Earlimart and Office operate their own brands of shiny, shameless pop, although Office’s ’80s-leaning songs ironically sound fresher than Earlimart’s mopey tunes. Both play the Larimer Lounge Saturday with local standouts Widowers. 2721 Larimer St. 8 p.m. $10
Alice in Chains revealed the strength of its acoustic side when it played MTV’s “Unplugged” in 1996. Like others on the show, the band was able to translate bone-crunching distortion and howling vocals to an intimate setting. Jerry Cantrell and his band will play an “acoustic hour” at the Ogden Theatre Tuesday, 935 E. Colfax Ave. 8 p.m. $40
Antibalas’ funky Afrobeat recalls more than slinky ’70s dance parties. The band’s stunning musicianship and multi-ethnic approach prevents a single moment of its songs from dragging. It plays an all-ages show Wednesday at the Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. 9 p.m. $22.50
Public Enemy will celebrate 20 years since its seminal hip-hop debut with an all-ages show at the Boulder Theater Thursday. 8 p.m. $29.50
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com —————————————- BestShows this week
