Music Picks 

THURSDAY 4/28

Zebrahead (Lo-Fi Café); SLAJO (Monk’s); The Nadas (DV8); Victrola (Urban Lounge)

FRIDAY 4/29

GREAT WHITE

No, Great White will not be covering Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” when they roll into town. In fact, they’d probably prefer you not mention the infamous Rhode Island nightclub inferno. They’ve moved on, and so should you. For example, guitarist Mark Kendall recently released his solo debut, 2.0, an album exploring his softer, bluesy inclinations. New recordings of the group’s best material also snagged a slot on VH1’s Classic Metal Mania: Stripped alongside Poison, Tesla and Slaughter, among others. Come and rock out to your favorites in a room where the only dangerous smoke stems from Camel Lights. The Whiskey, 7 E. 4800 South, 9 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499.

Also Friday: From Russia, With Love (Abravanel Hall); The Used (In the Venue); Girl In a Coma, Chubby Bunny (Sugarbeats); The Wolfs, The Morlocks (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Da Verse (Urban Lounge)

SATURDAY 4/30

FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE

Bar scene not cutting it tonight? Try branching out into more refined territory with Utah Symphony & Opera’s “From Russia, With Love.” Tonight’s performance kicks off the organization’s attempt to reach new and younger audiences by demonstrating how classical music is more than gray hair and stringent rules. US& ’s Vivace presents a social networking for young adults complete with pre and post-performance activities. The event kicks off with a 25-minute discussion lead by Associate Conductor Scott O’Neil and ends with dessert and drinks at Mikado. There, you can feel classy debating whether or not violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg nailed her rendition of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto. Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, 8 p.m. (pre-concert discussion 7:15 p.m.). Tickets: 530-6683.

DAMIEN MARLEY

It’s hard to carve a name for yourself, especially when big poppa happens to be Bob Marley. Of course, when it comes to content, comparisons between Damien “Junior Gong” Marley and his famous father aren’t such a bad thing. Both artists were/are deeply committed to exposing social and political injustice with insane musical prowess. Junior is en route to establishing his own identity with more aggressive, hip-hop-flavored tunes such as the widely praised “Welcome to Jamrock,” a song painting gritty pictures of Jamaica—you know, the one affluent tourists rarely see. Suede, 1612 Ute. Blvd. (Kimball Junction), Park City, 9 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499 (with Stephen Marley).

Also Saturday: The Used (In the Venue); Victor Wooten (Velvet Room)

SUNDAY 5/1

NOCTURNE

Contrary to popular belief, cotton candy and devil’s horns are not mutually exclusive items. Case in point: Nocturne, a thunderous metal force driven by Lacey Conner and her sweet-as-pie vocals. Imagine being in a warm, safe place with your defenses down kicking back cold ones and then wham!, the lights go down, the room turns cold and the G-rated female bouncer goes NC-17 on your ass. Guide to Extinction emits similar shock and awe, saving the weary through dark, industrial anthems. The Velvet Room, 149 W. 200 South, 7 p.m. Tickets: 800-888-8499 (with Pigface, Sheep on Drugs, Voodou and The Enigma).

Also Sunday: Lower Class Brats (Lo-Fi Café)

MONDAY 5/2

THE KILLERS

Somebody told me/ The Killers are over/ But kids today still love to watch Brandon Flowers/ Whine and pine over women/ Who like to flirt with dirty men like Eric Roberts. That’s just what I was told. But seriously, what’s a slightly-Mormon-affiliated band to do once the O.C.-glory is over and the pop-music pendulum sways back in favor of British rock (see Coldplay, Doves, etc.)? They could always promote Xbox’s newest monstrosity, but that would just be silly. Maybe I should just shut up and dance. Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah, 7:30 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 800-888-8499 (with Tegan & Sara).

Also Monday: Jimmy Eat World, Taking Back Sunday (E Center)

TUESDAY 5/3

KIESKAGATO

The opening track off Kieskagato’s self-titled EP will cause listeners to perk up and say, “Hey now, this sounds like early Radiohead, or maybe Tortoise. But what’s with the horns? I can’t figure it out.” This is exactly the sort of response these Portland-based artists hope to elicit—not because they all want to be a jazzier Thom Yorke, but because they’d rather not fit into any one category, thank you. The quartet combines trumpet, organ, Rhodes and the abovementioned horns to create an indie-rock/latin/soul mixture perfect for dancing like a Russo-Spanish cat. You’ll figure it out. In the meantime, dig on this: “If we tried to figure out what was hip to play we’d drive ourselves crazy, so we just stick to our ears,” the multicultural felines told NPR. Starry Night, 198 W. Center, Provo, 7 p.m. All ages. Info: 801-427-3169.

Also Tuesday: Black Dahlia Murder (Lo-Fi Café); Rock & Roll Soldiers (Burt’s Tiki Lounge); Trip Device (Liquid Joe’s); The Conversation (Urban Lounge); The Perceptionists (Egos—see Music, p. 48)

WEDNESDAY 5/4

AMY RAY

I love “Closer to Fine” as much as the next dirt-kicker, but only ridiculous amounts of cash would persuade me to label the Indigo Girls as “hard rockers.” Which is why Amy Ray’s solo debut is such a mind-blower. Prom pits one half of the pleasant-harmony duo against her previous hold-hands template, opting for more aggressive guitars and cutthroat lyrics. In respect to American freedom she cries, “So let it ring/ You can cite the need for wars/ Call us infidels or whores/ Either way we’ll be your neighbor.” Lo-Fi Café, 127 S. West Temple, 8 p.m. All-ages. Tickets: 800-888-8499.

Also Wednesday: Dick Dale (Liquid Joe’s); Vanishing Kids (Urban Lounge); Kyle Hollingsworth (Suede).

COMING UP

Supersystem (Kilby Court, May 5). Tiger Army (In the Venue, May 6). Trashcan Sinatras (Suede, May 6). Mercury Rev, Doves (In the Venue, May 8). Mudvayne (In the Venue, May 11). The Shins (U of U, May 11). Keane (Abravanel Hall, May 12). Orbit Service (Urban Lounge, May 12). Willie Graff (W Lounge, May 14). And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead (Lo-Fi Café, May 15). Roger Sanchez (Vortex, May 21). Queens of the Stone Age (In the Venue, May 23). Bloc Party (In the Venue, May 25). Erasure (Kingsbury Hall, May 28). Built to Spill (Velvet Room, May 29). Kasabian (In the Venue, May 31).