Live: Music Picks Feb.18-24 

THURSDAY 2.18
The Budos Band
After three albums and an EP, each named eponymously and/or numerically, The Budos Band decided to "embark on a new sound" that's "nothing like our first record" with Burnt Offering (Daptone). While it's still rooted in Afrobeat, funk and blaxploitation-era soul, the band gets sonically and thematically darker, incorporating subtle psych- and stoner-rock influences (fuzzier guitar, and more of it). Given the band's horror film fandom, the title might even be a reference to the 1976 Karen Black/Oliver Reed horror film Burnt Offerings. Since horror plus blaxploitation equals Blacula, this might seem an odd pairing. But Blacula is good for some genuine creeps, and there are moments on the album that deliver the same. Opening number "Into the Fog" sets an ominous tone with its introductory drone, and foreboding guitar-and-drum march. And the title track, with its wailing organ, keening (and slightly raspy) trumpet, fuzzy guitar, psychotic keys and pulsating effects creates a distinct "Coffin Joe Comes to Harlem" vibe. While not vastly divergent, it's certainly different—and a natural evolution for the band. The Weekenders, nominated for Best Rock Artist in City Weekly's Best of Utah Music 2016, kick things off. (RH) The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m., $23, TheStateRoomSLC.com

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY 2.19, 20, 21
BeauSoleil Avec Michael Doucet
In the world of Cajun, Creole and zydeco music, Lafayette, La., group BeauSoleil is the gold standard—and they have been for more than 40 years. They have two Grammy Awards to prove it, but a better testament to their majesty is the band's 25-album discography. A virtual encyclopedia set of swampy American roots music, it even dips into rock, blues, calypso, Tex-Mex, bluegrass and jazz, showing the band not only being faithful to, but expanding on, the music they've championed since 1975. Their most recent release, From Bamako to Carencro (Compass) came out in 2013 and finds the band flavoring their Cajun/Creole base with jazz, blues and R&B. But isn't that just zydeco? Eh, whatever. Laissez les bon temps rouler! (RH) The Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main, Park City, Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 6 p.m., $29-45 ($5 more if purchased within 30 minutes of start time), EgyptianTheatreCompany.org

FRIDAY 2.19
Reel Big Fish
When Reel Big Fish opened for Blondie in 1999, they granted a backstage interview to this cub reporter. They made the occasion special by cramming all seven members of the band into a single toilet stall for a photo. And, in their dressing room (the Grizzlies locker room at the now-Maverik Center), they did magic tricks, like putting a banana through an apple and making cold cuts fly. That sort of buffoonery is part of what makes RBF shows a reliably good time—that, and their relentless musical merriment. Ska is just fun music, with all those happy horns, chick-chinking guitar chords and goofy, cynical and sardonic lyrics. In RBF's case, the latter covers selling out, losing your girlfriend to another girl and how, if you run into an asshole in the morning, you met an asshole—and if you run into assholes all day, you're the asshole. Throw in skanked-out hair metal and '80s covers from the likes of Poison, Europe, Lita Ford, Slade, Van Morrison, Nirvana, Tom Petty and A-ha, and you've got yourself a party. With Suburban Legends and The Maxies. (RH) In the Venue, 219 S. 600 West, 7 p.m., $19, IntheVenueSLC.com

SATURDAY 2.20
Calabrese
A horror-punk band of brothers from Phoenix, Ariz., Calabrese (the last name of Bobby, Jimmy and Davey) mines The Misfits and even, at times, cops the same 1950s vibe and Jim Morrison-esque vocal sound so adored by Glenn Danzig. Sometimes they even conjure the spirt of Joey Ramone. Their horror fandom isn't limited to monster movies, however. The Traveling Vampire Show (2007) is named for late underground-horror author Richard Laymon's Bram Stoker Award-winning book, and features two songs named for other Laymon books. What's more, Calabrese III: They Call Us Death (2010) has a song named for Laymon's most harrowing novel, Endless Night. That goes to show that Calabrese not only knows their punk rock, but also what is truly frightening—which greatly endears them to fans of horror-punk. On Lust for Sacrilege (Spookshow, 2015), the band keeps one foot in the horror-punk grave (one song tributizes Lucio Fulci's giallo film, The New York Ripper), but shows they're evolving in a more accessible direction, which sounds scary (like a sell-out), but it's not. It's just Calabrese, pulling in welcome rock and metal influences, while retaining their punk cred. Not an easy task. (RH) Club X, 445 S. 400 West, 8 p.m., $10 in advance, $15 day of show, ClubXSLC.com

MONDAY 2.22
Galactic
Initially formed as Galactic Prophylactic in the mid-'90s, this New Orleans, sextet dropped the condom reference before issuing their debut, Coolin' Off (Fog City) in 1996. Since then, they've been on their own musical planet, working with a base of predominantly jazz, funk and soul. In recent years, they've increased their NOLA focus, and their musical gravity has pulled in a string of rappers (Lyrics Born, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab) and other collaborators, including J.J. Grey, Macy Gray and Mavis Staples on their latest, Into the Deep (Provogue). Expect the night to be an epic, intergalactic adventure. (Randy Harward) Park City Live, 427 Main, Park City, 9 p.m., $25-$45, ParkCityLive.net

TUESDAY 2.23
STRFKR, Com Truise
STRFKR grew out of frontman Joshua Hodges' disdain for the bragging faux intellectuals of Portland, and the group's blend of dance and pop is a lot like the theme to Portlandia. Coincidence? They've just released their first work since 2013, when they came out with Miracle Mile (Polyvinyl), a single called "Never Ever," still ever faithful to their unique style. Meanwhile, Com Truise (a spoonerism of Tom Cruise) has the power of nostalgia behind him with Seth Haley's stage name for producing techno music sounding like it belongs on the soundtrack to basically any '80s movie ever made. As synth-heavy as it gets, Com Truise's music pays homage to Reagan-era technopop with almost cinematic scope. After two full-length releases, Galactic Melt and In Decay, four EPs, and more than 30 remixes (Neon Indian, El Ten Eleven, ZZ Ward), the Los Angeles-based producer will put out the Silicon Tare EP (Ghostly International) in April. Fake Drugs open. (DB) The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $21 ($2 surcharge if you're under 21), DepotSLC.com

WEDNESDAY 2.24
Megadeth, Children of Bodom, Havok
After 15 albums and 33 years, singer-guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson are the group's only remaining original members, but they keep asserting their place in heavy metal's Big Four, along with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. Their most recent release, Dystopia (Universal), features the expected technical riffs, virtuosic solos and themes of death, destruction and chaos. Longtime Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler will accompany them on tour. Supporting act Children of Bodom exists somewhere between melodic death metal and thrash, with elements of power metal popping up on I Worship Chaos (Nuclear Blast). American thrashers Havok open. (Doug Brian) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 6 p.m., $40 in advance, $45 day of show, TheComplexSLC.com