Mos Def: MATT SAYLES / The Associated Press
The coming week is a big one for concerts around town. On the cover of Play is probably the most noteworthy one: Actor and hip hop icon Mos Def will perform at the Bear Tooth on Thursday. Daily News contributor Toben Shelby penned this profile and preview. The show starts at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 (21 and older). Check beartooththeatre.net for more info.
Before moving on to this week’s Hot Picks, here’s a show that we didn’t get to include. Lucero is playing tonight and tomorrow at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. The Memphis, Tenn., band got its start in the late ‘90s, mixing punk rock with country balladry. I was in school in Murfreesboro, Tenn., around that time, about a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Memphis. There was a coffee shop in town called the Red Rose that used to book punk and indie-rock shows, and Lucero played there in 2001 or 2002.
The Red Rose doesn’t exist anymore, but that Lucero show always stuck with me – a tiny room full of tatted-up punks and hardcore kids with arms around each other, swaying back and forth and thrusting PBRs into the air. The band turned our little scene sentimental.
Lucero plays 7 p.m. today and Saturday, Alyeska Resort, $15-$20. Visit alyeskaresort.com for info.
Here are this week’s Hot Picks.
Fair game
It’s time again for the Alaska State Fair, which begins Thursday at the fairgrounds in Palmer. Aside from all the fried-food goodness, rides, vendors, contests and record-setting vegetables, one of the biggest draws at the 11-day event is the AT&T Concert Series, and this year’s opening-day performer is classic progressive metal outfit Queensrÿche. The fair opens at noon, while the band takes the stage 7 p.m. Fair admission is $5-$11, while the concert is $30-$45 and does not include fair admission. Visit alaskastatefair.org for info.
Bang your head
Canadian post-hardcore crew Silverstein has spent the past decade touring the world, striking a chord with fans with a blend of pop-punk sensibilities and mosh-ready riffs. The band plays 7:30 p.m. today, Club Millennium, $20-$25 (all ages) and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Koot’s, $20-$25 (21 and older). The band will also appear for an in-store signing and acoustic set at Best Buy, 2 p.m. today. Visit familytreepresents.com for more info.
Freak out
KZND DJ Fatguy has given local bands a weekly showcase for two years now, and to celebrate the anniversary, the Fatguy’s Freakshow is hosting a David Bowie-themed party, featuring the Hoons, A.T.F., Kill Tango, Rebuttals, Charts Over Hearts, Unseen Empire and Noise Brigade. Each band will put its own spin on the David Bowie catalog, and attendees are encourage to dress in glam, 9 p.m. today, Koot’s, $5 (21 and older). Visit koots.comfor more info.
Indie-rock parking lot
Humpy’s is throwing its Rockin’ the Lot Party Saturday with a couple up-and-coming local indie-rock bands providing the entertainment. Turquoise Boy and Wolf Electric perform, starting 7:30 p.m., free. (21 and older). Visit Humpys.com for more info.
Over here are Mike Dunham's Artscene picks.
--Matt Sullivan
