Slave to the Metal music festival takes over Bender’s tonight and Saturday with Between the Dead, Ankor, Me Against Sunrise, Controlled Demise, the Bloodshed Ensemble and many, many more. $10-$12.
Modest Mouse is notoriously spotty live, often getting swallowed by the venue. Recently, the standard-issue indie act has been honing its performances, which makes its sold-out show at CU’s Balch Fieldhouse on Saturday more noteworthy than usual. With Mimicking Birds, Japanese Motors.
Annuals occupy that odd perch between soft rock and emo-punk, their wailed vocals and intricate arrangements never quite escaping chamber music’s mannerisms while still giving off the spark of punk. Saturday at the Hi-Dive with Jessica Lee Mayfield, What Laura Says. $10. hi-dive.com
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the long-running South African vocal ensemble that backed Paul Simon on “Graceland,” added another Grammy to its collection earlier this month for best traditional world music album. They play Wednesday at the Boulder Theater. $35-$39.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com
