MUSIC PICKS: APR 28 - MAY 4 

• Courtesy Photo

Jerry Cantrell @ The Depot
Grunge OGs, take note. A constant since the earliest days of Alice in Chains, Jerry Cantrell's been at the core of that band's sound since the late '80s, serving as a songwriter, guitarist and co-lead vocalist during both of the band's stints atop the charts. During periods of downtime, such as his band's 10-year hiatus, he's also created a trio of albums under his own name, including 2021's Brighten, which has every bit of the musical DNA heard on AIC records over the years. Even the truest of fans, listening to Brighten's songs, would be pleased by the clear AIC stamp. If the recent results from setlist.fm are to be believed (and why wouldn't they be?) Cantrell's shows are a healthy mix of solo material alongside Alice in Chains classics, such as "Would?," "Man in a Box" and "Rooster," among other faves. Jerry Cantrell plays The Depot (13 N 400 West) on Thursday, April 28. No opening act was listed at press time. Ticket info can be found at concerts.livenation.com.

First Daze @ Urban Lounge
A trio of Salt Lake's bright lights will take the stage of the Urban Lounge (241 S. 500 East) on Thursday, April 28, including First Daze, which'll be offering its debut, self-titled album, to be played in full at this show. A single from it, "Years Ago," has been released on most streaming platforms, while the group's spate of prior singles and EPs are live for streaming and purchase at Bandcamp. The group—Taylor Lines and Gui Pelaez (both on vocals, guitar and writing) and Ben Thornton (drums)—describe their work as "nostalgic, reflective and dreamy." Furthermore, "it serves as a journal of sorts and includes the frustrations of love, reflections on good/bad/hard relationships, feeling lost and trying to find your place in the world." First Daze will be joined on this bill by Daytime Lover and Elowyn. Nicely-priced $5 tickets will be available at the door on Thursday, April 28 for this 21-up gig, with added info available at theurbanloungeslc.com. Those unable to attend will be able to find the release online on the 28th, as well.

English Beat @ The Commonwealth Room
It's not as if the English Beat didn't have a nice little haul of hits during the band's initial run, spawned by a trio of albums released from 1980-82, a series that has to rank as among the best trio of sequential releases from the new wave era. But that catalog's growth was nipped by a collective falling out that saw the group splinter into two hit-making camps: General Public and Fine Young Cannibals. Though one English Beat album would come to life in the many years since, bandleader Dave Wakeling has always been smart in appealing to the group's fanbase, taking the English Beat out for occasional tour runs, such as the one hitting SLC this week, giving good play to the time-tested material of the early '80s, including classics such as "Mirror in the Bathroom," "Can't Get Used to Losing You" and "Save it for Later." Fans can luxuriate in the songs that helped define their youth, played by a band that helped ease ska and dub into many a young fan's ears. Wakeling's on his own now, long since departed from his genre-breaking bandmates, but he's routinely assembled a crack team of players to keep these songs alive and kicking. English Beat appear at the Commonwealth Room (195 W. 2100 South) with Mad Professor on Friday, April 29. This 21-up show has a later start time, 9 p.m., according to thestateroompresents.com, where ticket info resides.

Mudhoney @ Urban Lounge
Though not in support of a new album, per se, the Mudhoney's got nearly a dozen albums of time-tested material, dating back to the grunge classic "Touch Me I'm Sick," which broke through on American college radio way back in 1988. With only membership change since then, the long-running band's provided a legion of fans an evening of good vibes and memories. Mananero opens this 21-up show at the Urban Lounge (241 S. 500 East) on Sunday, May 1, with a $28 ticket price; info available at urbanloungeslc.com.

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Interpol @ The Union
Remarkably, Interpol's been a band for 25 years now, their first EP on Matador Records appearing in 2002. Part of a wave of stellar New York bands of that moment, Interpol have played a number of roles since, be it a support band for mega-stars (like U2) or a headliner in clubs and theaters, depending on the whims of the wider rock audience of the moment. The group's got a new album slated for this summer, The Other Side of Make-Believe, with a pair of singles/videos—"Toni" and "Something Changed"—currently streaming on all the usual channels, while also living as a conjoined pair of videos on YouTube. Even a quick, first listen of the pair suggests that longtime fans will be pleased with what's to come on the full-length. Like many other bands, this'll be Interpol's first touring in two years, with SLC serving as the sixth show of a two-month jaunt through the U.S. and Europe. Interpol appears with Tycho at the Union Event Center (235 N. 500 West) on Monday, May 2. Tickets are $42 and available at theunioneventcenter.com. Doors for this all-ages show open at 6 pm.