[INDIE POP] + FRI., FEB. 10
Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski fetched their bicycles and took to the West Coast to promote their music in 2007. The duo has since developed into six-piece Blind Pilot. The Oregon ensemble delivers exquisite indie-pop tunes with carefully planned instrumentation. Its latest album, We Are the Tide, features an eclectic mix of vibraphones, dulcimer and trumpet adding a bright, unexpected element to the usual guitar, drums and bass. The band takes the stage tonight at Mr. Small's Theatre with The Barr Brothers. Nicole Chynoweth 8 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $13.50-16. All ages. 412-821-4447 or www.mrsmalls.com
[INDIE/PUNK] + FRI., FEB. 10
It's one thing to be a solo artist, and another to have a full band. But perhaps the most intimate and sometimes difficult-to-manage musical arrangement is the two-piece. Players get to know one another well, and have to handle conflict — musically and personally — without the benefit of a third party to use as a sounding board. Few know that better than Action Camp, the surf-punk-electronic duo that relocated to Pittsburgh from Boston a few years back. Tonight at the Mr. Roboto Project, the pair celebrates its sixth anniversary as a band, putting on DuoFest, the first of what they hope becomes a series of shows featuring all two-piece outfits. Also playing: Triangle & Rhino, Middle Children and Philly transplants The Lopez. Andy Mulkerin 7 p.m. 5106 Penn Ave., Bloomfield. $6. All ages. www.therobotoproject.org
[ROCK] + TUE., FEB. 14
A few years ago, Ben Folds began to make a habit of playing with symphony orchestras, including Pittsburgh's. This year, head Phish man Trey Anastasio is getting into the act, playing four dates with orchestras across the nation. Tonight he appears with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, in a show that's sure to be a bit less fast-and-loose than what Phish-heads are used to in a live performance. AM 7:30 p.m. Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Downtown. $45-70. All ages. 412-392-4900 or www.pittsburghsymphony.org
[FOLK-POP] + TUE., FEB. 14
Back when Katie Perry was still in short pants, Jill Sobule was singing about kissing a girl and liking it. Her 1995 self-titled second album featured two minor hits, "I Kissed a Girl" and "Supermodel," and a career of cheeky and poignant folk-pop tunes has ensued. Her latest full-length, A Day at the Pass, is her 11th, and tonight she appears at Club Café. It's Valentine's Day, so bring a girl to kiss, eh? Local Tracy Drach opens. AM 7 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $14. 412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com
[POP ROCK] + WED., FEB. 15
Michigan natives Every Avenue have an uncanny ability to turn suggestive topics into pop-rock gold. Debauchery and emotional baggage take the spotlight on the band's recently released Bad Habits, a 10-track album overflowing with driving guitar riffs and contagious hooks. They co-headline at Mr. Small's Theatre tonight with energetic pop group We Are The In Crowd, whose brand of rock music produces spirited melodies and kinetic rhythms. Plug In Stereo, The Audition and Simple as Surgery open. NC 6:30 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $16. All ages. 412-821-4447 or www.mrsmalls.com
