Friday 4.9
KING KHAN & THE SHRINES
King Khan and his band of merry pranksters are the kind of crew that doesn’t just defy easy description, but all logic, too. Khan got his start in Canadian garage bands before settling in to Berlin’s music scene and making a musical turn toward psychedelic rock and classic American soul. It’s a hodgepodge of influences to be sure, and the King Khan live experience is just as disparate. Depending on which rotating cast of characters Khan has with him, you’ll find one typically scantily clad frontman in Khan, a couple of sax players, a cheerleader/ go-go dancer, guitar, bass and drums. It all adds up to shows that veer from old-school dance party to barely contained psych-out mayhem. The only guarantee is that you’ll leave the show sweating from a blissful boogie-filled workout. The Fresh and Onlys and The Rubes are also on the bill. The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 9 p.m. $11 advance/$13 at the door
Saturday 4.10
KRCL CONCERT: TOLCHOCK TRIO, ANDALE, VILE BLUE SHADES
It’s not every day that local rock acts take over the stage at The State Room, but the planets aligned for the kick-off of what radio station KRCL 90.9 FM intends to be a series of showcases designed to expose Utah talent to bigger audiences. First up are three familiar faves in the jaunty guitar-squall of Tolchock Trio, anthemic rock of Andale and verge-of-chaos genre-benders Vile Blue Shades. Not only do you get a night full of some of Salt Lake City’s finest homegrown sounds, though; all proceeds from the show go to support KRCL. The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m. $12 advance/$15 at the door
Monday 4.12
JOHN BROWN'S BODY, TOUBAB KREWE
It’s natural to be suspicious of a reggae band whose members hail from Rastafarian hotbeds like, er, Ithaca, N.Y., and Cambridge, Mass. But a couple of aspects to John Brown’s Body will change your mind from thinking these are New England posers ripping off Jamaican culture. First, the eight-man band is aces at fulfilling all the traditional needs of reggae, from the potent horn blasts to silky vocal harmonies to Jah-hyping lyrics. More important, though, is the fact the band has been steadily moving away from simply rehashing traditional reggae licks, particularly after longtime bassist Scott Palmer died in 2006. A reshuffled lineup decided to push the band’s sound in new directions, including dub, drum ‘n’ bass and hard funk. It’s a winning combination the group calls “future roots.” In Toubab Krewe, John Brown’s Body may have found an ideal touring partner. The North Carolina-based quintet fuses West African influences with American sounds ranging from zydeco to surf, along with a rootsy vibe gleaned from their native Appalachian stomping grounds. The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m. $15 advance/$20 at the door.
Tuesday 4.13
OK GO
Just when you thought OK Go was a one-treadmill-trick pony, the L.A. quartet returns with another insanely popular video thanks to the massive Rube Goldberg machine designed to accompany “This Too Shall Pass” from the band’s third album, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. Granted, the new viral sensation has a ways to go to equal the more than 50 million plays garnered by “Here It Goes Again” on YouTube since its release in 2006, but “This Two Shall Pass” is already past the 10 million mark. Like past efforts, OK Go’s new album is a winning blend of power-pop and dance-friendly disco-fied beats. OK Go’s Salt Lake appearance is the kick-off of the band’s spring tour. Suffice to say, The State Room hasn’t experienced anything quite like these guys in its first year. The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m. $16 advance/$18 at the door
Dan
Nailen:
|