THURSDAY 5/20
Union hosts a slew of bands with big local names — Flash LaRue, Life Size Pizza and The See — along with two acts from Illinois: Midstates and the Choir of Ghosts, an atmospheric power-pop group gaining a solid Little Rock following after a handful of recent shows, and Panda Riot, femme-led shoegazers, 8 p.m., donations. A folkbilly act only describable as “the Holy Modal Rounders of Little Rock,” Mockingbird Hillbilly Band plays Town Pump, 10 p.m., $3. Sticky Fingerz offers up BushDog; it’s best served with a dollop of Pearl Jam, 9:30 p.m., $5.
FRIDAY 5/21
The Peabody Rooftop Party takes the always-popular synth-rock act Boom Kinetic to their terrace, 8 p.m., $5. Revolution hosts its monthly Zodiac Party, a night of rib-shaking techno, featuring DJs Shaolin and Raydar, 9 p.m., $10 early admission, Gemini babies get in free. ImprovLittleRock takes to The Public Theater for their act “Spring Flurries,” 10:30 p.m., $8. White Water gets the ever-popular psych-folkabilly sounds of Damn Bullets, 9:30 p.m. The Village offers a big weekend show with screamo act Everytime I Die, an ode to Marilyn, Norma Jean and the fantastically named Cancer Bats, 8 p.m., $15. The regular “The Takeover” party hits uncharted territory when they take the fete, along with their DJ, Dr. Feel Good, to Samurai Japanese Steakhouse, 10 p.m. If you need to fill your stomach before heading out Friday night, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church hosts its yearly International Greek Food Festival, opening at 11 a.m.
SATURDAY 5/22
Eternal local kings of everything garage, sloppy and a bit dangerous sounding, Bloodless Cooties play a rare show at Union alongside The Ugly Stuff, a new act from local icon and Cootie, Jerry Colburn, 10 p.m., free. Fayetteville’s AMP summer concert series brings a heckuva double-header with one of the best rock acts ever, Blue Oyster Cult, and ’80s Southern rockers Georgia Satellites, 7 p.m., $50. Across town from the rockage, easy listening pianist Jim Brickman plays Baum Walker Hall in the Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $21-$100. West End offers local party outfit The Gettys for your drinking, dancing and chain smoking pleasure, 9 p.m., $5, while Midtown Billiards has the terrific bluegrass of The Crumbs, 12:30 a.m., $5. Discovery brings DJs Michael Shane and Discipline to their club’s disco and lobby, respectively, 9 p.m., $10.