Bad Religion, Schoolboy Q, Purity Ring and the rest of the week’s big shows
Bad Religion, Against Me
Tuesday night’s show at the Midland will be a special treat for punk-rock historians: Heroic Los Angeles band Bad Religion — forever cherished for 1982’s classic How Could Hell Be Any Worse (a title worth revisiting this election year) — takes the stage. Lead singer Greg Graffin — who holds a zoology Ph.D. from Cornell University — is graciously taking time off from a schedule full of lecturing and writing about evolution to get back in touch with his punk roots. (If you’ve been paying attention to his extensive solo career, you know he never really let go.) Gainesville, Florida, act Against Me is co-headlining, and if you haven’t listened to the band’s latest, Shape Shift With Me — on which lead singer Laura Jane Grace rages for her life — you’re missing out.
8 p.m. Tuesday, October 18
Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
Schoolboy Q
L.A.’s Schoolboy Q — Quincy Hanley to his mom — is having a great year. The rapper’s latest album, Blank Face, released in July, is a heavy-hitting exercise in swagger and audacity. Q’s verses fall like bare-knuckle punches on a listener’s ears, but it’s the kind of honest pain that feels good — it reaches you, somehow, even though these days you’ve convinced yourself you’ve heard it all. Q’s supercharged flow angles for a fight. It helps that Blank Face is bolstered by a veritable who’s who in hot hip-hop, from Vince Staples to breakout rapper Anderson Paak. Monday at the Midland, allow yourself to be impressed.
8 p.m. Monday, October 24
Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
Purity Ring, Health
Purity Ring always sounds ready to provide the soundtrack to a romantic night at the carnival: Its music is just whimsical and dreamy enough for the Ferris wheel, without forgetting to invite dancing, too. The echoey synths and tinny electronic drumbeats suggest a funhouse. On the Canadian band’s latest album, Another Eternity, lead singer Megan James sounds sweet, almost childishly so, her voice airy and light — a fine match for musical partner Corin Roddick’s twinkling production. Wednesday at the Uptown, Purity Ring is joined by L.A.’s Health, which also specializes in electro-pop — though no one could accuse Health of committing romance. Its music is a sludgy, moody, nightmarish noise; the band’s latest album, Death Magic, feels more like the inspiration for a cult thriller than it does the background for someone’s date night. Bills don’t get much more different than this.
8 p.m. Wednesday, October 26
Uptown Theater
Thursday 10.20
Todd Wilkinson Quartet
7 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Maria Bamford
7:30 p.m., Folly, 300 W. 12th St.
Hopsin
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Ken Lovern Trio
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Chris Hazelton Quartet
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Maria Muldaur with Romi Mayes
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Ivory Black, Casey Bassell, the UK’s
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Bongzilla, Wizard Rifle, more
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Clutch with Zakk Sabbath and Kyng
8 p.m., Uptown, 3700 Broadway
Friday 10.21
Lady D
5 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Rich Hill/Charles Perkins Quartet
8:30 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Tambourine Club
9 p.m., the Brick, 1727 McGee
Vela, Rev Gusto, Trauma Parlor, Lunarheadz
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Drew Black and the Dirty Electric, Vehicles, Vigil & Thieves
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
The Dillinger Escape Plan
6 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Tim Whitmer
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Max Groove Quartet with Ernest Melton
8:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Boogaloo 7
10 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Wonderfuzz
10 p.m., Kelly’s, 500 Westport Rd.
Hamilton Loomis
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
J.D. McPherson
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Paper Moon Shiners
8:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Il Divo: Amor & Pasion Tour
8 p.m., Midland, 1228 Main
Cher UK, the Pedaljets, Squids KC
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Epiphany, Approach & the Boogaloo Odyssey
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Leprous, Earthside, Binary Code, Dissona, Existem
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Saturday 10.22
Denise Donatelli featuring Don Braden and Ed Howard
8:30 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
Oh Dear Oh My, Sona, Bird Girls
9 p.m., the Brick, 1727 McGee
Astronautalis, Ceschi & Factor Chandelier, Transit
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Naughty Pines, Betse & Clarke with Brushy Creek, Scott Hrabko & the Rabbits, Sky Smeed and more
8 p.m., Davey’s Uptown Rambler’s Club, 3402 Main
Ben Bliss
7 p.m., Folly, 300 W. 12th St.
Hammerween VII
4:30 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Molly Hammer Duo
5 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
OJT
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Kansas
7:30 p.m., Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway
Flannigan’s Right Hook
10 p.m., Kelly’s, 500 Westport Rd.
Jason D. Williams
8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
Jake Penrod
9 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
J.D. McPherson
9 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
California Voodoo
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Hammerween VII Afterparty with Fantome, Young Bull, Dead Man’s Hand, Restraint
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Black Pussy, Merlin, Orphans of Doom, Custom Black
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Sunday 10.23
Kathleen Holeman
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Ernest Melton Quartet
9:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Helado Negro, Scammers
7 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Truckstop Honeymoon
5 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
True Widow, Low Lands, Dream Ritual
7:30 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Monday 10.24
Seth Lee
7 p.m., Blue Room, 1616 E. 18th St.
The Summer Set
6 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Todd Strait Trio
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Crossroads Quartet
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Crushed Out, Bruiser Queen, Drugs & Attics
7 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Tuesday 10.25
Aqueous, Gekko
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
Johnnyswim
7 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Molly Hammer Duo
6 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Melton, Lovern & Strait
9:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Vein Rays, Thom Hoskins, the Perfect Things, Mirin Landry
9 p.m., MiniBar, 3810 Broadway
Whores, Bummer, Hyborian, Tongue Party
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Walk By Sea, La Guerre, Laissez-faire
10 p.m., Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Autograf + Goldroom
7:30 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
Wednesday 10.26
Diamond Empire
9 p.m., the Brick, 1727 McGee
The Main Squeeze, Evanoff
8 p.m., Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire, Lawrence
UMKC Conservatory Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble
7:30 p.m., Folly, 300 W. 12th St.
Hy-Tekk Forward Thinkers Halloween Party
8 p.m., Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Lawrence
Natalie Bates Trio
5:30 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
OJT
9 p.m., Green Lady Lounge, 1809 Grand
Outlaw Jim & Whiskey Benders with Julie Major Trio
7:30 p.m., Knuckleheads, 2517 Rochester
The Dean Ween Group, the Meat Puppets
8 p.m., RecordBar, 1520 Grand
Lemâitre
8 p.m., Riot Room, 4048 Broadway
