Queensryche, Mike Gordon, The Brothers Comatose and more 

THURSDAY 2.04
Queensryche
Whenever a band parts ways with its singer, its future is in question. After all, the singer is the face and voice of the band. Queensryche is one act where you'd think that the absence of longtime frontman Geoff Tate would be a band-killer. Surprisingly, new singer Todd La Torre (ex-Crimson Glory) nails every Tate-ism, from the low croon to the operatic high notes, on classics like "Empire," "Eyes of a Stranger" and "Queen of the Reich." He may not be as theatrical as Tate, but maybe that's a good thing. With Meytal Cohen and Halcyon Way. (Randy Harward) In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, 6:30 p.m., $25 in advance, $30 day of show, IntheVenueSLC.com

FRIDAY 2.05
Mike Gordon
Outside of his main gig, Phish, virtuoso bassist Mike Gordon is most prolific. Overstep (Megaplum/ATO), released in 2014, is his fifth solo studio album—seventh, counting two collabs with guitarist Leo Kottke. When you factor in his seven official live releases, and realize they all dropped in the last 12 years, that's impressive. With Overstep, Gordon cedes control to producer Paul Q. Kolderie (known more for his rock work with the Pixies and Radiohead), for a batch of sonically inventive tunes that have the free-floating feel of Phish tunes, but with a rock focus. Not that Gordon's jammy tendencies are a bad thing—when great songs and stellar musicianship collide, you're in for a great show. (Randy Harward) Park City Live, 427 Main, 9 p.m., $25, ParkCityLive.net

SATURDAY 2.06
The Brothers Comatose
Jug bands. Need more be said? With San Francisco group The Brothers Comatose, there actually is more to be said. While not technically a jug band, TBC is certainly making music that reminds listeners of something they might hear in Frontierland at Disneyland, but with a much more endearing quality to it. It's more than just acoustic Americana. Brothers Alex and Ben Morrison, who front the band, formed TBC from their fond recollections of their mother singing folk songs, and in time they had accompaniment, going from just a guitar and banjo to adding mandolin, bass and fiddle. With their first two albums under their belt, the group presents City Painted Gold (self-released) as a love letter to the San Francisco of their childhood, and a lamentation on what the brothers see as the heart and soul of the famous Haight-Ashbury district where they lived and grew up. The Brothers Comatose are like Mumford & Sons, but they don't get tiring after one listen—the music stays bright, pleasing and exuberant. With Hectic Hobo. (DB) O.P. Rockwell, 628 Main, Park City, 9 p.m., $17-28, OPRockwell.com

SUNDAY 2.07
Rubedo
Rubedo, the Latin word for "redness," was appropriated by alchemists to describe the final stage of their process of transforming base metals into gold or other noble metals or substances. Denver band Rubedo also seems like they partake of the act of refining a certain kind of sound—call it "transgressive synth-pop" or indie rock's version of prog. Comparisons with Mars Volta are apt, as Ikey Owens of that band and the Jack White Band often accompanies this trio, and he produced both of the band's full-length releases, Massa Confusa (20 Sided Records, 2012) and Love Is The Answer (self-released, 2014). Rather than the platitude it might seem, the title of the latter implies gazing into the multifaceted complexities of being alive—no small part of that being the sonic explorations upon which they embark and that beckon the listener to follow. Opening are Rubedo's Mile High City neighbors Holophrase, local avant-punk group Soft Limbs and Magic Mint, aka musical magician Andrew Shaw. (BS) Kilby Court, 741 S. 330 West, 7 p.m., $6, KilbyCourt.com

MONDAY 2.08
Enforcer, Warbringer
Thrash metal came alive with the likes of Metallica and Megadeth, and it stays alive in the hearts of Warbringer. They came together as high school friends and, a decade later, are still banging heads with hard, fast, pounding music. The lineup has changed its fair share, but the vibe is still the same, injecting fresh blood into the age-old genre. They've kept the mile-a-minute tempos, complete with plenty of double-bass thumping and tremolo picking, and put their own spin on it, combining the lyrical themes of thrash with speed metal, and the guitar techniques and melodies of black and death metal. With Warbringer comes Swedish powerhouse Enforcer. Having formed in the same year as Warbringer, Enforcer is—along with bands like Holy Grail and White Wizzard—part of the New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal—a non-denominational revival of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (which spawned Iron Maiden, Saxon and Tygers of Pan Tang), with the same studs-and-leather look, operatic vocals and speedy guitar riffing. As Warbringer keeps thrash alive, so does Enforcer keep classic heavy metal an undying phenomenon. (DB) In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, 8 p.m., $15, InTheVenueSLC.com

WEDNESDAY 2.10
Mark Hummel's Golden State Lone Star Revue
Whew! Blues luminary Mark Hummel's assemblage of musicians invokes the nicknames of two of the more sizeable states of the union, both with their share of lore. Born in the unlikely locale of New Haven, Conn., Hummel has for several decades taken on the mantle of journeyman blues harmonica hero, to the extent of a Grammy nomination and two Blues Music Awards. Lone Star guitar legend Anson Funderburgh joins Hummel, as well as Alligator Records recording artist, guitarist Little Charlie Baty. Together with Austin, Texas, bassist R.W. Grigsby and drummer Wes Starr, they form the Blues Survivors, a unit that shows the genre to be alive and kicking, to put it mildly. Local blues combo Tony Holiday and the Velvetones, nominated for Best Blues Artist in City Weekly's Best of Utah Music 2016, kicks things off. (BS) The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m., $17, TheStateRoomSLC.com

David Bowie Tribute Night: Rumble Gums, Daisy & the Moonshines, '90s Television, Coyote Vision Group, DJ Nix Beat
David Bowie was a pop icon known, more than anything else, for being a musical shapeshifter, taking on a seemingly infinite number of different identities and costumes. The loss of the Thin White Duke has shaken fans of his work, because he prompted us all to look at ourselves more closely, and ponder the myriad of identities available to us as we never had before. The Urban Lounge is hosting this tribute to Bowie's work, featuring locals Rumble Gums, whose music contains elements of rock and hip-hop; dark bluesy outfit Daisy and the Moonshines; psych-surf combo '90s Television; "neofolkelectronidelia" band Coyote Vision Group; and DJ Nix Beat. Each of these local acts will pay homage to the departed music legend with their unique interpretations of Bowie's unique genius, in a show that is but a small example of the immense influence he had on musicians in a wide array of genres. (BS) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $3, TheUrbanLoungeSLC.com