The Polyphonic Spree comes to Saturn on Saturday, May 16. Photo courtesy of the artist.
Syndicate Lounge | Thursday, May 14 | 7 p.m.
Glostik Willy describe themselves as “hippie metal,” but that doesn’t quite cut it. They’re heavily influenced by funk as well, and would most easily be classified as a jam band – albeit one with a slightly harder, metal-influenced edge than most. The group will bring that sound – in the form of ten-minute songs with plenty of room for solos – to the Syndicate Lounge on Thursday.
Alys Stephens | Saturday, May 16 | 8 p.m.
New Orleans musician Dr. John has been working since the late 1950s, although it was his late-1960s fusion of psychedelic rock and New Orleans R&B that put him on the map. Dr. John will head to the Alys Stephens Center on Saturday to celebrate “Mardi Gras in May,” performing a retrospective of his long and storied career in addition to covers of classics by jazz legend Louis Armstrong.
Zex/Slugga/Deism/Sex Hotel/Mood Killer
MONO | Saturday, May 16 | 7:30 p.m.
It’s another stacked set from D.I.Y. Birmingham; this time, the lineup is filled to the brim with punk. The show, which starts at 7:30, will feature Ottawa punk group Zex, Atlanta’s Slugga (signed to Total Punk Records), local punk groups Deism and Mood Killer, and Sex Hotel, a post-punk group from Nashville. It’s a lineup that promises a show both intimate and raucous.
Saturn | Saturday, May 16 | 9 p.m.
A Polyphonic Spree show is a massive affair, one which packs the stage with musicians (the band currently features a roster of 22 members). The group – of which St. Vincent was once a member before launching a successful solo career – will bring a dense psych-pop sound (complete with a brass section, a string section, and a choir) to Saturn on Saturday.
WorkPlay | Thursday, May 21 | 7 p.m.
Moon Taxi have a broad sound, but it’s one that works. The group’s music features the rough blues influence of bands like the Black Keys, but combines it with an anthemic pop edge that gives the group’s music a surprising expansiveness. The Nashville-based band, touring behind their third album, 2013’s Mountains Beaches Cities, will bring that sound – including singles like “The New Black” and “Morocco” – to WorkPlay next Thursday.
