THURSDAY JUNE 12
Velour Summer Battle of the Bands
With daily lineups packed with high-quality Provo musical talent, Velour’s Summer Battle of the Bands is a fantastic way to discover something you’ve never heard before. And since so many Provo bands go on to accomplish impressive things, these showcases are your opportunity to discover the next big thing before they’re big so that you can say you saw them first. Showcases have been in progress since Monday, but there are still two left before Saturday’s finals. On Thursday, check out ambient post-rock/pop outfit Forest Feathers, acoustic foursome The Soles, folk five-piece Coin in the Sea and alt-rock/pop quartet The Hideout. Friday will feature the blues-rock style of Queenadilla, Woodward Avenue’s folksy sound, the indie-rock vibe of Jack Pines and Wasatch’s piano-driven pop. On Saturday, the winners from Monday through Friday will go head to head at the finals. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
Velour, 135 N. University Ave., Provo, also June 13-14, 8:30 p.m., $6 preliminaries, $7 finals, VelourLive.com
Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires
Some bands tend to write their music about faraway locations, but something truly magical happens when a band chooses to instead write about where they’re actually from. And that’s Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires, who hail from Alabama. Drawing inspiration from the complicated history and politics of the South, “burnpiles and swimming holes” and other topics indigenous to the land the band calls home, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires play twangy, scuzzy rock that’s reminiscent of classic acts such as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Allman Brothers. Their second album, Dereconstructed—released in May—is an instant classic, with barn-burners like “The Company Man” and “Dirt Track.” Expect this show to get rowdy; Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires once got kicked out of a club in Texas for being too loud. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Garage, 1199 N. Beck St., 9 p.m., $5, GarageOnBeck.com
FRIDAY JUNE 13
Jessica Lea Mayfield
Jessica Lea Mayfield’s musical chops are evident from her earliest work—performing as part of her Ohio family’s bluegrass band and her moody self-recorded acoustic LP, White Lies (only 100 copies were produced, but the songs live on in .mp3 format—thanks, technology!). Her wistful, sing-songy voice would put her on the Jenny Lewis side of the alt-country family tree, but newest album Make My Head Sing, released in April, adds a backdrop of distorted guitar that both electrifies and smudges her haunting sound, pushing her into a hazy realm of eerie, minimalist rock & roll. Israel Nash and Charles Ellsworth will start the night. (Rachel Piper)
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 8 p.m., $12, KilbyCourt.com; limited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
Logic
Gaithersburg, Md., native Robert Bryson Hall II, aka Logic, is a rookie on the music scene but has talent that can rival that of rap veterans. Now on a Visionary Music Group tour titled While You Wait, Logic is performing for fans that first fell in love with his music via the Internet. He will either break your heart due to his vulnerable lyrics or have you laughing over his playful tracks. Logic’s head-bobbing beats are catchy, and his sincere lyrics are absolute poetry, intertwined with the rhythms of each song, such as on “Growing Pains II,” when he raps, “It’s my mission to murder any rendition/ busting with precision ... Logic administers sinister verses like a minister for the listener.” Quest and DJ Rhetorik will start things off. (Camri Mecham)
The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 7 p.m., $17, TheComplexSLC.com; llimited no-fee tickets available at CityWeeklyStore.com
SATURDAY JUNE 14
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
When it comes to the ability to speed-rap through topics about hydro, lost homies and even the joys of picking up a welfare check, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony are easily one of the greatest rap crews of all time. After all, there’s a reason the boys from the infamous East 19th Street in Cleveland are the only group to ever collaborate with 2Pac, Biggie, Big Pun and Easy E. Legendary features aside, Bone Thugs’ biggest contribution to rap music is arguably their bread & butter sound: harmony rap. When you boil it down, the rap world wouldn’t have the melody-infused stylings of Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky or Ferg, or even Drake’s baby-soft lines if it weren’t for classic gems like The Art of War and Thugs Stories. Bone Thugs’ magnum opus is 1995’s E.1999 Eternal, an album so harmoniously dense and emotionally expansive it’ll make the hardest thug shed a tear. Go ahead, watch the video for “Crossroads” and tell me you don’t cry a little bit. Yaboypell, S.E.M., Broken Silence and Black Lion are also performing. (Colin Wolf)
The Great Saltair, 12408 W. Saltair Drive, Magna, 7:30 p.m., $30 in advance, $33 day of show, TheSaltair.com
MONDAY JUNE 16
Neon Trees
Pop-rock foursome Neon Trees might be international stars now, but they still claim good ol’ Provo, Utah, as their hometown, and usually make sure to stop in the Beehive State even while they’re busy touring around the world. Since coming together in 2005, frontman Tyler Glenn and company have proven they’re masters of creating dance-friendly pop music that’s catchy but also thought-provoking, with Glenn delivering clever lyrics about complicated relationships, youth and human connection. Those themes are especially apparent on Neon Trees’ most recent album, Pop Psychology—released in March—on songs like “Sleeping With a Friend” and “I Love You (But I Hate Your Friends).” Stay tuned for a cover story in the June 19 issue of City Weekly about Neon Trees—especially the personal journey of Glenn—and the inspiration for Pop Psychology. Smallpools and Nightmare & the Cat are also on the bill. (Kolbie Stonehocker)
The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 7 p.m., sold out, TheComplexSLC.com
TUESDAY JUNE 17
Jason Isbell
Alabama singer-songwriter Jason Isbell put out his fourth solo album, Southeastern—released in June 2013—after a successful trip to rehab, but don’t expect a simple autobiographical redemptive tale from the record. Isbell blends his own experiences with Southern mythology to create strong country/rock ballads that are rich and captivating. Whether he’s singing with his 400 Unit band behind him (in the catchy “Super 8”), or a cappella (like the first verse of “Live Oak”), Isbell’s voice is clear and soulful, making the stories he tells in his songs that much better. The Lone Bellow will open the show. (Natalee Wilding)
Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre, 300 Wakara Way, 7 p.m., $20-$35, RedButteGarden.org