MUSIC PICKS: MAR 10 - 16 

• Courtesy Photo

Sumac at DLC @ Quarters Arcade Bar
A quick personal aside: When I first saw the band Swans in a live concert setting, I was prepared for the fact that the group was playing a six-song, two-hour set, and that the veteran band had a well-earned reputation for being amongst the loudest in the world. None of that prepared me for the actual event, which found me crying against a back wall before a single track's conclusion, completely losing-and-then-finding every emotion possible when faced with their pure storm of volume. Sumac's got a reputation for bringing the noise, as well. And as evidenced from even some casual streaming and video deep-diving, the band's got that ability to do the loud-quiet-loud thing to perfection. One can imagine being at a Sumac gig, finding yourself lost in an extended slow jam only to have your rafters blown apart when things really kick back in. The band's on a belated tour in support of 2020 May You Be Held. Of the group, Spin says that "Sumac takes doom metal to its outer limits of space and structure. If any band could be considered 'free metal,' it would be them." If you're hip to the type of music that description suggests, then this Monday gig's for you, and it might just be the kind of week-starting concert that'll have you humming—and your ears buzzing—for the rest of the work week. And if you happen be shedding a tear, or two, while the band shreds a riff, or 10, you might not be alone; save a li'l space on the back wall for the weepers. Sumac, along with Blood Spore and Patrick Shiroishi, will play The DLC @ Quarters Arcade Bar (5 E. 400 South) on Monday, March 14. Doors will open at 8 p.m. for a 9 p.m. showtime. Tickets are 21-up only and are $18 (plus service charges) at 18tix.com.

Leif Vollebekk @ Urban Lounge
Taking a few live cuts from stage and adding a few more from appearances at the linchpin radio station KRCW, New Waves (Live Recordings '19-'21) is a six-song EP of, yes, live cuts by rising Canadian singer-songwrier Leif Vollebekk. The EP serves as a bridge between his critically-acclaimed hit album New Ways and whatever may come next. And judging by the sheer number of streams and the odd award nomination, one would assume another work coming at some point, though his touring schedule has him on the road in the US, Canada and Europe through mid-summer, already. On live cuts captured online, especially those recorded for radio stations and other specialty podcasts, Vollebekk shows himself to be an amiable interview subject as well as a sharp bandleader, smart lyricist and accomplished musician, able to bounce between guitar and piano, at times on the same song. Pitchfork in 2021 said of genre-skipping style that "Vollebekk laces his capacious, meandering music with a '60s folk-jazz sensibility." Meanwhile, the Village Voice in 2017 noted that: "His lyrics undoubtedly form a key component, but thanks to uncomplicated melodies and sparse instrumentation—piano, drums, bass and the occasional sax, organ and strings—nothing feels overly cluttered." Leif Vollebekk appears at Urban Lounge (241 S. 500 East) with Covenhoven on Thursday, March 10. Tickets are $18 and available via a visit on theurbanloungeslc.com.

Pixie and the Partygrass Boys @ Commonwealth Room
You've no doubt heard the news: Bands have been on hold. One year, two years. The story's a bit the same and a bit different, of course, with groups seemingly now on a full-scale stampede back onto the highway and byways of the United States. Pixie and the Partygrass Boys are no exception, and in press notes, they're suggesting that 2022 will be a banner year for roadwork. The band's mandolin man, Ben Weiss, writes that "With every show and festival that got canceled, we certainly stored up a lot of energy, and I think the listeners did, too. The few live shows we've been fortunate enough to play have been absolutely bonkers. The energy we've been feeling as a band and from the crowds is unreal. There's so much gratitude. We're all really grateful for the opportunity to slow down a little bit and get in touch with a quieter side of our artistic process, but we can't wait to get out on the road and burn down some proverbial barns." A band seemingly built for this moment in youthful bluegrass tastes, Pixie and the Partygrass Boys are set to perform at a series of festivals this year, including Subaru Winterfest, Palisade Bluegrass Bash, RiverWonderGrass, Peach Festival and the Northwest String Summit. Though halted on the touring front, the band did produce some recorded work in 2021, Snake Creek, which highlights 14 songs over an hour-and-change. The SLC band play The Commonwealth Room (195 W. 2100 S.) on Friday, March 11 alongside Head for the Hills. Doors are at 8 pm; check thestateroompresents.com for both ticket availability and venue COVID protocols. A heady local following suggests that tickets to this show, priced $32-53, will be high demand. CW