Tonight:
GZA
Trocadero, All ages
9:00 p.m.
Legendary Wu-Tang wordsmith GZA continues the nostalgia-inspired tour that finds him performing his 1995 seminal classic Liquid Swords in full. Most of us were too young at the time the album dropped to fully appreciate his talented wordplay and skillful delivery over razor-sharp production by the RZA. This once in a lifetime opportunity to hear this cornerstone of Golden Age hip-hop should not be missed. $20
9/16:
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
The Barbary, 21+
9:00 p.m.
After two highly acclaimed albums in just as many years, the Brooklyn/Philadelphia-based quintet has decided to take a break from sold-out amphitheaters and sprawling festival performances to give fans the rare chance to see them in a more intimate setting. In the midst of writing their next album, expect to hear never-performed songs mixed with older favorites from Some Loud Thunder and their self-titled debut. Along with an expansive band that slides gracefully between off-kilter, jangly guitar rock and atmospheric, walls-of-sound shoegaze, lead singer Alec Ounsworth's idiosyncratic crooning is sure to have you clapping the entire evening. $15
9/17: Why?
First Unitarian Church
All ages
8:00 p.m.
Because we told you so! Seriously though, the only question you'll be asking after checking out Yoni Wolf's fully-realized band is "Why is this so good?" Uplifting harmonies, lush arrangements, bouncing drums and one of the most endearing voices out there hardly begins to describe one of the most unique and innovative bands touring today. Steeped in equal parts Midwestern folk, Californian avant-garde hip-hop and melancholic indie rock, prepare to laugh, reminisce and fall in love with your new favorite band. $12
9/17:
This Will Destroy You
Johnny Brenda's, 21+
9:00 p.m.
The formulaic loud-and-soft dynamic usually attributed to "post-rock" is an erroneous description for the genre and most groups are unable to perform its motifs convincingly. Even though bands like Explosions in the Sky do it well enough to avoid the label, countless clones continue to fail miserably and end up falling flat, with few exceptions. Mark This Will Destroy You as one of those exceptional few. Guitars soar, build-ups keep up their end of the bargain and pulsating rhythms are easily mistaken for your own heartbeat. This is a group that will be on the tip of your tongue soon - that is, if they aren't already. $10
