Music: 7 Shows to See in the Next 7 Days
Angel Olsen, Kweku Collins, Mogwai and more.
Vagabon plays First Unitarian Church on Friday. (Ebru Yildiz)
Gary Numan @ Union Transfer | Wednesday, December 6
An O.G. dystopian pop star from way back, Gary Numan is a lot more than “Cars.” For 40 years, he’s been making strangely apocalyptic rock music built on a new wave/industrial base. Following up on 2013’s Splinter (Songs from a Broken Mind), Numan just released Savage (Songs from a Broken World) — a record full of environmental angst set in a “windswept hell.”
Q102’s Jingle Ball @ Wells Fargo Center | Wednesday, December 6
Radio station festivals — they’re weird, right? I mean where else can you find Kesha, The Chainsmokers, Fall Out Boy, Halsey, Charlie Puth and Logic on the same bill? More importantly: Where else can you find fans of all of these artists in one place? Or maybe the whole thing is a façade, these are the only acts who fit the budget and the time frame, and nobody’s who’s going is enthusiastic about any of it. What if I’m just a jerk?
Strand Of Oaks Winter Classic @ Boot & Saddle | Friday-Sunday, December 8-10
Philly folk-rockers Strange of Oaks are playing three nights in a row — and the first two are already sold out.
Vagabon @ First Unitarian Church | Friday, December 8
With her softly powerful voice and idiosyncratic lyrics, Vagabon is one of the most indie rock acts to cross my path this year. Her debut full-length, Infinite Worlds (released in February), lures you in with sweetness and knocks you over with muscle. Check it:
Mogwai @ TLA | Saturday, December 9
Experimental and sometimes instrumental, Scottish rock veterans Mogwai have always moved to their own currents. Right now, they’re feeling dreamy and spooky, judging by this gorgeous single off Every Country’s Sun, released in September.
Kweku Collins @ Johnny Brenda’s | Saturday, December 9
The young Chicago rapper impresses with his smart, sly funny rhymes and overall oddball sensibility. Watch him go from mumbling to motormouth in the middle of this one:
Angel Olsen @ Union Transfer | Tuesday & Wednesday, December 12 & 13
The Wednesday show is sold out and the Tuesday one’s probably close. Jump now if you want to see one of the most talented singer-songwriters in the biz. She’s soft, she’s strong, she’s weird.
