[ROCK] + FRI., AUG. 29
Not even a van crash could keep the Kings of Leon clan off the road — at least not for long. The brothers Followill were in a bus accident after a show in Boston, leaving drummer Nathan Followill with a broken rib. But the Nashville boys wouldn't be down for long, taking two weeks off the Mechanical Bull tour to let Nathan heal and still playing The Tonight Show with Questlove filling in on the kit. The band plays tonight at First Niagara Pavilion with Young the Giant and Kongos. Zach Brendza 7 p.m. 665 Route 18, Burgettstown. $15-$18. All ages. 724-947-7400
[FOLK] + FRI., AUG. 29
Life after being in a band is hard sometimes, but some persevere in other projects. Simone Felice is one of those. After he left The Felice Brothers, Simone ventured into the music world on his own, and it was the right move: His solo work is downright Bob Dylan-esque, in terms of singing and guitar work. Check out his latest album, Strangers. The March release is not to be missed, as presumably will be the case with his performance at WYEP's Final Fridays tonight. Felice plays tonight at Schenley Plaza with Tom Brosseau. ZB 7 p.m. 4100 Forbes Ave., Oakland. Free. www.wyep.org
[BENEFIT] + SAT., AUG. 30
Giving back is cool: volunteering, donating blood, dumping ice on yourself. Benefit shows, too. Help Your Homies, a Pittsburgh concert series that donates admission fees to a particular cause, and Cool Shoes, a DIY record label that books shows, paired up to produce a benefit show tonight for Girls Rock! Pittsburgh. The organization empowers young girls and teaches them life skills through making music. Buy some pizza, make some spin art and rock on. The show will be held at Assemble, and will feature Amanda X, Roulette Waves, Toy Life and Swampwalk. ZB 7 p.m. 5125 Penn Ave., Garfield. $5. All ages. 412-432-9127 or www.assemblepgh.org
[PUNK] + SUN., AUG. 31
Earlier this year, for some reason, people were surprised that Exene Cervenka, whose job fronting the legendary Los Angeles punk band X included screaming stuff like "We're desperate / Get used to it / It's kiss or kill," was outed as a conspiracy theorist, linking mass shootings to so-called "false flag" operations. The legendary poet and singer, who formed the band with then-partner John Doe and guitarist Billy Zoom, has never been one to shy away from controversy, though she did lock down a lot of her social-media activity after her rants went viral. Either way, she's back touring with the original lineup of X, and tonight, they play Altar Bar. Andy Mulkerin 6:30 p.m. 1620 Penn Ave., Strip District. $25-30. All ages. 412-206-9719 or www.thealtarbar.com
[REGGAE] + SUN., AUG. 31
There's no time like Labor Day Eve to give one last shout to summer — and there's nothing more summery than a reggae show. Tonight at Hard Rock Café in Station Square, locals Truth and Rites headlines an end-of-season reggae celebration. Portions of the proceeds from the show benefit the P.R.O.M.I.S.E. Group, a nonprofit dedicated to preventing gun violence. AM 9 p.m. 230 W. Station Square Drive, Station Square. $20-25. 412-481-7625 or www.hardrock.com
