This weekend is great if you love seeing bands with funny and/or excessively long names. It’s also good if you enjoy seeing solid live music, as there are plenty of big tickets to be excited about as well as more local bills. See for yourself, pal.
Thursday, Feb. 20
Looking to get down like a clown but without feeling like a total clown? Go see Big Gigantic at House of Blues. The Colorado-based sax-fueled jamtronica act is so funky that every glowstick-wearing candy kid in attendance is sure to be dancing like a fool (with gLAdiator and Dark City Agent; 8 p.m., $25, 18+). For a more sexy, haze pop option, head to Royale where Los Angeles duo Rhye shares the stage with Maryland’s Ricky Eat Acid (9 p.m., $22, 18+). One of the bands leading the new wave of emo is Chicago’s Into It. Over It. which plays The Sinclair with The World is a Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (with A Great Big Pile of Leaves and Dreamtigers; 8 p.m., $15, all ages). The rock options continue with Jamaica Plain funk punks Designer and Allston trio Kal Marks (with New Turks and Dead Cats Dead Rats; 8 p.m., $8, 21+) and Nashville fuzz rockers Cheap Time at Church (9 p.m., $10, 21+).
Friday, Feb. 21
Bummed that Lake Street Dive is all sold out? You shouldn’t be because that means the former local band is doing something right. There are always other shows to check out, too. Bluegrass/folk hybrid Railroad Earth is one of the better rootsy performers on the road these days, with picked-out jams and a constant spin on bluegrass music. The band hits House of Blues with local acoustic trio The Ballroom Thieves (7:30 p.m., $22.50, all ages). If you crave more of a hard-nosed option, head to O’Brien’s, where local punks Grass Is Green is still buzzing off of its latest release “Vacation Vinny” (with Alarms and Controls, Lady Bones, and Horsehands; 8 p.m., $8, 21+) or go dig a different kind of punk at Tasty Burger in Harvard Square with the sounds of Half Sour, Blessed State, and Lost Twin (9 p.m., free, all ages). Good Life is guaranteed to get you moving on any random weekend night, but tonight it welcomes dubstep influencer Youngsta as part of a label takeover (with AxH and DanInAllston; 10 p.m., $10, 21+).
Saturday, Feb. 22
Big Head Todd and the Monsters has been a household some for nearly 30 years now. The Colorado rock band is now touring behind a new album, “Black Beehive” and will be at House of Blues with Ronnie Baker Brooks and Hazel Miller (7 p.m., $25, all ages). On the opposite end of the spectrum, Santa Barbara synth pop youngsters Gardens & Villa also dropped a new record a couple of weeks ago and will take the stage at the Middle East Upstairs (with Waterstrider; 7 p.m., $12, 18+). Allston punk trio Sneeze heads to Tasty Burger to chow down and rock on with a bunch of other shredders (with The Dirty Nil, Idiot Genes, and Zip-Tie Handcuffs; 9 p.m., $6, all ages).
Sunday, Feb. 23
Royale has one of the more buzzed about metal bills that Boston has seen in a while. Even though Between the Buried and Me tops the lineup, it’s San Francisco indie black metal band (a term that true metal heads might cringe at) Deafheaven that is raising the most chatter (with Intronaut and The Kindred; 7:30 p.m., $22, all ages). Barcelona-based dance quartet Delorean makes a trip overseas to play Sinclair in a show that was rescheduled from the fall (with Until the Ribbon Breaks; 8 p.m., $16, 18+). Local legend Thalia Zedek celebrates the release of a new EP at Atwood’s before heading out on a European tour next week (with Field Day; 9:30 p.m., $10, 21+). Bass music dance night The Drop! turns three years old tonight, featuring Pennsylvania trap artist BUKU at Phoenix Landing (with Steve Marsden and Dan Harder; 10 p.m., $10 for 19+, $7 for 21+).
[Photo Credit: Dave Vann]
