THURS APRIL 14
Arlo Guthriew/Sarah Lee Guthrie; Revolution Hall, 1300 SE Stark
Arlo Guthrie's work may lack the astringent socio-political connotations of his father's, but that doesn't stop Alice's Restaurant from being a great and ultimately underrated folk record. The album is best remembered for its spoken-word blues centerpiece, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree," an 18-and-a-half-minute anti-draft plaint masquerading as a relatively polite Thanksgiving anthem. Guthrie typically revises portions of the song's lyrics during his shows for maximum topical effect, so maybe tonight he'll sing about Donald Trump or something.
Mr. Wrongw/Tyrants, Foster Body, Rash Deeds; Anarres Infoshop, 7101 N Lombard
Portland has no shortage of bands with "Mister" in their names—it might even be a distant second to "Animal(s)" by now—but that doesn't mean Mr. Wrong isn't worth your time. With just five Soundcloud recordings to their name, the duo is a crash course in succinct, impetuous punk that brings to mind Dear Nora, early Thermals, and the riot grrrl oeuvre. They're one of the city's most exciting upstart punk bands.
MON APRIL 18
Yowlerw/Eskimeaux, Frankie Cosmos; Analog Café, 720 SE Hawthorne
Maryn Jones is the queen of Columbus, Ohio punk. In addition to playing in alt-Americana band Saintseneca and fronting All Dogs—who released 2015's best loud-pop record, Kicking Every Day—Jones still finds the time to record and tour with her solo project, Yowler, an outlet for a decidedly darker form of creative energy. On Yowler's debut, The Offer, Jones exchanges the bright, open chords and summery ache of All Dogs for a subdued, naturalistic eeriness that sounds like Waxahatchee took peyote and got lost in the Rocky Mountains. Her song "Yowler" even reads like a confrontation between Jones' two disparate, albeit evenly matched, artistic personalities. It's a great effort from one of the best and most versatile songwriters in the country—punk or otherwise.