Top weekend shows: Smith Westerns, Randy Newman
Smith Westerns: The North Side quartet celebrates the release of its second studio album, “Dye it Blonde,” brimming with cascading harmonies and dreamy hooks, 10 p.m. Saturday at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, $12; ticketweb.com.
Randy Newman: The piano-playing songwriter is perhaps best known for his movie-soundtrack work for the “Toy Story” franchise, “Monsters Inc.” and countless others, but expect him to focus on his catalog of wry, subversive, poignant and often darkly comedic songs in this solo concert; his songs, from “Political Science” to “Baltimore” rank with the best of the last half-century; 8 p.m. Saturday at Park West, 322 W. Armitage, $58; etix.com
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