Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Afrika Bambaataa, and more

First Avenue

In many ways, Ted Leo is a throwback to a bygone era. Since his early days fronting D.C. trio Chisel, Leo's progressive songwriting always had an unabashedly populist bent, while his energetic hooks have remained true to their punk and hardcore roots. Since he forged a solo career with the Pharmacists early last decade, the sincerity of those convictions and the sharpness of the lyrics have, if anything, only been enhanced. What's more, in the tradition of another beloved rocker to call New Jersey home, Leo's no-frills style and all-or-nothing delivery provide the perfect recipe for one of the most exciting live shows in the country. His last record, 2007's Living with the Living, was admittedly the Pharmacists' most uneven, but the band's new effort, The Brutalist Bricks, comes with newfound stability after they signed with Merge. On the strength of single "Even Heroes Have to Die" alone, things appear right back where they ought to be in the world of Ted Leo. With Title Tracks and the Dynamiters. 18+. $13/$15 at the door. 7:30 pm. 701 First Ave. N., Minneapolis; 612.338.8388. —Jeff Gage

TUESDAY 3.16

The Appleseed Cast

Cameron Wittig

Cuddle up with the ever-lovable Dave King

Location Info

Map

The Varsity Theater

1308 4th St. SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Category: Theaters

Region: University

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Triple Rock Social Club

So it's Tuesday afternoon. There's no end in sight to the workweek, and you've got a nasty case the cubicle sweats. Fear not, office drones. Today the world is letting you have a good time and be in bed early enough that you won't need to prop your eyelids open through the morning commute. During the Appleseed Cast's early show, the Kansas-based post-rockers will revisit their 2001 sister albums, Low Level Owl Volume One and Two, performing them in their entirety. While the albums have the bones of the Appleseed Cast's other releases, such as intricate drumbeats and spotlighted synths, they are the band's furthest excursions into experimentalism. While conventional songwriting is not altogether pushed aside, the albums are better thought of as progressions of musical thought, seamlessly weaving found sounds and undulating rhythms into a collective two hours of unwinding that's worth sneaking out of the office early to hear live. With Dreamend. All ages. $12/$15 at the door. 5 p.m. 629 Cedar Ave., Minneapolis; 612.333.7399. —Erin Roof