As much as that song turned Clark into a household name, the singer has never embarked on a U.S. tour. Tonight's show at Kent Stage represents one of the dates on her first-ever extensive stateside tour. 8 p.m., $49-$65. The Kent Stage.
Lil Pump
Rapper Lil Pump is that 17-year-old who has no problem giving the middle finger to authority. He's now in hot water with the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for allegedly filming a music video at an area Catholic school without permission. The video, featuring an actual tiger and plenty of references to underage drinking, is for the south Florida artist's huge hit "Gucci Gang." As heard on his self-titled mixtape, which came out this fall and features big rappers like Gucci Mane and 2 Chainz, the party song is currently sitting pretty in the Top 5 on the Billboard charts and fits right in with the slew of mumble rap singles so hot right now with the kids. Lil Pump, who only started releasing music on SoundCloud last year, rolls into the Agora Theatre tonight. Expect his tune "D Rose" to get a fine reaction from Cavs fans in the audience. (Laura Morrison), 7 p.m., $27 ADV, $30 DOS. The Agora Theatre.
Night Ranger
The seeds of Night Ranger were first planted in San Francisco in the late ’70s when Blades joined drummer Kelly Keagy and guitarist Brad Gillis in the hard rock trio Rubicon. Blades had moved to the Bay Area in 1975. The band’s 1982 debut, Dawn Patrol, was a hit out the gate as the album opener, the hard rocking “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” a tune that features fierce guitar solos that sound like they could be from a Van Halen song, became a smash. Expect to hear it along with the popular power ballad "Sister Christian" at tonight's show. (Niesel) 8 p.m. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park.
SATURDAY, DEC. 16
Jim Brickman: A Joyful Christmas
For pianist Jim Brickman, who brings his annual Christmas tour to town tonight, the holidays tend to be a busy time of the year. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he says he was “a little bit of a black sheep,” Brickman released his first Christmas album some 20 years ago. He’s issued Christmas albums and put together holiday-themed tours ever since; tonight's show comes in the wake of A Joyful Christmas, an eclectic Christmas album that shows off his range. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $10-$75. State Theatre.
Ohio City Singers/Alexis Antes
About 10 years ago, local singer-songwriter Chris Allen and his sister Molly worked up four Christmas tunes at their father’s request and then threw a big Christmas party to which they invited their musician friends. They played the four original tunes they had penned as well as a few choice covers, recorded them and delivered them on a CD to their father as a Christmas gift. That signaled the birth of the Ohio City Singers, a group of local musicians that plays several Christmas-themed concerts each year. At tonight's show, you can expect to hear music the band has recorded over the past decade. 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues.
Neil Zaza's One Silent Night
Local guitarist Neil Zaza parted ways with the popular Cleveland hard rock band Zaza in 1992. In the wake of that band's split, he's turned to teaching, hosting clinics and touring internationally. He also produces the Christmas concert One Silent Night, which used to take place at Playhouse Square but has moved to Hard Rock Live. Expect to hear some blistering guitar work as he delivers his hard rock take on holiday music. (Niesel) 8 p.m. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park.
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