Weekend Music Ideas: September 22, 2017

Ed Sheeran, Brian Wilson, the War on Drugs, Alison Krauss, Wire and more

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Yet another ridiculously busy weekend for concerts. On the arena level, there’s Ed Sheeran, the bubbly English everyman-turned-superstar who headlines on Friday and Saturday at TD Garden as a one-man show aided by a looping setup. Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson offers a last round of his Pet Sounds tour with a supportive ensemble including former bandmate Al Jardine at the Orpheum Theatre on Friday, while Blue Hills Bank Pavilion offers a smart double bill the same night with British folk-rocker David Gray and country/bluegrass songbird Alison Krauss, whose band includes musicians from Union Station and the Cox Family. And a trip to Rockport’s Shalin Liu Performance Center rewards with an intimate performance by interpretive soul stylist Bettye LaVette on Friday.

The underground rockabilly crowd will flock to the Sturbridge Host Hotel from Friday through Sunday for the fifth annual New England Shake-Up, which sports 20 bands from local favorites Diablogato and Miss Amy Griffin to national acts including Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys and the Lucky Stars to Scandinavian imports the Go-Getters and the Barnshakers. And the Copenhagen Beer and Music Festival has moved from City Hall Plaza to the South End’s indoor/outdoor SoWa Power Station, shifting to a strong local cast of Tigerman WOAH on Friday night, Hayley Thompson-King on Saturday afternoon and These Wild Plains on Saturday night.

On Saturday, Dover-born Adam Granduciel (pictured) leads his Philly-launched outfit the War on Drugs through its gliding, stately songcraft at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion while art-punk pioneers Wire bring taut, austere soundscapes to the Sinclair the same night. And Sunday drops a couple of below-the-radar gems in the ’90s-born English indie-dance outfit St. Etienne at Somerville’s Once Ballroom and flamenco-inspired Canadian guitarist Jesse Cook at Lexington’s Cary Hall.


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