MUSIC PICKS: MAR 17 - 23 

• Courtesy

The Circle Jerks @ The Grand at The Complex
Much to the (mild) shock and (slight) dismay of a certain demographic of fans, the key albums of youth are hitting some big-number anniversaries. Some of punk rock's elder statesmen are finding their album anniversary numbers crawling up and into the 40s. With about two-months left in a string of live dates that'll end their 2022 touring cycle, Circle Jerks are in Salt Lake this week, with their first two albums—Group Sex and Wild in the Streets—each now surpassing four decades of life. To bring those songs to life is a lineup featuring new/old and back-in-the-fold members in: vocalist Keith Morris, guitarist Greg Hetson, bassist Zander Schloss and drummer Joey Castillo. As the group's seen a fairly large and occasionally acrimonious number of membership splits, this particular lineup has all the "classic" feel you could hope for, alongside a pair of tour support acts that could (and have) headlined shows on their own in recent(ish) years. Though they'd called it a career in 2018 and haven't released an album in over a half-decade, 7Seconds remains a live favorite of the punk scene, with a sound that can veer between hardcore and a more-melodic vibe (that they flashed in the '80s), all depending on how they wish to stack their playlist. Detroit-bred hardcore act Negative Approach rounds out the night's entertainment, featuring a road-tested lineup that's been active on/off since 2006. It'll be fascinating, as is always true when seeing bands birthed at the dawn of the '80s, to see the mixture of audience members, be they new converts or the oldest of old heads. Tickets for this monster show at The Complex (536 W. 100 South) are $30, available via thecomplexslc.com. Some Covid-19 protocols are detailed there, as well. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 17.

Msking, The Zissous, #1 Babe Team @ Urban Lounge
SLUG Magazine sponsors this three-band sampler of some of the best and brightest indie rock bands in Salt Lake. Included is Msking, which recently opened for Daytime Lover at the latter band's album release. They've got a series of EPs and singles available for streaming on Spotify—some soft, some spiky, all solid. They've also got a name that autocorrect hates; like, really, really hates. In February, The Zissous released a five-song EP called She-Devil via Bandcamp, highlighting a fun, short set of pop-punk winners recorded in their living room. Rounding out this three-band bill is #1 Babe Team, which, based on a quick glance at Instagram, is currently in the studio at Archive Recordings. (In addition to this show, SLUG is throwing light on the local music scene with the sixth volume in its Death by Salt series, a 10-song, 10-band showcase featuring Lord Vox, Josaleigh Pollett, LAST, The Aces, Jay Warren, Marqueza (see p. 32), The Ph03nix Child, Jacob T. Skeen, Bobo and Choice Coin.) This Thursday, March 17 show at Urban Lounge (241 S. 500 East) is nicely priced at $5, with tix available via theurbanloungslc.com, where you can also find the room's Covid protocol information. Doors at 7 p.m.

• Courtesy

The Main Squeeze and Neal Francis @ The State Room
Now here's one of those shows that features two ascendant bands, either of which seems as if a major run at success could be calling. Chicago's Neal Francis is, perhaps, the in-the-clubhouse leader here, as he's taken a recent tour run with Black Pumas and has started to crack TV appearances, such a recent slot on CBS Saturday Morning. He's lauded as being there "for fans of '70s-inspired psych-rock, jam bands and high-energy piano." Nice, nice, yes. Our bet for the most chills-per-minute on this bill, though, lies with The Main Squeeze, a Bloomington, Ind., group that's been around for over a decade, though their web presence fairly slim—except on social media threads, where new converts are losing their minds over the band's musicianship and energy. Some of that's because of new fans finding them at festival dates or at solo shows, becoming immediate disciples in the process. Gifted at the art of a cover song, the band's got a decent selection of tracks available on YouTube, absolutely ripping through classics by Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and James Brown, as well as contemporary cuts by folks like Childish Gambino. In fact, there's so much to love about their takes on known tracks that it'd be easy to simply look/listen past their original material, though that be a mistake. Their 2020 album 1 2 3 4 5 is available for purchase and streaming at Bandcamp, and does a fine job of introducing their original sound, which is rooted in rock'n'roll and funk, with no shortage of top-tier musicianship and a world class vocalist in Corey Frye. Catch 'em now; bigger venues and ticket prices are sure to follow. The two bands play The State Room (638 S. State) on Wednesday, March 23, with a 7 p.m. door. Tickets, at $28, are available at thestateroompresents.com. CW