Thursday, July 21
D.R.A.M. @ The Foundry
Before the nonstop radio play and corny dance moves dragged Drake’s “Hotline Bling” from “hot” to “annoyingly overexposed,” it was already suspiciously familiar to anyone who’d heard Virginia singer’s D.R.A.M.’s breakout single “Cha Cha.” There’s no way around the similarity, and the tension over Drake’s swagger-jocking flared up last fall when D.R.A.M. shared his frustrations — “I feel like my record got jacked,” he told Billboard. Since, D.R.A.M. has moved on, releasing a string of stellar and consistently quirky songs. You can pick out his breathy voice on portions of Chance the Rapper’s fantastic “Coloring Book” album and listen to him brag about developing an unexpected taste for lox at fancy restaurants on his own mixtape. Tonight he shares the Foundry stage with a pair of Philly up-and-comers in Grande Marshall and Aime.
Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m. | With Grande Marshall, Xavier Omar & Aime | free with RSVP | 21+
Trixie Whitley @ Johnny Brenda’s
Trixie Whitley’s father Chris, the renowned but frequently under-the-radar blues guitarist, passed in 2005, and the second generation musician has carved her own path in the years since. As a singer and keyboardist for the sometimes contrived genre-benders Black Dub, Whitley flexed her chops but nonetheless deserved more individual attention. Her recently released sophomore solo album, “Porta Bohemica,” carries a pensive melancholy and spare arrangements.
Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m. | With Indigo Street | $15 | 21+
Friday, July 22
Super Furry Animals @ Union Transfer
More than seven years after the release of their last album, the Welsh band Super Furry Animals returned in May with a new single called “Bing Bong.” Last year the stalwart rockers reissued their debut record, “Mwng,” on its 15th anniversary and reunited for the first time in half a decade. SFA’s latest Welsh-sung track hasn’t signaled a full project of new material, but it did help the frenetic and frequently psychedelic groove band kick off a world tour, a perfect excuse to revisit their aging catalog of classics.
Doors 7:30 p.m. / Show 8:30 p.m. | With Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band | $20-$22 | all ages
Marissa Nadler @ Johnny Brenda’s
Marissa Nadler’s album covers offer only a hint the sounds within. Often the images are dark, bleak, even gothic. On the cover of “Strangers,” her seventh full-length record, released in May, Nadler obscures her face with a piece of black cloth. Her music, of course, is more complicated than that. On “Strangers,” the 35-year old Massachusetts native has enhanced her understated folk prowess with warmer, more refined production, and it suits her sound.
Doors 8 p.m. / Show 9 p.m. | With Wrekmeister Harmonies & Muscle and Marrow | $12-$14 | 21+
BJ The Chicago Kid @ The Foundry
Quiet as kept, BJ The Chicago Kid has been a secret R&B weapon for some of hip-hop’s best rappers for the last few years. There he was singing both softly and powerfully on one of Kendrick Lamar’s earliest standouts, 2009s “Faith.” More recently he popped up on Dr. Dre’s “Compton.” And finally, earlier this year, the Chicago crooner released his own major label debut on Motown with “In My Mind.” After years of reliable hook-singing, the debut proved that center stage fits him just as well.
Show 8 p.m. | With Elhae & Tish | $27 | All ages
Saturday, July 23
XPoNential Music Festival @ BB&T Pavilion
The two-and-a-half day XPoNential Music Festival 2016 is anchored by a busy Saturday line-up headlined by eclectic bluesman Gary Clark Jr. and Grammy winners Alabama Shakes. On Friday evening Ryan Adams and Kurt Vile take the top billing while a diverse lineup including Mavis Staples, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Femi Kuti, and more will draw crowds at both Wiggins Park and BB&T Pavilion through the weekend. Check out the full schedule here.
All day | With Gary Clark Jr., Alabama Shakes, & more | $80+ | all ages
Sunday, July 24
Token Entry @ Underground Arts
Without Token Entry, a staple of Queens’ 1980s hardcore scene, the more popular outfit Gorilla Biscuits might never have broken out. And while the Biscuits might exemplify a certain sect of hardcore for some fans, Token Entry’s influence remains quietly massive within the straight-edge hardcore/punk genre. Nearly three decades after they made their splash in New York, the band is back on the road revisiting their early years.
Doors 7 p.m. / Show 7:30 p.m. | With Nerve Endings, Search, Out of Body & Only Glory | $12 | all ages