The Ten Best Concerts in St. Louis This Weekend: May 9 to 11

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Nite Owl CD Release - Saturday, May 10 @ Cicero's.

Happy Friday! Get out and enjoy another week of spring before summertime weather completely invades our climes. Head to Cicero's to grab Nite Owl's latest release, get sunburnt at Pointfest, witness some real-life juggalo action as ICP hosts wrestling at Pop's or do something completely different. Here are but a few concert options to choose from.

Friday (May 9):

JCW Wrestling hosted by ICP w/ Big Hoodoo, Axe Murder Boyz, P.O.W. @ Pop's Nightclub 7 p.m. | $16-$20 When I reported on the Gathering of the Juggalos last year, I got to watch a fight involving a giant foam pot leaf and bunch of magic mushrooms. In other words, this shit is as brain-dead hilarious as you might expect, and totally worth a trip to Pop's. Seriously -- no foolin'. (DH)

SoftSpot w/ Jake Leech, Eric Hall @ Foam 8 p.m. | $5 SoftSpot hails from Brooklyn and plays some self-described "old school new age art rock." To find out what that means, check it out on Bandcamp. Local ambience aficionados Eric Hall and Jake Leech open -- click their names to learn more about their work. (MS)

For a couple more recommendations for this evening, consider checking out Voight-Kampff at Apop Records and Dave Stone Trio at Mangia Italiano.

Saturday (May 10):

Ledisi w/ DJ Black Guy @ The Pageant 8 p.m. | $49 New Orleans' Ledisi is an R&B recording artist known for her jazz-influenced vocals. She has received no less than eight Grammy nominations since getting her start in 1995. Her latest album, The Truth, was released in March of this year. (DH)

Matt Pond PA w/ The Lighthouse & the Whaler @ Blueberry Hill 8 p.m. | $13.50/$16 Matt Pond has apparently taken a shine to St. Louis and comes though rather frequently these days. Check out the title track from his latest album, The Lives Inside the Lines in Your Hand, here. (DH)

Nite Owl CD Release w/ 3kngz @ Cicero's 8:30 p.m. | $10 Local hip-hop artist Nite Owl has been making waves in recent years. Named the best solo hip-hop artist in the 2012 RFT Music awards, he signed a deal with Monarchy Records in early 2013. His latest release, The Nite & Nate Project, is his thirteenth disc. Get a taste of his tunes via the Nite Owl website. (MS)

Pointfest w/ Queens of the Stone Age, the Offspring, A.F.I., Blue October, Neon Trees, the Head and the Heart, Crosses, the Airborne Toxic Event, Band of Skulls, Morning Parade, the Orwells, Chelsea Wolfe, Arythma, Hollow Point Heroes @ Verizon Wireless Ampitheater 12 p.m. | $29 We'll leave this one to the Offspring: "Heeee-EEEEE-ey! Come out and play!" Find everything you've ever wanted to know about Pointfest right here. (MS)

Also on Saturday night, Amy Lavere performs at Off Broadway and Tef Poe takes the stage at Plush. Click the links to learn more from our critics.

Sunday (May 11):

Manchester Orchestra w/ Balance & Composure, Kevin Devine & the Goddamn Band @ The Pageant 7:30 p.m. | $17/$21 Pssst, wanna go to this show, like, for free? Inquire within. (DH)

The Blasters w/ Pinata Protest @ Off Broadway 8 p.m. | $15-$18 A mainstay of the '80 LA punk scene, the Blasters performed alongside the likes of X, Black Flag, the Screamers and more. The group returned after a long absence, releasing Fun On Saturday Night in 2012, which includes a duet with X's Exene Cervenka. (DH)

A Minor Forest w/ Traindodge, Ashes and Iron @ The Firebird 8:30 p.m. | $10-$12 Thrill Jockey label math-rockers A Minor Forest (who rubbed shoulders alongside bands such as Slint) took a hiatus fifteen years ago. It recently reunited to play shows again, and video evidence shows the band hasn't lost it. Check out this video of them in '97 followed by this capture of the same song played just a few weeks ago. (MS)

The Humminbird w/ Beauty Pageant, Ghosts I Have Been @ The Revisionist Inn 9 p.m. | $5 Music fans looking to expand their scope should start here. This experimental show features meditative music juxtaposed with harsh noise. Read more about these artsists and more off-kilter shows this month in "the Best St. Louis Noise/Experimental Shows: May 2014." (MS)

Note: Though we wish we could, we can't feature every great show happening in town in just one measly post. Peruse the St. Louis concert calendar for more ideas anytime. Let everyone know what else you're looking forward to seeing this weekend in the comments below, and submit show info online to be considered for inclusion on these lists.