MUSIC PICKS: MAY 5 - 11 

• Courtesy Photo
• The Church

The Cult @ The Complex
Working around two hiatuses of several years apiece, The Cult has found itself active since 1983, with vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy providing the constancy in the band's look, sound and songwriting. Though other personnel have swapped in and out over the years, the current version of the band has been intact for seven-years, ensuring a cohesive, road-tested unit. Even as the group's likely to salt in a few newer cuts, their deep catalog ensures that longtime fans will be treated to the classics, like "Fire Woman," "Rain" and "She Sells Sanctuary"—the tracks that helped the group carve out an interesting niche within the hard rock world some 30 years ago. Recent tours have suggested that the band's fervor for that material's at a high enough clip to satisfy the old heads. The Cult plays at The Complex (536 W. 100 South) with Des Rocks on Saturday, May 7. Doors are at 7 p.m. and tickets are priced at $45, available via livenation.com or through either Graywhale Entertainment store.

The Church @ The Commonwealth
There's not an '80s cover band worth its salt that doesn't include "Under the Milky Way" in their catalog, and the great ones know "Reptile" as well. Undoubtedly, the album Starfish was The Church's commercial zenith, but the group was known to create beautiful, psychedelically-tinged pop both before and after their unquestioned classic. With guitarist Peter Koppes having recently left the fold, the only original member of the band is the group's linchpin, songwriter/bassist/vocalist Steve Kilbey; that said, he's surrounded himself with players who've been on the clock for years. His presence alone means that The Church can confidently perform any song from any era. So expect some nuggets and likely at least a track or two from their upcoming (and 25th overall) album. Pre-pandemic tours with contemporaries like the Psychedelic Furs showed that there's still plenty of life in this veteran unit. The Church will play The Commonwealth Room (195 W. 2100 South) on Saturday, May 7, with an 8 p.m. start time and no opening act. Ticket info at thestateroompresents.com.

• Courtesy Photo
• Pom Pom Squad

Pom Pom Squad @ Beehive
Sometimes, it pays to just let a band's bio do the work it was intended to do. See: Pom Pom Squad. Regarding their 2021 album Death of a Cheerleader, we're told: "Equal parts grimy garage rock authenticity and swirling cinematic flourishes, Death Of a Cheerleader encourages listeners to be their own special kind of cheerleader while exploring the terrifying yet liberating topics of independent self-acceptance, smashing the white male patriarchy, being okay with not being okay, and fully embracing your own skin for the first time in your life." Sounds like the perfect mix for a Beehive show. And, lo!, Pom Pom Squad, fronted by the compelling Mia Berrin, plays the all-ages Beehive (666 S. State) on Saturday, May 7. Ticket info's at 24tix.com.

Widowspeak @ Soundwell
Widowspeak have been creating evocative rock music for a dozen years, with six albums released on the well-regarded Captured Tracks label. Their latest, about a month old now, is The Jacket, which was preceded by a single/video of the same name. Guitarworld.com says that "the New York-based duo have both gone back to basics as a guitar band and somehow made their most original and complete record yet. ... It rattles along its own path, referencing everything from The Velvet Underground to Pavement and beyond on the way." Widowspeak's latest visit to SLC takes place on Monday, May 9, at Soundwell (149 W. 200 South); it was originally scheduled for Hangar House, though the $15-20 tickets are still available at hangarhouseslc.com. Doors are at 7 p.m., with support acts Sylvie and Dad Bod.

Christian Death @ Liquid Joes
The local black-on-black community's gonna be in one place for the evening, as Christian Death arrives in SLC to support the 2022 album Evil Becomes Rule, due out in May, with the single "Beautiful" already in circulation. Really, though, the band's audience would be fine with anything performed by the art rock band, which dates back to 1979. Bandleader/guitarist/vocalist Valor Kand's been on-hand since 1983, and bassist/vocalist Maitri's been in the fold since 1991. Though dozens have played with them over the decades, this core duo is all that's needed for all the goths to gather on a Tuesday night. Christian Death takes the state of Liquid Joe's (1249 E. 3300 South) on Tuesday, May 10. Tickets at $17 can be found at liquidjoes.ticketsauce.com; doors are listed at 7 p.m.

Front Line Assembly @ Metro Music Hall
There are younger folks that'll attend all-day/all-night shows at Saltair this year, dancing their cares away while blissfully unaware of the band Front Line Assembly; though headier peers will know that the group's been influential within the electronic music scene since the mid-'80s. In a week (well, a month) that's seen a curiously-large variety of bands of that time bringing shows to SLC, FLA's one that hasn't really taken big breaks, releasing music almost continuously since 1987; with seven albums released within this century they've shown themselves interested in creating new sounds for new audiences. Front Line Assembly appears with Rein and Firewinde[r] at Metro Music Hall (615 W. 100 South) on Wednesday, May 11, with a 7 p.m. door and tickets priced at $25, available via 24tix.com. CW