THE YARDBIRDS' 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR HITS TOWN

Holy CRAP! The Yardbirds are coming to town! It’s their "50th Anniversary Tour!" Dag! It HAS been that long, ain't it?! The Yardbirds' influence runs deep; during the early '60s, after taking the Rolling Stones' residency at the Crawdaddy, they exploded the boundaries of R&B-driven beat. No surprise—the list of ex-members includes three of rock's guitar heroes: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. I saw the Yardbirds the last time they came through and they were solid; I was impressed they played "Happenings Ten Years Time Ago"! I expect the same level of greatness, but it ain't 1963 and the Triple Door ain't the Marquee, so go easy on the amphetamines! Oh, the current lineup includes Jim McCarty and Top Topham (!); the latter was the ORIGINAL lead guitarist in 1963, prior to Clapton. Founding member Chris Dreja, who'd been in the resurrected lineup for years, recently left the group for health reasons. MIKE NIPPER
See event info »


FRIGHTWIG'S ROCK AND ROLL SUBVERSION REMAINS POTENT

(Chop Suey) When Frightwig first entered my consciousness in the mid ’80s, they struck me as a female Butthole Surfers—which is a fine thing to be struck by. The San Francisco band’s 1984 debut album, Cat Farm Faboo, flared into rude action with a feral, blown-out blues-rock that flashed plenty of middle fingers to decorum and male chauvinism. Faster, Frightwig: Kill!! Kill!! built upon the band’s bravura rock insubordination, and the Russ Meyer allusion reinforced their badass attitude. Frightwig reformed in 2012 after an 18-year hiatus, and the current lineup features Deanna Mitchell, Mia d’Bruzzi, Cecilia Kuhn, Rebecca Sevrin, and… former Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band/Residents/Pere Ubu member Eric Drew Feldman. Very interesting. Go and let Frightwig get your panties into a righteous twist. With It's Ok and Deep Creep. DAVE SEGAL
See event info »

SUNSHINE AND DEBUSSY ARE LIKE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY

(First Church) The Onyx Chamber Players present a night of French Impressionists and Romantics; it should float right by, and we hope the day is summery for it. On the program are Debussy's Piano Trio in G, Faure's Piano Quartet in C minor, Op. 15, and Ravel's Piano Trio in A minor. JEN GRAVES
See event info »

And here's all our recommended music events—tonight, tomorrow, and beyond!