Music Forecast 7.3-7.9: Sarah McLachlan, Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss, Zepparella, the Black Lillies, and more

Sarah McLachlan

Get all the jokes about Sarah McLachlan’s ASPCA commercial out of your system right now, because you’re unlikely to recall that particular piece of marketing when you hear her sing Thursday at Starlight. The Canadian songstress is on tour in support of Shine On, a sunny pop record that makes 1997’s Building a Mystery seem downright funereal. But even with a brand-new album to support, McLachlan won’t ignore her catalog of gloomy classics. Sure, you say you don’t really need to hear “Angel” or “I Will Remember You” ever again, but deep down, you know you really do.

Thursday, July 3, Starlight Theatre (4600 Starlight Rd., Swope Park, 816-363-7827)

Boy & Bear

The five members of Boy & Bear are latecomers to the whole hipster-folk sensation, but these Australians play the game just as well as Mumford who came before. Boy & Bear’s recent Harlequin Dream is a Fleet Foxes–paced slow-burner coated in waves of 1970s California dreams. Lead singer Dave Hosking coaxes you into a soothing, protective cocoon of sound, and the songs are pretty much perfect for a warm Sunday — which is probably what you’ll find when Boy & Bear performs at the Riot Room this weekend.

Sunday, July 6, the Riot Room (4048 Broadway, 816-442-8179)

Willie Nelson and Alison Krauss
As if the news that Willie Nelson himself is about to grace the area again weren’t enough to send fans convulsing with excitement, the 81-year-old country legend is also bringing angel-voiced Alison Krauss with him. It’s a total wet dream of a double headliner, and whether you’re into cowboy hats and marijuana or women who rock a mean fiddle, Sunday’s show is a do-not-miss.

Sunday, July 6, Starlight Theatre (4600 Starlight Rd., Swope Park, 816-363-7827)

Jeremy Messersmith
I have loosely followed the career of Jeremy Messersmith — NPR favorite and one of Minneapolis’ hometown heroes — since the release of his 2010 full-length, The Reluctant Graveyard. Messersmith has an undeniable talent for pop standards, and his dusky voice is remarkably pliable. Last year, he signed to Glassnote Records — a well-earned contract — and in February, he released Heart Murmurs. This latest yields some of Messersmith’s best writing yet; the songs start in your gut and bloom in your heart.

Tuesday, July 8, Czar (1531 Grand, 816-421-0300)

Zepparella

Whenever someone utters the phrase “cover band,” my mind immediately conjures up a sad scene of social misfits in tie-dyed T-shirts and socks-and-sandals combinations, holding up lighters for a clutch of musicians playing what vaguely sounds like the Grateful Dead or Van Halen. But Los Angeles four-piece Zepparella blasts that stereotype to bits. Drummer and founder Clementine (who goes by just the one name) originally began the project as a way to learn John Bonham’s drum parts. Now, though, the all-women Zeppelin tribute act has a decade under its belt and a diverse legion of dedicated fans. Live shows are a spectacle, so clear your night.

Wednesday, July 9, RecordBar (1020 Westport Road, 816-753-5207)

The Black Lillies

The Black Lillies were last in town for February’s Folk Alliance International Conference, and the act’s sets were among that event’s highlights. The Knoxville, Tennessee, band lives in the dirt-road dust clouds and backwoods highways where Americana, 1970s roots rock and Appalachian harmonies meet. Lead singers Cruz Contreras and Trisha Gene Brady work their instruments together beautifully, and it’s unlikely that these people will stay on the club circuit much longer.

Wednesday, July 9, the Bottleneck (737 New Hampshire, 785-841-5483)