The week ahead features concerts from New Found Glory, mewithoutYou, Ja Rule and Mystikal, but wait: This isn’t 2004. There’s clearly a musical wormhole at work here, and honestly we’re OK with it as long as someone closes the portal before we all drown in waves of nostalgia.
But what if you’re not pining for the golden age of pop punk or throwback rap? You’re not alone, and we’ve gone to great lengths to seek out and find options that should fit just about any taste. Hometown heroes Thor Axe will release their long awaited debut album Solar Rips at Off Broadway on Friday alongside Kleb Qntet for a sure-fire night of shredding. Also of special note this week is the Carondelet Garden Party going down on Sunday at the MARSH grocery collective on South Broadway, with a lineup that features Katarra, Nouh-Peel, the Walkman and Fried E.M., among many others.
But a word of caution: As COVID-19 cases have started to rise once again, be sure to check out the venues' websites for information on masking and vaccine card requirements — precautions will vary from show to show.
Kraftwerk 3-D
8 p.m. Friday, May 27. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Boulevard. $59.50 to $99.50. 314-726-6161.
After a two-year delay brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kraftwerk will finally bring its 3-D tour across the pond to North America. What's more, the legendary German electronic music act is kicking the tour off in St. Louis, meaning those in attendance at the Pageant this Friday get to be the first in all of the United States to experience the immersive event. The run was originally planned for 2020 as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the group's founding before COVID upended everything, and its shows will combine music from across Kraftwerk's long and storied career with performance art and three-dimensional visuals. But don't expect those songs to sound exactly the same as they do on record. As lead singer and keyboardist Ralf Hütter told Rolling Stone in a 2015 interview, the group's songs are ever-evolving. "Our music is changing in time, so we always play different versions; sometimes we change the tempos and sound," Hütter told the magazine. "Sometimes there's different traffic on the autobahn. It's all real. That's what makes it interesting."
Werked Up: Last year, Kraftwerk received about as high an honor as can be achieved in the music world when it was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — no small feat for a band whose life's, er, werk has been staunchly of the electronic variety for decades.
—Daniel Hill
Thor Axe Album Release Show w/ Kleb Qntet
8 p.m. Friday, May 27. $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue. 314-498-6989.
Everyone loves the storytelling archetype of the hero's journey, the "monomyth" where one embarks on a great adventure, encounters a crisis and emerges victorious before returning home to close out a satisfying character arc. And every truly beloved hero has to have a compelling origin story, right? Instrumental metal group Thor Axe is made up of musicians from several area bands including Black Fast, the Gorge, Blastar and, maybe most notably, indie-rock outfit So Many Dynamos. They're the St. Louis musical equivalent of the Avengers, Justice League, Super Friends — you name it. Thor Axe has technically been around since 2007 but the band went on a hiatus — known in comic book vernacular as a "time skip" — from 2010 to 2014. Since their return, the six-piece band of metallic shredders toured and opened for the likes of Andrew W.K. and Mac Sabbath before the pandemic forced another sabbatical. Emerging from yet another round of adversity, Thor Axe has released its first full-length studio album in Solar Rips, an eight-song, nearly 40-minute-long account of the band's journey made through ridiculous riffage with a serious penchant for progressive rock. Often we see heroes return to their village of origin with spoils from their travels and, in this case, it's hard to see Solar Rips as anything other than the crown jewel of Thor Axe's 15-year musical battle.
Cream of the Crop: Thor Axe is brave to call upon a band that could actually upstage them at their own release show: the Kleb Qntet. Led by St. Louis organizer, drummer, DJ and educator Kaleb Kirby, the five-piece nu-jazz outfit offers the same level of structural density as a progressive metal band, but does so with a smooth delivery befitting the most chill of circumstances. Kleb Qntet's The Quintestament might be the most low-key and underrated St. Louis release in 2021, and is still worth seeking out more than a year later.
—Joseph Hess
Tune-Yards w/ Anjimile
8 p.m. Wednesday, June 1. $26 to $29. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Boulevard. 314-726-6161.
Hypnosis, as represented in film and TV, relies heavily upon the consent of the person hoping to be hypnotized. That is to say, if you don't believe that you can be hypnotized, you likely won't feel the positive (or negative) effects. So it goes with the Oakland, California–based Tune-Yards, who invite the audience to engage in a mental fugue state carried along by loop pedals, textural percussion and the bewitching vocals of band leader Merrill Garbus. Not that there's anything pervasive about Tune-Yards' approach to songcraft, but the band effectively builds a venue for introspection that a listener can freely enter or exit as they please. The band's 2021 album Sketchy builds upon the notoriety and near-universal praise garnered by its breakout record Whokill, released a decade earlier, with an explosive expansion of the Tune-Yards sound replete with additional instruments and textures that cascade in several, seemingly unending layers.
Did you know? Tune-Yards did the moody and atmospheric original score for sci-fi surrealist film Sorry to Bother You. Merrill Garbus worked as a puppeteer in Vermont before forming what would become Tune-Yards, so it makes sense that her music fits hauntingly well into an artful film about control.
—Joseph Hess
-Comedy Open Mic Night with Meredith Hopping: 8 p.m., free. Platypus, 4501 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-359-2293.
-Cotton Chops: 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Dylan Triplett: 8 p.m., $15/$20. Joe's Cafe, 6014 Kingsbury Ave, St. Louis.
-Lliam Christy: 7 p.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-The Madman Band: 7 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-Rock The Doc Tour: w/ DJ Clay, Scum, Big Hoodoo, Lyte, Benny Buttonz, Frodo The Ghost, POW, Sawblade, Mr. Grean, Morgue Mob, Villeboii Lancifer Jones, Psycho TP 7 p.m., $20/$25. Pop's Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.
-Willy Tea Taylor: w/ Jeffrey Martin 8 p.m., $15/$20. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
-You Vandal: w/ Weed Tuth, Uncanny Valley, Staely Avenue 8 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
FRIDAY MAY 27
-Adrianna Marie and Her Groovecutters: 7 p.m., $10/$15. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
-Cody James: 7 p.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-Dying Fetus: w/ Chelsea Grin, Bodysnatcher, Frozen Soul, Undeath 6:30 p.m., $27.50-$50. Pop's Nightclub, 401 Monsanto Ave., East St. Louis, 618-274-6720.
-Eric Slaughter Group: 10 p.m., $5-$15. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550.
-Ivas John Band: 7 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-Kraftwerk 3-D: 8 p.m., $59.50-$99.50. The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
-The Many Colored Death: w/ Inner Outlines, The Ricters 8 p.m., $10/$12. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
-New Found Glory: 20 Years of Sticks and Stones: w/ Four Year Strong, Be Well 8 p.m., $31. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
-One Way Traffic: w/ Brother Francis and the Soultones 10 p.m., $12. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Robert Ryan and Mike Walsh: 8 p.m., free. Pat Connolly Tavern, 6400 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314-647-7287.
-Steve Reeb: 4 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Svdden Death: 9 p.m., $35. Old Rock House, 1200 S. 7th St., St. Louis, 314-588-0505.
-Third Sight Band: 10 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-Thor Axe Album Release Show: w/ Kleb Qntet 8 p.m., $12. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
-A Tribute to Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt: w/ Lowery Brothers, Kevin Buckley 8 p.m., $15/$20. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778.
-Tyler Sweitzer from the Unemployed Architects: w/ Drew Cagle & The Reputation, Travis Feutz Band 8 p.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-X Harlow: w/ Tricky Youth, Macaron Afterparty, The Mall 8 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
SATURDAY MAY 28
-All Roostered Up: 4 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Avi Kaplan: w/ Andrea von Kampen 8 p.m., $18/$23. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
-Big Rich McDonough and the Rhythm Renegades: 10 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-Boogiefoot: 7 p.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-Brock Walker and Friends: 3 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-The Burney Sisters: 8 p.m., $15/$20. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Blvd, St. Louis, 314-560-2778.
-Carpool: w/ Cliffdiver, Candylion, Unknown & Sailing 7 p.m., $15/$17. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
-Daytime Television: w/ Enemy Airship, Boxcar 8 p.m., $10. The Heavy Anchor, 5226 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-352-5226.
-Destroy Boys: w/ Scowl 8 p.m., $17/$19. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Ave., St. Louis, 314-498-6989.
-Don't Worry Bout It!: 7 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-mewithoutyou: w/ Tiger's Jaw 8 p.m., $30. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
-Mo Egeston All-Stars: w/ AhSa-Ti Nu, DJ JMo 7:30 p.m., $15/$20. Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge, 364 N Boyle Ave, St. Louis, 314-256-1745.
-Nathan Dean and the Damn Band: 7 p.m., free. Copperfire, 200 E Main St, Belleville, 618-235_5010.
-Rosemary: w/ Native State, Grip Slime 7:30 p.m., $10. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
-Saturday Brunch with Joel Gragg: noon, free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-Scooter Brown: 9 p.m., $10-$20. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550.
-Skamasala: 10 p.m., $8. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-St. Louis Music Fest: w/ Keyshia Cole, Ja Rule, Mercedes, Choppa Style, Mystikal, Master P, Mia X, Mr. Serv-On, Silkk The Shocker, Fiend, Blackstreet, Donell Jones, Dave Hollister, Silk, Brownstone 8 p.m., $56-$122. Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314-241-1888.
-The Masked Singer National Tour 2022: 8 p.m., $36.75-$86.75. Stifel Theatre, 1400 Market St, St. Louis, 314-499-7600.
SUNDAY MAY 29
-Carondelet Garden Party: w/ Katarra, Nouh-Peel, The Walkman, Fried E.M., Kleb Qntet, Hoca Christ Devil, Delia Rainey 6 p.m., $7-$10 suggested donation. MARSH Grocery Cooperative, 6917 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 5742384577.
-Hot Jazz Brunch with Miss Jubilee and the Yas Yas Boys: 11:30 a.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-Kurt Crandall Band: 3 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-Love Jones "The Band": 7 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
-MO Abortion Fund Benefit Show 2: w/ Just Maple, Mads & Co, The Hangovers, Sacrifice the Sacred 7:30 p.m., $5-$15 suggested donation. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
-Perfect Strangers: w/ Array Band Unplugged 6 p.m., $10. Copperfire, 200 E Main St, Belleville, (618)235_5010.
-Randy's Cheeseburger Picnic Tour: 7 p.m., $26. Red Flag, 3040 Locust Street, St. Louis, 314-289-9050.
-Skeet Rodgers Holiday Blues Bash: 8 p.m., $10-$20. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550.
-Yam Yam: 9 p.m., $10. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Yngwie Malmsteen: 7 p.m., $60-$100. Casa Loma Ballroom, 3354 Iowa Ave, St. Louis, 314-282-2258.
MONDAY MAY 30
-Bryan Toben Band: 4 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Melee Mondays: w/ Pretty Dope Mike and Leon Lamont 8 p.m., free. Platypus, 4501 Manchester Avenue, St. Louis, 314-359-2293.
-Soulard Blues Band: 9 p.m., $5. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
TUESDAY MAY 31
-86 Red: w/ Naw, The Frozen Headz 8 p.m., $10. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
-AJR: 7:30 p.m., $29-$200. Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, I-70 & Earth City Expwy., Maryland Heights, 314-298-9944.
-Andrew Dahle: 4 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Bastille: w/ Sarah Jaffe 8 p.m., $39.50-$49.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.
-Ethan Jones: 9 p.m., free. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Paul Bonn and the Bluesman: 7 p.m., $15. BB's Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-436-5222.
WEDNESDAY JUNE 1
-Crank featuring Kyle Honeycutt: 7 p.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-Dave Weckl: w/ Ptah Williams, Bach to the Future, Stu Mindeman, Bob Francescini 6 p.m., $15. Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield.
-JJ Slator: 5:30 p.m., free. Evangeline's, 512 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, 314-367-3644.
-Missouri Abortion Fund Benefit Show 3: w/ Maximum Effort, Acid Kids, The Conformists, Shitstorm 7:30 p.m., $5-$15 suggested donation. The Sinkhole, 7423 South Broadway, St. Louis, 314-328-2309.
-Sean Canan's Voodoo Players: Voodoo Bruce Springsteen: 9 p.m., $12. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314-621-8811.
-Still Woozy: If This Isn't Nice Tour: w/ Mazie 8:30 p.m., $39.50. The Factory, 17105 N Outer 40 Rd, Chesterfield, 314-423-8500.
-Tune-Yards: w/ Anjimile 8 p.m., $26/$29. Delmar Hall, 6133 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314-726-6161.
-Ultra Q: w/ Why Not 8 p.m., $14/$17. Blueberry Hill - The Duck Room, 6504 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-4444.
-Wednesday Night Jazz Jam: w/ Bob DeBoo 6 p.m., free. The Dark Room, 3610 Grandel Square inside Grandel Theatre, St. Louis, 314-776-9550.
