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FRIDAY, DEC. 8
It might seem surprising in the post-techie 2020s, but San Francisco was once a pretty good place to be in an indie rock band. Swell was one of a crop of Bay Area groups in the 1990s making slow, atmospheric music that seemed chilled to its very bones by the San Francisco fog. (Others included Red House Painters, American Music Club, and the Gen Z-beloved Duster.) Sadly, singer David Freel died last year, but the band’s remaining original members have come together for a West Coast reunion tour. Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi Ave. 9 pm. $25. 21+.
SATURDAY, DEC. 9
The Lansing, Mich., emo band Hot Mulligan is often spoken about in hushed, reverent tones by those who’ve spent enough time in the American underground rock universe, and for good reason: Their zany humor is matched only by the relentless intensity of their music, which can at times be so emotionally overwhelming that the only sane response is to shout along. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 7 pm. $29.50. All ages.
MONDAY, DEC. 11
Grave, bearded, and often beanie-clad, Robert Glasper is one of the great jazz piano innovators of the 21st century. His live sets, inflected with dubby samples and soundbites, suggest an alternate history where Jamaican soundsystem culture had been invented 20 years earlier during the hard-bop era. And if you haven’t heard his strikingly original solo work, you might’ve heard his keys deep in the mix on recordings by Kendrick Lamar, Mac Miller, Anderson .Paak, and other forward-thinking rap artists. Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave. 8 pm. $38.50. 21+.
