Top weekend shows: Frightened Rabbit, Jerry Butler, Holmes Brothers
Frightened Rabbit: The Scottish trio made its mark in 2008 with the terrific “The Midnight Organ Fight,” as caustic a break-up album as anyone has made in recent memory. The follow-up, “The Winter of Mixed Drinks” (Fat Cat Records), is more bombastic and less satisfying, but the band can still rip it up live, 9 p.m. Saturday at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., $15 and $18 (sold out); etix.com.
Jerry Butler, the Dells, Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes: Butler, a Cook County commissioner, got his start when just a teenager during the ‘50s growing up alongside Curtis Mayfield in Cabrini-Green. He remains one of the smoothest crooners ever, and he’ll be joined by a cast of peers from the golden age of soul, 8 p.m. Saturday at Star Plaza, Merrillville, Ind., $35, $45, $60; ticketmaster.com.
Jerry Butler, the Dells, Harold Melvin’s Bluenotes: Butler, a Cook County commissioner, got his start when just a teenager during the ‘50s growing up alongside Curtis Mayfield in Cabrini-Green. He remains one of the smoothest crooners ever, and he’ll be joined by a cast of peers from the golden age of soul, 8 p.m. Saturday at Star Plaza, Merrillville, Ind., $35, $45, $60; ticketmaster.com.
Holmes Brothers: The trio’s command of everything from blues to gospel, spiced with sublime three-part harmonies, makes this longtime group a timeless pleasure. Its latest album, “Feed My Soul” (Alligator), reflects on singer Wendell Holmes’ recent medical problems by looking ahead with typical hope and optimism, 7 p.m. Sunday at Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Av., $22; 773-728-6000.
greg@gregkot.com