[POP/ROCK] + THU., OCT. 1
Although Alabama-based Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires is fairly new, forming in 2010, the band has been making some big noise. So much so that it caught the attention of semi-legendary Sub Pop Records, which released the band’s fantastic sophomore effort Deconstructed in May 2014. The album has steadily climbed the charts, becoming a favorite of both fans and critics, thanks to its confident punkish rock ’n’ roll with plenty of soul thrown in for good measure. Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires performs tonight at The Smiling Moose with Pujol and Jay Wiley. Troy Michael 10:15 p.m. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $10. 412-431-4668 or www.smiling-moose.com
[COUNTRY] + FRI., OCT. 2
You can call him a throwback, although maybe purist is a better fit. For more than 20 years, Wayne “The Train” Hancock has been burning up the highways delivering his blend of “retro” country to the masses. Hancock, who plays tonight at Club Café with special guest Jayke Orvis, isn’t your daughter’s country music. His music is more like the teardrop-inducing sound that your grandpappy listened to while sitting on the porch swing on a hot, dusty summer afternoon. Hancock represents a time when lyrics meant everything, and the vocals had to be passionate and pained, or the song meant nothing. TM 9 p.m. 56 S. 12th St., South Side. $16. 412-431-4950 or www.clubcafelive.com
[HIP HOP] + SAT., OCT. 3
Hip hop has historically been a male-dominated genre, not just because so many rappers are men, but because of the misogyny that permeates a lot of lyrical content. However, there are more women in the genre today — and likely more than there would have been if it wasn’t for the undisputed pioneer of feminist hip hop, MC Lyte. In 1988, her debut album Lyte As a Rock challenged the sexism of the rap world and opened doors for female emcees. MC Lyte, also a DJ, actress and philanthropist, is headlining this year’s VIA Main Event at Spirit, with support from XXYYXX, Jessy Lanza, Lower Dens and DJ Selecta. Downstairs, there will be the Discwoman Showcase, highlighting artists who have benefited from MC Lyte and other trailblazing women. Andrew Woehrel 8 p.m. 242 51st St., Lawrenceville. $30-35. 412-586-4441 or www.spiritpgh.com
Almost 50 years after British hard rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath made their most genre-defining albums, modern psychedelic stoner rockers are still trying to reproduce that retro sound. Berlin’s Kadavar is a three-piece of bearded, long-haired young men who look back to the late 1960s and early ’70s for musical inspiration. The band is playing at The Smiling Moose tonight, with like-minded Pittsburghers Outsideinside and Cruces, and similarly stylized Texans The Well. AW 10:15 p.m. 1306 E. Carson St., South Side. $12-14. 412-431-4668 or www.smiling-moose.com
