FRIDAY, JULY 28
Melvins/Spotlights/Blind Spring
Grunge icons who formed in the 1980s, the Melvins continue to bring doom metal energy to the stage. After three decades, the band continues to release music regularly and tour relentlessly. For its new album, A Walk With Love & Death, the band wrote songs about both "life" and "death" and divides the tracks along those lines. Sludge-y songs such as "Sober-Delic (Acid Only)" and "Give It To Me" sound like vintage Melvins with thick bass riffs and menacing vocals. (Daniela Cacho), 9 p.m., $20. Grog Shop.
Rod Stewart/Cyndi Lauper
When rocker Rod “The Mod” Stewart played the Q back in 2012, he displayed loads of energy for someone who had just entered his late sixties. He got the party started with a cover of “Love Train” and then never let up during a fantastic 90-minute set, delivering hits such as “Some Guys Have All the Luck” and “Forever Young” while occasionally dropping to his knees, shaking his ass and vamping with the band. Expect him to be in equally good form when he returns to town to play Blossom tonight with special guest Cyndi Lauper. (Jeff Niesel), 7:30 p.m., $38-$107.50. Blossom.
SATURDAY, JULY 29
The Clash Tribute by The Boys from the County Hell
For the third year in a row, the Boys from the County Hell, a local act best known for hitting local clubs and bars on St. Patrick's Day to pay tribute to the Pogues, will perform a set of songs by the Clash. Band leader Chris Allen promises that the group has added several new songs to the show and in a strange twist, the band will open for itself with a set of Pogues tune. Should be a blast. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $15. Music Box Supper Club.
Earth, Wind & Fire and CHIC featuring Nile Rodgers
The '70s funk act CHIC inspired the hip-hop revolution with their infectious hit “Good Times.” This year, the band finally got its proper due as guitarist Nile Rodgers (but not his bandmates for some odd reason) was inducted into the Rock Halll. Admittedly, Rodgers went on to great fame after Chic dissolved and produced albums for David Bowie, Madonna, Diana Ross and Sister Sledge. He also helped the electronica group Daft Punk deliver its biggest hit by playing on their tune "Get Lucky." Tonight, the band comes to town with Earth, Wing & Fire.Dubbed the 2054 Tour, the show will feature a special guest DJ and a specialized seating configuration toward the front of the stage where seats will have additional space between them to encourage audience members to "dance the night away." (Niesel), 7:30 p.m. Quicken Loans Arena.
The Shins/Tennis
Fresh off the release of their first studio album in five years, Albuquerque-based alternative/indie rockers the Shins are back with their critically acclaimed fifth studio album, Heartworms. The band rose to prominence in the '00s thanks to its melodic, surrealist indie pop/rock. After the release of their first two albums, 2001's Oh, Inverted World and 2003's Chutes Too Narrow, it soon garnered a reputation as pop revivalists due to its emulation of the hooks and melodies typically associated with '60s pop groups. With their new album, frontman James Mercer, fully takes the reins as it’s largely self-produced and since losing the remaining original band members of the band in 2009, the Shins have essentially been Mercer’s brainchild. On Heartworms, he takes the listener on a journey to his childhood with the folk rock ballad, “Mildenhall”, where he describes falling in love with music while living in England, “a kid in class passed me a tape/a band called the Jesus and Mary Chain.” With tracks like “Dead Alive” and “Name For You," the album also recalls the classic indie rock sound of their debut LP. Mercer is one of the most honest, heartfelt troubadours in American alternative rock and this latest Shins’ record proves that his appeal still hasn’t worn off. (Elizabeth Manno), 8 p.m., $37-$77. The Agora Theatre.
SUNDAY, JULY 30
Jidenna - Long Live the Chief Tour
Splashing onto the scene in 2015 with his sauntering single "Classic Man," its eventual Kendrick Lamar remix and a dandy style to accompany it all, the Harlem Renaissance-referencing Jidenna runs in a circle of alternative hip-hoppers that is simultaneously futurist and, well, classic. The dapper Nigerian-American has had a unique, worldly upbringing, his childhood split between his father’s Nigeria and New England, eventually leading him to Stanford University and a career in teaching. Rapping throughout, his music piqued the attention of visionary songwriter and actress Janelle Monae, who signed him to her burgeoning label, Wondaland Records in 2015. His album, Long Live the Chief, is his first full length release, a swaggering, diverse project that ranges from the Luke Cage-featured mean mug “Long Live The Chief” to the summery dancehall jam “Little Bit More.” The show’s been sold out for weeks, but he’s an act that merits a peek at secondary ticketing sources to try to wiggle your way into the Grog. (Lawrence Neil), 9 p.m., $20 ADV, $22 DOS. Grog Shop.
Rancid And Dropkick Murphys From Boston To Berkeley Tour/The Bouncing Souls/Jake Burns
Rancid and Dropkick Murphys hail from opposite sides of the country, yet they're spending the summer on a co-headlining tour. The two bands share a long history. Some 20 years ago, Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen came across a copy of Dropkick Murphys’ original EP. He turned it over to bandmate/Hellcat Records president Tim Armstrong, who signed the Boston-based band to Hellcat and helped nurture its career. Expect tonight's show to be a rowdy good time. (Niesel), 7 p.m., $37.50-$42.50. Jacobs Pavilion.
© 2023 Cleveland Scene
