It's hard to keep track of every show that's coming up, so let local musician-in-the-know Mark Earnest help you pick your playlist for this week. This page is updated with new concerts every Monday, so bookmark away.
Snoop Dogg, whose enduring popularity even landed him an oh-so-gangsta reality TV show, performs Thursday at the Grand Sierra with opener Stephen Marley.
Wednesday Blues Pool Party with Curtis Salgado
Also on Wednesday: One of the bigger names as part of the Wednesday blues pool parties, as Portland-based singer/harmonica player Curtis Salgado returns to the area. Free, 5 p.m., Sands Regency pool, 21+
FTB
Thursday’s pick: Here’s a good weekday show alternative for you, as this Bay-based band tours the West. FTB are a lesson in what happens when you bring disparate people and influences together and can still make it work. Credible funk, poppy-but-strong reggae and ska, a rap or two, and doses of straight-up rock help this band transcend the usual “Sublime lite” sounds of bands in this genre. And you can’t beat the price to check out an emerging band that might become a fixture around here (if other local bars are smart). Free, 9 p.m., Davidson’s Distillery, 21+
Snoop Dogg with Stephen Marley
Also on Thursday: Although his rapping style is brilliant, the content of Snoop Dogg’s lyrics and music are a dime a dozen, which is one of the great shames of modern hip-hop. Still, a lot of folks like him (or at least his outlaw dope-and-pimp image, no matter how many reality shows try to show his fatherly side). Opening up is Stephen Marley, yet another sire of Bob who plays decent, hip-hop-inflected reggae-pop. $39.50, 8 p.m., Grand Sierra Resort, all ages
Itals
Also on Thursday: With the Wailing Souls last night and the Itals tonight, it’s a good week for fans of genuine Jamaican roots reggae. $15, 9 p.m., River Ranch Lodge, all ages
David Maldonado Band
Also on Thursday: Arizona-based guitarist David Maldonado leads his band through a mix of European folk, flamenco, pop and rock. Free, 10 p.m., Crystal Bay Club, 21+
Nevada
Also on Thursday: These loud local rockers named after the home team play a Farmers’ Market show tonight. Free, 8 p.m, Cantina Los Tres Hombres, 21+
Los Pinguos, Drinking with Clowns - Rollin' on the River
Friday’s pick: Downtown is hopping this summer, and you can see music all evening if you like – and for free. It starts with a Rollin’ On the River show in the park with Los Pinguos, a melodic Latin rock band from L.A. that has edginess in their rhythms (sometimes close to ska or even early punk) but a lot of harmony-drenched vocals to keep it light and airy. This show is opened by local funk-rock band Drinking With Clowns. Free, 5:30 p.m., Wingfield Park, all ages.
In Head Audio, Drinking With Clowns - Artown After Dark
Also on Friday: Drinking With Clowns will then go a bit down the street and headline the local Artown After Dark show at West Street Market. That show also features In Head Audio, the creative alt-indie rock band that’s been missing in action of late. $5, 9 p.m., West Street Market, all ages.
The Start, Black Year
Also on Friday: Coming back to the area after some recent appearances, L.A. band The Start blend ‘70s-’80s style new wave with the urgency of modern indie rock and punk. The opener is local indie rock band Black Year. $10, 10 p.m., Tonic Lounge, 21+
Chris Botti
Also on Friday: Although painted with the “smooth jazz” brush, Chris Botti is closer to mid-‘60s West Coast jazz with his mix of pop, orchestral and traditional improv. Apparently his shows are improv-heavy, so this could be an interesting shock to some of his more casual fans (and that might be cool!). $55, 8 p.m., John Ascuaga’s Nugget, all ages
Grey Atlas, Trigger, Visible Darkness
Also on Friday: This rock show features Grey Atlas, a band rom Sacramento that mixes Tool-esque prog metal with modern hard rock. Local metal bands Trigger and Visible Darkness are also on the bill. $8, 8 p.m., Knuckleheads, 21+
The Devil Himself
Also on Friday: One of the better national bands in the stoner/hard rock category, Santa Cruz’s The Devil Himself return to the area for a Tahoe show, this time with locals Ninja Slaughterhouse and Antix. $5, 10 p.m., Whiskey Dicks, 21+
Also on Friday: The Crystal Bay Club has featured some intriguing sounds this week, and this show takes the cake. The Monophonics have ventured from the Bay to Reno/Tahoe before, as they mix funk, soul and Afropop into a heady brew. Free, 10 p.m., Crystal Bay Club, 21+
Rock Your Fridays Concert Series with Emily Tessmer
Also on Friday: Weekly music series mixes local performers with FiftyFifty Brewing Co.'s happy hour specials This week features Tahoe-based singer-songwriter Emily Tessmer.
G.G. Elvis and the TCP Band, Secretions, The Bugs
Saturday’s pick: G.G. Elvis and the TCP Band are indeed a Presley tribute, but with a diabolical twist. As the G.G. implies, the Elvis impersonator does outrageous antics onstage ala G.G. Allin (although maybe not as far as he went) while the band chugs away at Elvis tunes that have been either woven into punk covers or played in an early punk/hardcore style. Yes it’s a gimmick, but it sounds like a fun one (by the way, the “member of NOFX” in this band is ex-guitarist Dave Casillas, who played on “Liberal Animation.”). Longtime Sacramento punks The Secretions are also on the bill, and having their smart and sharp sound on the bill was a smart move. Opening up the show is The Bugs, who include Dangerous Dave from The Queers and have his parent band’s crude but funny sense of humor. $10, 9 p.m., Vixens, 21+
BLVD, The Collab Project
Also on Saturday: The excellent Bay area band Blvd is returning for a Tahoe show. They mix hip-hop and electronica with indie rock and a jam-band sensibility. Also on the bill is the Collab Project, an electronica-meets-prog band from Southern California. $10, 10 p.m., Mt. Tallac Brewing Co. in South Lake Tahoe, 21+
Tony Furtado Band, Ana Sia
Also on Saturday: Here’s a double bill at the Crystal Bay Club that’s actually two separate, but interesting, shows – and both with no cover. Tony Furtado is the rootsy California indie-rocker who has just released a new album. Ana Sia is an electronica artist from the Bay. Free, 10 p.m. for Furtado, 11 p.m. for Ana Sia, Crystal Bay Club, 21+
Beerfest & Bluegrass Festival
Also on Saturday: This show features three national bluegrass/country artists. Sara Watkins was one-third of the band Nickel Creek and has now launched a solo career. Head For the Hills and Loose Cannon are both trad-leaning bluegrass bands from Colorado. $30, 2-8 p.m., Northstar-At-Tahoe, 21+
Blues at the Lake
A whole slew of electric blues artists are at this show, including Lonnie Brooks, Elvin Bishop, Eddy Clearwater, Jimmy Johnson and Mitch Kashmar. There’s also the soul-meets-Gospel sound of awesome vocalist Mavis Staples, plus the R&B group the Mannish Boys. $55, $25, 7 p.m., Harveys Outdoor Amphitheater, all ages
Lesser Known Gentlemen, Sinister Scene, Days No Different
This is the final show for the Spring Forward to Pay Forward series, featuring the winners from each month. It’s an appropriately diverse crew, with indie-rock band Lesser Known Gentlemen, metal band Sinister Scene, and modern rockers Days No Different. Free, 3 p.m., Rink on the River, all ages
D.E.L.T.A., Maxies
Also on Saturday: This bill features two punk bands from Southern California with melodies at the fore, but not losing any of the energy or drive. $5, 9 p.m., The Broken Spoke, 21+
Front Toward Enemy, Backbone, Fairweather Sky, Broken Roots
Also on Saturday: Hailing from Portland, Ore., Front Toward Enemy are a loud rock band somewhere between modern rock styles, metal and early Sub-Pop grunge. Also on the bill is Backbone, a Sacramento band that veers between ‘80s pre-hair hard rock and the more modern wing of heavy rock. Local hard rock bands Fairweather Sky and Broken Roots are also playing tonight. $5, 9 p.m., Knuckleheads, 21+
Livitz Livitz - Scruples Unplugged
Local rock/reggae/punk band Livitz Livitz plays an acoustic-only set as part of this popular summer series. Free, 8 p.m., Scruples, all ages
Touques, Praying for Greater Portland
Two local indie-rock groups gather for this Reno Music Project show. Free, 7 p.m., Maytan Music Center, all ages
Scattershield, Annex, Demension 13
Also on Saturday: A pair of Tahoe-based metal bands – Scattershield and Annex – are joined by local rockers Demension 13 for this show. Free, 9 p.m., Davidson’s Distillery, 21+
Reggae with Jahzilla and Special Friends
Also on Saturday: The local roots-reggae band will play this all-ages show tonight. A late-night jam is also planned, so bring instruments if you like. $12, $10 seniors and students, 8 p.m., River School, all ages
Grace Hutchinson, Joel Ackerson, Seth Horan, Jonie Blinman
Also on Saturday: These four Reno singer-songwriters are gathering together for a song-swap tonight. $5, 8 p.m., Studio at 4th, all ages
Cranium, The Swamp Donkey, Dirt Communion
Also on Saturday: A trio of Reno metal bands play a show at this Carson coffee house tonight. $5, 7 p.m., Comma Coffee, all ages
Also on Saturday: Tons of trad bluegrass bands will play this annual festival, headlined by The Del Williams Band from Central Cali. Also playing are Montana group Jessica Kilroy And The Herl Brothers, Nell Robinson And Red Level from the Bay area, and Central Valley band Faux Renwahs. Saturday’s lineup is completed with a quartet of area bluegrass groups: Contraband, Westwind, Hick’ry Switch and the Country Valley Jug Stompers. $25 (note: a weekend pass is $35), noon to 9 p.m., Miner’s Park in Virginia City, all ages
Death Cab for Cutie with Ra Ra Riot
Sunday’s pick: I’ve seen Death Cab in Reno twice now – once at a peerless headlining show, then doing a solid job opening for Neil Young. With a good new EP out and on a hot streak when it comes to solid album-making, this Washington State band is one of the best when it comes to modern indie rock. If you are a casual/curious fan, you might be surprised at how truly rockin’ they can be on stage as well. The openers are Ra Ra Riot, a decent but at times generic indie-pop band from New York. $35, 7:30 p.m., Grand Sierra Resort Theater, all ages
Scream The Prayer Tour
Also on Sunday: Talk about value for money – this show is under $20 and features 10 bands popular with Christian hard rock fans. It’s mostly hardcore-meets-metal groups, including a few that bring in some hooky melodies (Haste The Day, Project 86, Agraceful). Mostly, though, it’s bands that do the growl-and-grind (The Chariot, Sleeping Giant, A Plea For Purging, Corpus Christi, For Today, Gwen Stacy, Oh Sleeper). My own faves are Project 86, who have been around for more than a decade without the success they deserve; the Chariot, who mix in some different styles of metal while keeping it plenty heavy; and A Plea For Purging, whose lyrics are a cut above most bands in this genre. $18.50, 3:30 p.m., New Oasis, all ages
Final Summation, DSI, Machine Gun Vendetta
Also on Sunday: Excellent Sacto punk band Final Summation – who sound like the good ‘70s stuff mixed with early hardcore and even some early metal – play this show with equally good locals DSI and Machine Gun Vendetta. $5, 9 p.m, Shea’s Tavern, 21+
To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Dirt Communion, Broken Roots
Also on Sunday: The latest Sunday metal show features three hard rock bands from Reno. $5, 8 p.m., Vixens, all ages
Seldom Scene, Hick'ry Switch
Also on Sunday: Hailing from Maryland, The Seldom Scene are a trad bluegrass band that have been around since the early ‘70s. Carson-based bluegrass group Hick’ry Switch opens up. $23, $20 for students, seniors and BAC members, 7:30 p.m. Brewery Arts Center in Carson City, all ages
Papa Mali
Also on Sunday: Jam-band fans take note – this free show features Papa Mali and his band. He’s a New Orleans blues/psych-rock guitarist who has Govt Mule and Dead connections. This is part of the Concerts at Commons Beach series. Free, 4:30 p.m., Commons Beach in Tahoe City, all ages
The biggest names coming to us from afar, like Death Cab for Cutie (headlining this time) on July 12.
Metromix stories about the local music scene.
