The Black Keys Fri., 8:00 p.m. April 27 @ Chaifetz Arena - $39.50-$49.50 By Kiernan Maletsky The Black Keys just announced an April 27th show at the Chaifetz Arena on St. Louis University's campus. It's a band gaining momentum at such a voracious rate it might not be lunacy to start calling it the latest in a proud, overblown tradition: The Saviors of Rock & Roll. Let me explain: The only song you could even tangentially consider rock to appear in 2010's Billboard top ten was Train's "Hey Soul Sister," which I hope we can all agree is a grave little factoid indeed. So we could use something to believe in, and why not Akron's heaviest? This tour comes on the release of the band's El Camino, which has been greeted with the same amount of critical and popular success as its last couple albums. So a shitload. Long live rock & roll.
Ray Wylie Hubbard Sat., 8:00 p.m. April 28 @ Old Rock House - $12-$15 By Roy Kasten Thank the old blues gods that Ray Wylie Hubbard never became a preacher or a grifter, or as is often the case, one and the same. He'd convert you, rob you blind and leave you howling in tongues and shaking on the floor. Or at least that's the mission of The Grifter's Hymnal, the songwriter's latest mean, lowdown but somehow redemptive errand into the country and electric blues wilderness. The guitars slide and scrape, the rhythms rock and roll, and the words, as always, burn through with the wit and wisdom of a bona fide Texas maestro. Why You Should Go: Hubbard doesn't get to St. Louis often, so mark your calendar if you're a fan of young Americana poets like Ryan Bingham or Hayes Carll. They'd be nowhere without him.
The Lumineers Sat., 9:00 p.m. April 28 @ Blueberry Hill - $10-$12 By Kiernan Maletsky The imagery contained in the video for the Lumineers' "Ho Hey" contains all you need to know: Handclaps, tambourines, suspenders, dusty rooms, urgent running and confetti. It's been a little over two years since Wesley Schultz and Jerimiah Fraites moved from New York to Denver. There, they found cellist Neyla Pekarek and the financial and artistic space necessary to go from an anonymous singer-songwriter outfit to a widely stamped "Band to Watch." Allow us to join the legion of endorsements: As sepia-toned troubadours go, the Lumineers stand above the pack with uncommon lyrical grace and live hopefulness. Know Your Line: Lead single "Ho Hey" from the new self-titled full-length is a crowd participation number. Don't miss your cue.
Portugal. the Man Sun., 8:00 p.m. April 29 @ The Pageant - $20-$22.50 By Ryan Wasoba Portugal. the Man gravitates toward dank psychedelic pop jams and its members have hair both long and unwashed enough to make Fleet Foxes look trim. Yet beneath this hippy exterior the band's story reads like a classic tale of punk-rock triumph. The obstacles were daunting, its members having hailed from the inconvenient state of Alaska and its name plagued with an unnecessary period, but the band honed its craft through constant album cycles and grew its fan base one show at a time alongside similar indie rock oddballs like RX Bandits, Minus the Bear and Maps & Atlases. Now Portugal, the Man tackles St. Louis's largest practical venue as a headliner. God bless America! Unlikely Cred: Kanye West blogged about his fandom of the band, and Wu Tang Clan's RZA remixed the band's track "All Your Light (Times Like These)"
