Andanh.com

Head Getty, Matt Joyce.

FRIDAY 7/25

Recent winner of the Times' “Best of Arkansas” readers' poll, the Gettys play a big show at Revolution, 9:30 p.m.

Raucous country rockers American Aquarium, from North Carolina, return to White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5.

Metropolitan Opera Auditions national finalist Stephen Ray of Sherwood headlines a concert at Wildwood to benefit the Arkansas District of the Metropolitan Opera National Council, 8 p.m., $25.

Soul/jazz duo Brenda and Ellis play the hits at the Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7.

Local cover band Donna Massey and the Blue Eyed Soul come to Cajun's, 9 p.m., $5.

Sticky Fingerz hosts the Nirvana tribute Nevermind, 9:30 p.m., $7.

The Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain continues its film series with “Spilled Milk: Our Milk, Our Farmers, Our Arkansas,” 7 p.m., $10.

 
SATURDAY 7/26

Local bluegrass stalwarts Runaway Planet continue to celebrate the release of their new album, “Tarnation,” with a concert at the Afterthought, 9 p.m., $7.

In Helena, Jazz on the Levee features Dr. Ronald Myers, Delta Jazz Society Musicians, and Phillip Stackhouse, 4 p.m., free.

Solfude comes to the B.A.C. 2 Theater as part of “The Groove Lounge,” 8 p.m., $5.

Local rockers Jet420 perform at Cajun's Wharf, 9 p.m., $5.

Jam act Weakness for Blondes plays White Water Tavern, 9 p.m., $5.

The Solomon Davis Band does classic rock at Cornerstone, 9 p.m., $5.

When any legendary performer who's climbing up into his years comes anywhere close to Little Rock, I dial up his age, add about 10 years for hard living and road wear and, if that puts him anywhere near 80, which is the upper reaches of an average American male's life expectancy, I usually drop what I'm doing and catch a show. Apply that system on Friday and you'll feel an extra bit of urgency when you go hunting tickets. Willie Nelson, who was probably drinking and smoking weed when my father was but a gleam in my grandfather's eye, is 75, and B.B. King, who's surely played more gigs (an estimated 15,000) than anyone ever, is 82.

Apples in Stereo at Revolution on Sunday.

SATURDAY 7/26

VALLEJO
9:30 p.m., Sticky Fingerz. $10.

After a decade's absence, Vallejo returns to Little Rock to deliver its striking blend of modern rock grooves, potent guitar work, Latin percussion and soulful lyrics, a recipe that's made the band one of the most popular in Austin, Texas. Raised in the small Texas town of El Campo, the band was formed by the three Vallejo brothers: A.J. (vocals, guitar), Alejandro (drums) and Omar (bass). Growing up in their household of Mexican and Guatemalan descent, the boys were introduced to the array of sounds of their parents' record stash. Bypassing college to try their hand at making a living with music, the brothers added a rhythm guitarist and conga player and entrenched themselves in the local club circuit before hitting the road with bands like Fuel, Stone Temple Pilots, 3 Doors Down, the Foo Fighters, Matchbox 20 and Los Lobos. Their numerous awards include being named best rock band two years in a row at the Austin Music Awards. After such a long time away, look for their show at Sticky Fingerz to be well received. —Paul Peterson.

POP! IN THE PARK
6 p.m., History Pavilion in Riverfront Park. Free.

It's like Movies in the Park for music. Or at least that seems to be the aspirational vibe of Pop! in the Park, the summer concert series ongoing at the History Pavilion (the brick arbor-kind-of-structure, where the Indian Head lives in Riverfront Park). Kids are welcome, and were in abundance the first go-round, as are coolers, lawn chairs and blankets. And it's free! Like most of the concerts he promotes, organizer TJ Deeter has pulled together a diverse range of local acts. To wit, Saturday's line-up includes club phenoms Dre and Jontai, famous region-wide for the dance cut “Jump Rope”; visceral, always engaging post-punk band the Moving Front; prolific local rapper Rockst'r; and new-wave favorites the Reds (who've recently expanded their fan base to Brazil). The show is over by 9 p.m., so there's no showing up late.
 

SUNDAY 7/27

THE APPLES IN STEREO
7 p.m., Revolution. $10-$12.

The Apples in Stereo ooze indie credibility. But endearingly, not sad-sacky, Conor Oberst-y. Let's count the ways: 1. The band's a founding member of the now-defunct Athens, Ga.-based Elephant 6 collective, an awesomely derivative group of Brian Wilson lovers, who put out a flood of indie releases in the '90s. The core group behind the collective, including Apples front man Robert Schneider, came from Ruston, La., which, for local aspirants, isn't too far removed from small town Arkansas. Also, Schneider produced Neutral Milk Hotel's “In the Aeroplane Over the Sea,” surely one of the greatest albums of the '90s. 2. Fifteen years grinding it out on the road and putting out albums and still relevant! 3. Schneider, whose chief interest outside of music is mathematics, claims to have invented a new musical scale. 4. The band's “comeback” record, “New Magnetic Wonder,” which was released last year after a five-year hiatus, was the first album released on actor Elijah Wood's new label. 5. This year, the band released a rarities compilation, “Electronic Projects for Musicians,” that includes a loving tribute to everyone's favorite fake-news commentator, Stephen Colbert. It goes, “Stephen, Stephen, he's a handsome man, his name is Stephen” and so on in similar fashion. 5. They're still really, really fun.