THURSDAY 8/21
From Houston, Sideshow Tramps draw from bluegrass, blues, Gypsy music, punk, old time and rock. In other words, they worship at the church of Tom Waits. The Tramps headline at White Water, 9 p.m., $5. The Front Porch Freedom Fighters opens. As usual, Ted Ludwig starts his night out with bassist Joe Cripps at the Capital Bar and Grill, 5 p.m., free, then teams up with his jazz trio at the Afterthought, 8 p.m., $5. This time, it’s joined by singer and multi-instrumentalist Tonya Leeks. Hot 96.5 FM returns to Juanita’s with a ladies’ night, DJ’ed by Dr. Feelgood, 9 p.m. The Football 101 class provides an introduction to the finer points of the game for the fairer sex at the Village. The likes of Tommy Smith, Clint Stoerner and David Bazzel host, 6:30 p.m., $25.
FRIDAY 8/22
Knoxville alt-metal up-and-comers 10 Years headline the second “Music in the Park” event, with Ashes Divide, 3rd Degree and Monoxide Project, 6:30 p.m. Tickets are free with a canned food donation to an Apex Tickets outlet. Go to musicintheparklr.com for locations. The dance and art event “Cool Shoes” returns to Downtown Music with DJ sets by Wolf-E-Wolf, Disco Itch, DJs S & T and DJ Discipline and live art by Chris Baber, 9:30 p.m., $5. Open to all ages. Rising Dallas band the New Frontiers pair pedal-steel twang with plaintive indie rock at Juanita’s, 10 p.m., $8. Earnest pop-rock band Jackson Waters headlines at Sticky Fingerz, with hirsute singer/songwriter Sean Michel opening, 9 p.m., $5. Armed with glowsticks and fitted with dancing shoes, drum and bass fans gather at “The Autopsy Cybertribe Event” at the Village, 9:30 p.m., $5; all ages welcome.
SATURDAY 8/23
Conduit Entertainment presents a night of unplugged hip-hop and R&B at Crush Wine Bar with the live hip-hop act Epiphany and One Night Stand, soulster Sean West, live band Solfude and Crystal Hayes, 9 p.m., $5. Little Rock’s honky-tonk heroes the Salty Dogs headline at White Water, 9 p.m., $5. Benton native Bryson Van Cleve returns to Sticky Fingerz with his roots rock, L.A.-based band the Show, 9 p.m., $7. At Discovery, Dave McRoberts and Michael Shane DJ in the club, while g-force keeps it moving in the lobby, midnight, $10.