Weekend Music Ideas: November 2, 2018

Wu-Tang Clan, Colter Wall, Roky Erickson, OK Go and more.

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Hard to believe it’s been 25 years since the Wu-Tang Clan (pictured) stormed out of Staten Island with its landmark debut Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). But the gritty hip-hop collective rolls into Lowell’s Tsongas Arena on Friday to salute its silver anniversary — and that means a gang of later-established solo artists are aboard, including RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon (in addition to the son of Ole’ Dirty Bastard, who died of an accidental drug overdose in 2004).

Going back even further to the mid-60s, psychedelic rock pioneer Roky Erickson co-launched the 13th Floor Elevators in Texas before his issues with mental health, drug use and legal woes became as legendary as his music. He’s been back on the road in recent years and while he’s not playing his guitar much these days, the 71-year-old Erickson shares his enigma at Somerville’s Once Ballroom on Friday.

Other worthy Friday options include Saskatchewan troubadour Colter Wall (whose deep voice and insightful tunes evoke classic outlaw country) at the Somerville Theatre and the quirky pop-rockers OK Go (performing live to their trend-setting videos) at the Berklee Performance Center. The same night also brings the rowdy indie-pop duo the Dodos to Somerville’s Thunder Road, while seasoned songsmith John Hiatt performs solo acoustic at the Cabot in Beverly.

You have two chances to catch Latin jazz piano master Eddie Palmieri, who delivers his salsa trappings at Scullers Jazz Club both Friday and Saturday, while Colorado jam-band veterans the String Cheese Incident levitate the Palladium in Worcester the same two nights. Yet your best double-night musical choice might be the upstart gospel-soul outfit the War and Treaty, the husband-wife duo that turned heads at last year’s Newport Folk Festival and roll into Great Scott on Friday and the Narrows Center for the Performing Arts in Fall River on Saturday.

If you’re a fan of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody” and want something different from the Hollywood treatment of Freddie Mercury that hits theaters this weekend under that title, you’re surely liable to hear ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro uncork that expansive Queen nugget during his show at the Cabot on Sunday. The same night brings London prog-metal band Haken to the Sinclair while Malian blues guitar ace Mamadou Kelly brings his infectious brand of Afro-pop to City Winery.


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