Ghostface Killah, tonight in Lawrence, kick-starts a strong run of early April shows

Ghostface Killah

With Stik Figa and BLKFLANL; 8 p.m. April 4 at the Granada, all ages, $28

His last scheduled Kansas City show (back in 2012) was canceled, and so was his last Lawrence show (2013), but if all goes as planned, Ghostface Killah (born Dennis Coles) will keep his date with the Granada. Wu-Tang Clan bashed New York over the head in 1993 with its debut, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), and Coles delivered the album’s first verse. He has maintained his aggressive Wu-Tang style in his own material but places more focus on creating epic narratives that could double as blockbuster film scores.

Also on the bill tonight is Stik Figa, who has said of his headliner: “I was skipping school to get the new Wu-Tang and Ghostface records … He has one of the best deliveries in rap, and his choice of words is always interesting. He’s also underrated as a storyteller, ‘cause storytelling in rap kinda seems like it fell to the wayside and that’s something I used to appreciate about rappers.”

Tim Buchanan

With Jonathan Aldrich and Piper Harrow; 7 p.m. April 4 at Night Blooms, all ages

Every punk scene seems to have at least one jack of all trades, a workhorse who lends time and energy to countless bands and projects. Tim Buchanan is one such figure. While he’s still an active member of Oklahoma City’s punk scene, the music he’s been writing for his band Cherry Death draws heavily from the 1970s offerings of Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen. Buchanan’s set tonight will include Cherry Death songs and new solo tunes, making for an intimate set at Night Blooms. “If I were seeing just some dude playing guitar and singing a song, it’s gotta be really good for me to give a shit,” Buchanan says. Expect him to be worth giving a shit about.

Bummer

With Pinko and Macemouth; 10 p.m. Thursday, April 6, at Replay Lounge, $3

With Pinko (battle set) and Vohnkar; 6 p.m. Friday, April 7,at Mills Record Company (all ages, free)

Kansas City’s favorite noise-rock act had a relatively quiet 2016. The band released its first vinyl record (Spank) in 2015 and received top honors in The Pitch’s “scary metal” category. Since then, the band has been rocking shows and hitting the studio. To kick off 2017, Bummer is releasing a split with sludgy San Antonio, Texas, band Pinko, on High Dive Records, and playing two local release shows. The show at Mills Record Company will feature a battle set between Bummer and Pinko. Matt Perrin, singer and guitarist for Bummer, says, “It was really fun when we did it [a battle set] in San Antonio … at Faust Tavern when we played in a room that was incredibly tiny, and a glass door got broken and all this crazy, crazy jazz. No glass doors will get broken at Mills though, but it’ll definitely be fun.”

Cloud Nothings

With False Brother and Mess 9 p.m. Friday, April 7, at RecordBar (18 and older, $12)

“Cloud Nothings probably has one of the best records of 2017,” says Nathan Reusch, owner of the Record Machine label. “Mess and False Brother are probably two of the most exciting new KC bands that are coming up,” he adds. And here they all are on one bill: the Cleveland, Ohio, quartet that’s been releasing critically acclaimed indie rock for several years (Cloud Nothings), and the gritty post-punk act (False Brother) and the pop newcomer (Mess). Naturally, the show is part of Sound Machine — a monthly concert series curated by the Record Machine. So Reusch is biased, but he’s also very much correct.