Thursday | 1/28

AFI

When Ukiah quartet AFI first hit the scene in 1991, the name meant "Asking for It." Back then, singer Davey Havok had bleached blond hair, and the songs were angst-ridden punk tunes about mohawks and breakfast cereal. But by 1996, the name had changed to mean "A Fire Inside," Havok had traded his goldilocks for a devil-lock and the music had morphed to Misfits-inspired hardcore. Today, AFI is more polished goth rock than heavy punk, but the raw energy and undeniable musical talent that have made them the kings of East Bay hardcore is as much in evidence as ever. Catalyst; $26 advance/$28 door; 8pm. (Curtis Cartier)

MYRA MELFORD'S BE BREAD

Piano pixie Myra Melford has spent a career dodging genre classifications and pushing musical boundaries. A protégé of the great Henry Threadgill, her latest project, Be Bread, sees her in electro-acoustic mode with Cuong Vu on trumpet, Elliot Humberto Kavee on drums, Brandon Ross manning the guitar and Stomu Takeishi on electric slide. As scholarly a musician as you'll find, she studied in India on a Fulbright scholarship and teaches jazz improv at UC-Berkeley. So whether you're a seasoned jazz head or a just a fan of heady music performed by elite professionals, you'd do well not to miss this show. Kuumbwa; $20 advance/$23 door; 6pm. (CC)

Fri-Sat | 1/29-1/30

THE MOTHER HIPS

The Mother Hips have been playing together for almost two decades, surviving Chico frat parties, hiatuses and everything in between. After playing local watering holes and parties for the first part of the '90s, the Mother Hips released their first album, Back to the Grotto, in 1993 and started to tour. Their psych-pop sound captured fans across the nation, but the long multisection songs never hit it big on the airwaves. Now, even after several more albums and a change in style to shorter, more pop-oriented and radio-friendly songs, the Mother Hips continue to impress. Moe's Alley; $15 advance/$20 door; 9pm. (Brian Harker)

Friday | 1/29

YOUNG THE GIANT

Young the Giant, the Newport Beach outfit previously known as the Jakes, seem like the sort of rocker boys you wouldn't be afraid to take home to Mom: bookish, well-coiffed and earnest. Sonically, the band owes much to the anthemic bluster of Band of Horses, with a touch of Coldplay's radio-readiness thrown in for good measure. It's undeniably young music: passionate, energetic, a bit foolhardy and possibly a little tough to swallow if you're closer to your 30s than your teens. Which is not necessarily Young the Giant's fault—just bear in mind that the band's music is best received while in the throes of your first broken heart. Catalyst; $10 advance/$12 door; 9pm. (Paul M. Davis)

Saturday | 1/30

KEITH GREENINGER

If you close your eyes at this weekend's Aromas Grange benefit show, you might just think Lyle Lovett himself wandered in. That won't the long tall Texan, of course; it'll be local folk and blues darling Keith Greeninger rocking the gravel-throated acoustic ballads and old-school songwriting. With Greeninger comes roots-rocking pianist/multi-instrumentalist Dayan Kai; local brothers in Americana Craig and Keith Rayburn also play. Proceeds from the night benefit the Aromas Grange Scholarship fund, and memories from the night benefit a healthy rock & roll lifestyle. Aromas Grange, Bardue and Rose streets, Aromas; $12; 6pm; 831.354.2444. (CC)

UNAUTHORIZED ROLLING STONES

Watching the Rolling Stones perform nowadays is sort of like watching an neutered hound hump a couch: sure, they might have had it someday, but now it's just a sad and somewhat alarming spectacle. Ace cover band the Unauthorized Rolling Stones seem to know this; they even boast in their press materials that "it's even better than watching the real thing." And while that's an admittedly low bar, conjuring up the dirty grit and swagger of the Stones' glory years is a much tougher trick, one that the Unauthorized Rolling Stones pull off with style. Even Grandpa Mick could learn a few moves from frontman Rudy Colombini. Don Quixote's; $12; 8pm. (PMD)

MOUNTAIN ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Dabbling in experimental effects, psychedelic indulgences and straightforward melodicism, the local boys in Mountain Animal Hospital stand as one of Santa Cruz's most promising bands. There's an air of confidence and accomplishment to Mountain Animal Hospital's songs and arrangements that sets the band apart from its peers. While many psych-rockers fall victim to the temptation to bury the songs in washes of noise and effects, Mountain Animal Hospital shows much more restraint. The band's experimental ornamentation never overwhelms what are essentially perfectly crafted pop songs delivered with bracing optimism and passion. Crepe Place; $8; 9pm. (PMD)

Tuesday | 2/2

ROSALIE SORRELS

Since her debut at the 1966 Newport Folk Festival, Idaho native Rosalie Sorrels' name has been synonymous with artful folk songcraft and social activism. Through a career that has included 25 albums, three books, dozens of awards and spanned six decades, she's shared the stage with Utah Phillips, Pete Seeger and Hunter S. Thompson, singing about and for the common folk. Tonight the dedicated artist and writer comes to Felton for a show not to be missed. Don Quixote's; $14; 7:30pm. (BH)

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