THURSDAY 9.8
Andy Frasco & the U.N.
Last January, Andy Frasco & the U.N. performed at the State Room in Salt Lake City, O.P. Rockwell in Park City, and at Snowbasin's Blues, Brews & BBQ series up in Huntsville. He reprised the latter performance at Snowbasin in July, and he's already comin' back to SLC. I wonder why? Well, for some reason, we Utahns love us some music that appeals to the heart and the head—and makes us think as well as laugh (see The Uninvited and their crazy Zephyr Club gigs from back in the day). Frasco is one such songsmith—a thinking pothead who seeks to inspire (see his "Afromanifesto" blog on AndyFrasco.com) while engaging in such antics as smokin' a joint during yoga class. If anyone knows the secret to bliss, it's this guy, who aims to make us all, as the title of his album suggests, Happy Bastards—just like him. (Randy Harward) The Fallout, 625 S. 600 West, 9 p.m., $17-$20, TheFalloutSLC.com
FRIDAY 9.9
Volbeat, Killswitch Engage, Black Wizard
Danish band Volbeat was one of those "Where have you been all my life?" discoveries. It happened during a round of disc golf, courtesy of a friend. At first, it sounded like his jambox pumped out nu-metal dreck—this super-aggro, double Y-chromosome, meathead rock. But there were moments when I thought I detected John Bush-era Anthrax, rockabilly, psychobilly, spaghetti westerns, Scandinavian sleaze (with faint flickers of glam) and other sounds that didn't fit that initial snap judgement. All that stuff is there on the band's six albums, including the newest, Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie (Vertigo/Republic/Universal, 2016)—the first to feature Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, who joined the band in 2013 (go figure). Trust me: Volbeat is the goodness—loud, eclectic and tons of fun. With metalcore quintet Killswitch Engage and stoner-doom outfit Black Wizard filling out the bill, this one's gonna require earplugs. (RH) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 6 p.m., $46.50 in advance, $51.50 day of show, TheComplexSLC.com
FRIDAY 9.9
Pierce the Veil
It's been 10 years since San Diego screamo-prog quartet Pierce the Veil rose from the ashes of Before Today like an angsty phoenix. Their four albums have proved that they're one of the more worthwhile bands in the genre. They also have a great work ethic: Instead of relaxing after a grueling tour, frontman Vic Fuentes channeled the band's frenetic travels into songwriting. Thrumming with their signature musical restlessness, Misadventures (Fearless) is a screaming, churning warhead of overstimulated wanderlust that tackles everything from the Bataclan attack to internet trolls. The show will also feature Welsh pop-punks Neck Deep and Detroit-based metalcore band I Prevail. (Alex Springer) In the Venue, 579 W. 200 South, 6:30 p.m., $27.50 in advance, $32 day of show, InTheVenueSLC.com
SATURDAY 9.10
Foam Wonderland: Force of Nature 2016 feat. Borgeous, Brillz, Boombox Cartel
For those who feel like taking a long shower after spending all night writhing around in the sweat and flesh of a packed dance floor, a Foam Wonderland show has you covered. The show uses gigantic pipes to douse the audience in a torrent of soap suds, making everyone in attendance feel like they're sharing the same bubble bath. While the promise of getting blasted with foamy bubbles is a good excuse to go anywhere, Foam Wonderland will also feature some of the country's finest DJs, including Borgeous, Brillz and Boombox Cartel. There's nothing quite like getting all slippery while grinding up in some stranger's business. (AS) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 7 p.m., $25-$30 in advance, $35 day of show, 18+, TheComplexSLC.com
SUNDAY 9.11
Black Sabbath: The End
It's hyperbole time! The prophecy foretold that when the world's foremost ostensibly-Satanic-but-actually-kinda-Christian band performs in a Mormon mecca on the unforgettable 11th day of the ninth month of, let's say, 2016 ... Damn it. Who spilled Tapatío on the papyrus? Andrea? Great. Well, maybe it's better that the manner of the apocalypse is a surprise. Perhaps when they play "Fairies Wear Boots," we'll all turn gay and do a Jericho Pride march around the temple until it crumbles into a pile of shredded carrots and raisins. Or Ozzy just setting foot in Utah could cause that long foretold fault-line quake. Remember how, for decades, we whispered that Ozzy was boycotting Utah because of the Mormons? Or the Mormons banned importation of English metal singers whose initials spell something sexy like, "Oo?" Well, the Ozzman cameth five times between 1972 and 1989—the first time with Black Sabbath, the band from which he vomited forth like an ugly Linda Blair. Then, nothing until 2007, when he played the Maverik Center with Rob Zombie. I reached out to Osbourne's publicist to see if we could get a quote about his 18-year absence, and ... she says, "There is no truth to the below." Not that it matters. This is supposedly Sabbath's final tour—they're even calling it The End. So let's count ourselves lucky. Whether or not Osbourne harbored a deep and abiding distaste for Utah, he's not gonna leave without saying goodbye. Rival Sons open. (RH) Usana Amphitheatre, 5150 S. 6055 West, 7:30 p.m., $35-$149, Usana-Amp.com
Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts, Bullets and Belles
Before I heard a note from Miles Nielsen, I was already a fan. I had to be; the dude—and this probably brings him as much frustration as it does pride—is the son of classic rock/power-pop legend Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. You're right: It's not fair to compare the children of music legends to their moms and pops, or even legal guardians. They have a right to be who they are, and have their work appraised on its individual merits. Miles' music can be powerfully poppy (and even has that Beatles-esque bounce favored by Trick) and his well-crafted, earthy songs are likewise slick but rough (there's even one referencing Japan, "Tokyo," to Trick's Budokan). But, unlike his five-neck-guitar-wielding dad, Miles has something else going for him: the heart of a troubadour. Whereas Cheap Trick is about arenas, Miles appears to seek a more intimate connection with his listeners, as though he'd be content playing to five scattered souls in a little dive, hoping to touch just one of them. Openers Bullets and Belles used to call Salt Lake City home—now they live in Portland. That's fine, so long as they keep bringing that delectable "Neo Doo Wop Folk" back here a few times a year. (Bullets and Belles play the State Room Saturday night. Tickets are $15 and the show starts at 9 p.m.) (RH) Blues, Brews & BBQs Festival at Snowbasin Resort, 3925 Snowbasin Road, Huntsville, noon-5:30 p.m., free, Snowbasin.com
MONDAY 9.12
Xenia Rubinos, Sarah Anne Degraw, Tarot Death Card
Can you conceive of a woman who embodies Billie Holiday, Jolie Holland and even a little Betty Davis? Keep dreamin', right? Who on Earth could conjure Holiday's smooth jazz vox, Holland's adorable indie hipster croon and Davis' funky swagger? Well, Brooklyn-bred Xenia Rubinos does—and she applies her own irresistible goofiness, sass (like when she seems to reference Frida Kahlo in the lyric, "One of these days, I'm gonna let my moustache grow back in"), multi-instrumental chops and fast-paced toast-rapping. In my book, that makes her truly the stuff of dreams. Her album, Black Terry Cat (Anti-) is that fantasy come to life. (RH) The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $10, 21+, TheUrbanLoungeSLC.com
