[PUNK] + THU., SEPT. 15
Against Me!’s latest singles “Crash” and “333” express the band’s perennial naturally likable tendency. After releasing the personal-is-political-charged record, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Against Me! has been hard at work recording its forthcoming release, Shape Shift With Me. Since Thursday’s gig is the eve of the full record release, hopefully show-goers at Mr. Small’s will be treated to new songs. Joining the lineup is the tragically underrated and unbelievably catchy rock band Pottymouth, writers of such earworms as “Cherry Picking” and “The Spins.” The ever-driving and aggressive punk rock of Frameworks completes the lineup. Meg Fair 7 p.m. 400 Lincoln Ave., Millvale. $22. All ages. 412-821-4447 or www.mrsmalls.com
[GUITAR ROCK] + THU., SEPT. 15
Long. Live. Rock. Canada’s gritty guitar lords are The Dirty Nil, a punk-rock band with venomous attitude and brilliant riffs. Its album, Higher Power, is front-to-back bangers, especially “No Weaknesses” and “Wrestle Yü to Husker Dü.” Two A-F Records open the gig: edhochuli and A Lovely Crisis. The grandiose punk of edhochuli brings a different sound to the gig — one that is darker and has touches of hardcore sensibilities. This genre-bending will provide a nice foil to a A Lovely Crisis’ poppier punk sound. Catch it all at Spirit. MF 8 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $10. 412-586-4441 or www.spiritpgh.com
[THRASH] + THU., SEPT. 15
Tonight, one half of thrash metal’s Big Four makes a stop at Stage AE. Slayer and Anthrax don’t need much of an introduction. The question, when such legendary bands hit the road, is: What are they gonna play? With roughly 70 years of heavy-metal output between them, fans can likely expect to hear a mix of old and new — let’s just hope they don’t save all the classics for the encore. Death Angel opens the show. Margaret Welsh 6:30 p.m. 400 North Shore Drive, North Side. $39.50-42. All ages. 412-229-5483 or www.stageae.com
[COUNTRY] + FRI., SEPT. 16
With 20 Grammy Awards, 18 CMA Awards and a berth in the Country Music Hall of Fame, Vince Gill is basically the Michael Phelps of country music. His timeless sound has kept him relevant since the advent of his solo career in the early 1980s (oldheads may recall his stint in the Pure Prairie League), and he’s collaborated with fellow country superstars like George Strait, Rosanne Cash, Dolly Parton and Reba McEntire. Leave behind the hustle of Downtown’s venues and check out Gill in the cozy venue that is the historic Palace Theatre in Greensburg. MF 7:30 p.m. 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg. $86-155. All ages. 724-836-8000 or www.thepalacetheatre.org
[THROWBACK] + SAT., SEPT. 17
Choker necklace and slap-on bracelets? Check. Bandana? Check. These accessories can only mean one thing: 90sFest is upon us. The fest invades the Strip District with a fleet of Pittsburgh’s finest food trucks, a pop-up market of vintage ’90s clothes, and ’90s themed activities. It’s basically the ultimate Throwback Thursday party, but on a Saturday. Just a few artists rocking this fest are Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (“The Crossroads”), Spin Doctors (“Two Princes”), SisQó (“The Thong Song”) and DJ Jazzy Jeff (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air). The festivities are hosted by MTV’s Totally Pauly “star” Pauly Shore. MF 3 p.m. 2200 Smallman St., Strip District. $52-300. 800-350-8850 or www.eventbrite.com
