THURSDAY
The Aqua Velvets
This San Francisco-based band is a raucous, rousing, rowdy, fun-filled ensemble playing guitar driven surf rock with help from a big, brassy cinematic horn section. Lagunitas Brewing Company, 1280 North McDowell Blvd. 4:20 p.m. No cover. Lagunitas.com
FRIDAY
Jonathan Richman
Though best known as the singing narrator from the film “There’s Something About Mary,” Jonathan Richman (originally of the band The Modern Lovers) has been entertaining and surprising audiences for years with his cleverly offbeat, gently whimsical songwriting, and his goofball onstage antics that have won him a cult following, and often seem like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood if it were done in some alternate universe. Sample lyrics: “Well, I’m a little dinosaur/ I’m a little dinosaur/ I’m a little dinosaur/ But I’m planning to go away.” The Mystic Theatre, 21 Petaluma Blvd. 8:30 p.m. $17. Mystictheatre.com.
SATURDAY
Monkey and the Rudicals
Founded over 22-years ago, Monkey quickly established itself as one of the Bay Area’s best Third Wave SKA bands. Powered by super catchy hooks and edgy, punk-inspired lyrics, they will be joined on Saturday by The Rudicals, a (fourth wave?) SKA band that puts special emphasis on fun, party-style dance tunes, with a brassy assist from a trumpet and sax horn section. 8 p.m. show. The Phoenix, 201 E. Washington. $10.
Blue Radio and Second Line
Blue Radio’s new album is titled “Bonkers,” which perfectly fits this off-the-wall indie-rock band whose Facebook page describes the ensemble as having been called together by an ancient tree spirit who charged them to use their music to defend the world against Evil. After a series of drummers all turned out to be “intergalactic assassins,” Blue Radio finally hired “a mythical drum monster named Adam,” and all has been well ever since. They’ll be playing The Big Easy this weekend, along with local New Orleans-style blues and funk band Second Line. 8:00 p.m., at the Big Easy, 128 American Alley. $5 cover. Bigeasypetaluma.com.
SUNDAY
Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real with Nicki Bluhm
Ever since the son of Willy Nelson founded his poetically-named band, The Promise of the Real, about ten years ago, the group’s luxurious country-soul sound has brought them a huge underground following. This weekend, they play along with Livermore’s Nicki Bluhm, of The Gramblers. 8:30 p.m. $30. Mystic Theatre, 21 Petaluma Blvd. Mystictheatre.com.
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