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FRIDAY, JULY 28:
Formed in 1977, Riders in the Sky are heirs to a long tradition of Western singing ensembles, taking their name from an album by the Sons of the Pioneers, the daddy of such groups. Their survival at a time when singing cowboys are a quaint anachronism has much to do with their willingness to kid themselves—you might know them for performing the “Woody’s Roundup” song in Toy Story 2—yet beneath the comically large cowboy hats and plywood cactus props lies a deep respect for country tradition. Alberta Rose Theatre, 3000 NE Alberta St. 8 pm. $35. Minors admitted with parent or guardian.
SATURDAY, JULY 29:
Funk, punk, ska, reggae, heavy metal, free jazz: Fishbone has had time to explore all these styles over almost 45 years in business, often within the same song (they even had time to back up Annette Funicello in Back to the Beach, essentially the Barbie of 1987). Fishbone were contemporaries of the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the sweaty ‘80s L.A. rock scene, and any band ever to marry slap bass and punk attitude—Primus, Mr. Bungle, even Korn and Limp Bizkit—owes something to their pioneering experiments. Bossanova Ballroom, 722 E Burnside St. 7 pm. $27. 21+.
SUNDAY, JULY 30:
“Dark music” record label The Flenser is based in San Francisco, but it’s never really considered itself an “S.F.” label, aiming instead to convey a unified vision of the West Coast’s primal majesty. Signees include Drowse, the mossy ambient-folk project of Portland singer-songwriter Kyle Bates, and Ragana, a queer doom-metal duo split between Olympia and Oakland whose music sounds no less caught up in old-growth tangles. The two performers co-headline at Mississippi Studios this Sunday. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 8 pm. $12. 21+.
