• Thom Jackson
• The Reverand Horton Heat

Queer's Revolt! @ Aces High Saloon 4/27
Queers Revolt! is a monthly showcase that highlights queer talents in spaces that don't normally exist outside of drag shows and Pride festivals. After founding the Pride party staple Genderfuq and theholiday queer event Transgiving, The Rock Princess, aka Sofia Scott (frontwoman for Shecock With A Vengeance) knew there has never been a better time to celebrate queerness through music than now. Her band, Shecock, started as a passion project that was performed solo during the drag scene of 2013. It then evolved into an opener for live music acts and eventually a three-piece band in 2017. Shecock then reformed in 2022 as a rare all-transgender lineup, influenced by music exuding feminist and genderqueer iconography, from New York Dolls to Brtiney Spears, Hole to Pat Benatar and beyond. One track at a time, Shecock is releasing an all new EP entitled "Tranosaur" with two of the three music video tracks exclusively available on their YouTube channel @shecockband. If you haven't seen them live, get in and have your face melted. The guitar solos are even more blistering in the flesh. Queers Revolt! is here to make a space for proper representation. Whether you're on stage or in the audience. There's a place for everything here except bigotry. Playing the April showcase is Choice Coin, Down River, Fight the Future, King Cyborg and Shecock. Catch these acts on Thursday, Apr 27 at 7 p.m. General admission tickets for the 21 and over show are $5 and can be purchased at the door. More information can be found at aceshighsaloon.com (Mark Dago)

The Reverend Horton Heat @ Metro Music Hall 4/30
If you don't have plans for your Sunday sabbath, you've lucked out and your soul might still very well be saved. Gather all ye in your rockabilly garb and Bettie Page bangs to worship The Reverend Horton Heat live at the house of the holy Metro Music Hall—and a beer while you're at it! You might know this Texas trio from their notorious '91 Sub Pop debut "Smoke 'em if You Got 'em," although the group's impressive genre-fusing discography of rockabilly, psychobilly, blues and dare-I-say-crooning sounds equal parts classic and fresh—and therefore timeless. While some tracks feel cleanly and quirky like a sweet little show tune (think "Grease Lightnin'"), others pinch a nerve with cool cutting chords and dark desert dust. If you welded the enduring voices of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presely to an edge as sharp as The Cramps and The Gun Club, you would get the pin-stripe wearing, sharp shooting The Reverend Horton Heat. And hell, I'll say it: modern garage rock has rockabilly to thank for its resurgence, which paved the lonesome road for acts like the Black Lips, the White Stripes, and The Black Keys (I'm sensing a christening theme...). Joined onstage by openers The Delta Bombers and The Dusty 45's, I recommend you dust off your blue suede shoes and trot yourself down to the 21+ show exactly when doors open at 7:00pm so as not to miss a second. Tickets can be purchased online at 24tix.com. (Sophie Caligiuri)

• Matheus CBarR
• Anime Girlfriend

Anime Girlfriend, Taphy, June Rose @ Kilby Court 5/1
Plenty of large acts come through SLC, but lineups made up entirely of locals are some of the best. Connecting with members of the community who play and love to jam to fun music in the area is always a night well spent. Starting the party is singer/songwriter June Rose, who grabs an acoustic guitar and makes songs that are at times light and whimsical, and others that are more morose and contemplative. One of their songs, "Oh no! Snakes!," has a funny and charming music video that blends the whimsy, fun and sad vibes all together to create a fun adventure rife with art references and indie music vibes. Joining Rose is Taphy, who according to their Instagram, creates "delectable, chewy songs you can feel." Taphy is a solo psych project who has some great tracks out, but some of their best are on the EP oxford comma. There's some really cool psych beats that will keep you coming back for more. There are some instrumental tracks like "never let me go instrumental," and "golden boy instrumental" that offer listeners a chance to sink into those beats, while others have Taphy's effect driven vocals that transport you to another dimension. Leading the charge is Anime Girlfriend, a "badass, moody contemporary emo indie girl" rock group, as stated on Instagram. The quartet makes good on their emo indie description, performing songs that will transport any emo kid straight back to the early aughts. The quartet has a great chemistry, and it will be exciting to see some releases from the group going forward. Grab tickets for this local lineup for Monday, May 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all ages show are $10 and can be found at kilbycourt.com. (Emilee Atkinson)

• Calvin Lee Joseph
• Begonia

Begonia, Rachael Jenkins @ Kilby Court 5/3
Alexa Dirks, AKA Begonia, describes her latest album Powder Blue with vivid imagery: her baby blanket, the airiness of clouds on a summer day, chlorine-filled water in a hotel pool, circa-1970s Elvis Presley wearing an ill-fitting jumpsuit and her collection of faded denim jackets, according to her website bio. "Powder Blue is more of an emotion," she explained. "The name of this album needed to be something that encompasses all of the feelings that these songs give me when they are put together. When I listen to them as a unit, they send me back to the words, the color." Powder Blue is indeed an emotionally intense body of work that's peppered with beautiful and entrancing vocals along with background music that changes moods quickly, but never feels out of place. This album is the singer's second full release, and it's certainly an incredible one. Joining Begonia is local singer/songwriter Rachael Jenkins. This is a fantastic pairing as Jenkins and Begonia are both powerhouses vocally, and write songs that pierce your soul. If you need an evening of moody songs that will have you contemplate life and your relationships, this is the show for you. Come see these incredible singers on Wednesday, May 3 at 7 p.m. Tickets for the all ages show are $15 and can be found at kilbycourt.com. (EA)

• Paul Natkin
• ZZ Top

ZZ Top @ Eccles Theater 5/3
Famously known as "That Little Ol' Band From Texas," ZZ Top possesses a hard driving blues and boogie legacy that dates back to the late '60s. Instantly identifiable by the two frontmen's trademark beards, spinning guitars and synchronous stance, they quickly found their way to the musical mainstream courtesy of such rarified rockers as "La Grange," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs," among the many. Given the official title of "Heroes of The State of Texas" and inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, their unique persona has also imbued them with an iconic image that's been repeatedly referenced in the mass media. Nevertheless, their sales speak for themselves, given that their Eliminator album became one of the music industry's first recordings to be certified "Diamond," a mega status reflecting domestic sales of 10 million units.

The subject of their own Grammy-nominated documentary titled—naturally—"That Little Ol' Band From Texas," guitarist Billy Gibbons, drummer Dusty Beard (ironically, the only member who doesn't sport a beard) and bassist Dusty Hill, remained intact for more than 50 years until Hill's passing in 2021. After Hill's initial departure, his bass tech Elwood Francis stood in and eventually became his permanent replacement. As a result, this little 'ole band with its massive success continues to roll on. ZZ Top play the Delta Performance Hall in the Eccles Theater at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 3. Tickets cost $55 - $90. Go to my.arttix.org or call 1-888- 451-2787. (Lee Zimmerman)