Live: Music Picks Aug. 22-28 

THURSDAY AUG. 22

Twilight Concert Series: Kid Cudi
Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, hit online-sensation status in 2008 with his debut single “Day ’n’ Nite,” on which he pioneered a more melodic style of sing-rapping, popularized notably by rapper Drake. The Cleveland native is also one of the first hip-hop artists to collaborate with indie artists like MGMT (“Pursuit of Happiness”), Ratatat (“Alive”) and Dia Frampton (“Don’t Kick the Chair”) of Meg & Dia, a practice that’s become the norm. He continues that habit of hopping genre borders for his latest album, Indicud, which features musical cameos from former Fleet Foxes’ drummer Father John Misty and rocker sisters Haim, as well as rappers Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky and the RZA. The massive album’s 18 tracks meander through mellow beats and fuzzy synths; check out highlights “Brothers” and “Beez.” King Chip, another rapper who appears on the album, will start things off.
Pioneer Park, 300 S. 300 West, 7 p.m., $5

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott is one of America’s few remaining troubadour pioneers and one of the last living musicians who was a friend of the late Woody Guthrie; no one comes closer to being true-blue folk-music royalty. When he was 14, he ran away from his home in Brooklyn to join the rodeo—he learned how to play guitar from a cowboy—and in 1950, met the Guthrie family and was unofficially adopted by them. Woody took him under his wing, and Elliott grew up crisscrossing America with the guitarist and songwriter. Later, Elliott met Bob Dylan, and became a mentor to him. “Most folk musicians waited for you to come to them,” Dylan says in his autobiography, Chronicles: Volume One. “Jack went out and grabbed you. … Jack was King of the Folk Singers.” Elliott, now 77, has released more than 40 albums, and his influence is forever distilled in the landscape of American music.
The Egyptian Theatre, 328 Main, Park City, 8 p.m., $23-$38

Bobby Long
This singer/guitarist was born in Wigan, England, but as soon as he opens his mouth and sings, he reveals a musical sensibility grandfathered by Bob Dylan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and other American folk, country and blues greats. His sophomore album, Wishbone (ATO Records), released earlier this year, is a deeply personal collection of soul-baring tunes above love, saying goodbye and the pain of realizing childhood has slipped away, and features expansive pedal steel and twangy guitar. Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Genevieve Smith, Jack & the Giant start things off.
Kilby Court, 741 S. Kilby Court (330 West), 7 p.m., $13 in advance, $15 day of show

FRIDAY AUG. 23

Ogden Roots & Blues Festival
If you’re tired of the sizzle of summer, take to the (slightly) cooler hills of the Ogden Valley for the first-annual Ogden Roots & Blues Festival, a three-day live-music hootenanny and campout put on by the Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music. The lineup of 15 local and national bands and solo artists is diverse, with styles of music ranging from bygone-era surf (The Atomics) and twangy blues (The Legendary Porch Pounders) to straight-up bluegrass (The Hillbenders) and soul, courtesy of headliner Bettye LaVette. Other names on the bill include Sister Wives, Joe McQueen, Swamp Cabbage, Kap Brothers Band and more—check out the complete schedule at OFOAM.org. There will also be a few workshops for folks interested in creating their own tunes.
North Fork Park, off Highway 162, Ogden Valley, through Aug. 25, $25-$30 single day, $50-$55 three-day pass, kids free

Andy Frasco & The U.N.
The Afro-ed Andy Frasco is living proof that you don’t have to come from a musical family or be a child prodigy to be a successful musician. As a teenager, Frasco played a behind-the-scenes role in the music biz, booking and promoting bands like Hellogoodbye, as well as working with various record labels. He didn’t become acquainted with his instrument of choice, the piano, until he was 17, but as soon as he set his fingers to the keys, the world recognized that the two were simply meant for each other. Influenced by, among others, Van Morrison, Damien Rice and Tom Waits, the 24-year-old’s piano-tickling is bluesy, jazzy and party-friendly, and his voice blends gravelly grit and soulful croon, all backed by his full band, The U.N. Their latest album, Road Life Revival (2012), is a hip-shakin’ romp, with a sound that’s big, sexy and in-your-face. These ruckus-makers are famous for their rowdy live shows, so get ready to get loose.
The State Room, 638 S. State, 9 p.m., $10

X96 Big Ass Show
Thrifty concert-goers, listen up: For around $30, the usual price for a ticket to see one big-name artist, you can see eight popular touring bands, as well as a few local bands that will soon be announced—that’s just good math. Wander between the two stages and check out emo-rock giants Panic! At the Disco—who have a new album, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die!, coming out Oct. 8—angsty rockers Blue October, The Airborne Toxic Event, Live’s Ed Kowalczyk, indie-rock band The Dear Hunter, Family of the Year, dance-commanders Capital Cities and reggae-rock outfit Pepper.
The Gallivan Center, 239 S. Main, 1 p.m., $25 in advance, $30 day of show

The Moondoggies
These Seattle-based folk-rockers now have a third album under their collective belt, Adiós I’m a Ghost (Hardly Art), released earlier this month, but that doesn’t mean they’ve resigned themselves to settling into a comfortable groove. Not only did they change their lineup by adding multi-instrumentalist Jon Pontrello, but they’ve also branched out into new musical territory on the record, filling out an already lush Americana-influenced sound. Like a cabin spilling yellow light into a foggy Northwestern night, Adiós I’m a Ghost is rustic and warm at its core, but seems to fade away at the edges. The Hollering Pines and David Williams are also on the bill.
The Urban Lounge, 241 S. 500 East, 8 p.m., $8

Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
When listening to soul singer Charles Bradley’s latest album, Victim of Love, released in April on Daptone Records, it’s hard to believe that he’s been a part of the mainstream music scene for a relatively short amount of time. His voice (that voice!) sounds like it traveled in a time machine from the ’60s or ’70s, even though Victim of Love is only his second album, and his debut, No Time for Dreaming, was released in 2011. Bradley has hung tough through a challenging life of homelessness, major illness and family tragedy—as told in the documentary Charles Bradley: Soul of America—and is finally getting his day in the sun. A hell of a showman—channeling James Brown (whom he used to professionally impersonate), Al Green, Otis Redding and other greats—he earned the nickname “The Screaming Eagle of Soul” for his signature gritty screech. Aaradhna is also on the bill.
The State Room, 638 S. State, 8 p.m., $22