Veteran metal-act Testament seems to be doing a better job at playing the kind of ferocious thrash Metallica used to.
The Oakland, Calif., band, which formed back in 1983 under the name Legacy, is fronted by Chuck Billy, who battled back from cancer earlier this decade. He and his bandmates are coming to rock the Rialto Theatre on Friday after an opening set by Sacred Reich.
Tickets to the 6:30 p.m. show are $23 in advance.
— Kevin W. Smith
If you don't know who the Misfits are, you still probably have seen the band's symbol, an unmistakable black-and-white grinning skull.
That emblem could have been the smartest thing the group's ever done — aside from its groundbreaking horror punk —kind of like the Rolling Stones' tongue mascot.
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Well, the Misfits may not have been around as long as the Stones, but 2007 marked the band's 30th year, and it still commands a loyal following.
The group plays the Rialto Theatre on Monday at 7 p.m. with Vail's The Last Act of Defiance. Tickets are $21.
— Kevin W. Smith
Harmonic sister pop act Meg & Dia comes to The Rock on Friday after releasing its album, "Something Real."
The group blends vocal harmonies, rock, folk and pop, pairing off between acoustic and electric depending on the mood.
Opening up are Jonezetta, Danger Radio, and Dropping Daylight. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and admission is $12 through ticketmaster.com.
— Kevin W. Smith
Nice lineup at Plush on Saturday night.
Sandwiched between locals Garboski and Mostly Bears is Portland's System and Station, a melodic garage band that has recently released its fourth album, "A Nation of Actors," and should set the scene for Mostly Bears.
Mostly Bears has been touring the country this summer, from New York to California, and should have a little extra in the tank for a good weekend show.
Show is $5 and starts at 9:30 p.m.
— Kevin W. Smith
Tucson multi-instrumentalist and two-time Grammy nominee AmoChip Dabney will take you to the AmoSphere on Saturday night.
The AmoSphere features Dabney and his posse of top-notch local musicians, like guitarist Danny Krieger and pianist Arthur Migliazza, playing a bevy of instruments including fiddle, piano, saxophone, keyboards, bass and drums. It all blends together to create "an all-out dance party," according to an e-mail from Dabney.
The show is at Boondocks Lounge, 3306 N. First Ave., and starts at 9 p.m. Cost is $5.
— Kevin W. Smith
You remember Thomas Ian Nicholas.
He was that dude in the 1999 teen-flick "American Pie" who couldn't score with Tara Reid because she was waiting for the right time. Too bad that guy wasn't dating the real Tara Reid.
Or maybe you remember Nicholas from 1993's "Rookie of the Year," when he played a little boy who could throw something like a 150-mph fastball and played for the Chicago Cubs.
Well, Nicholas doesn't just act; he sings, too.
His music is poppy, singer-songwriter material, which you'll be able to hear free of charge when he plays a no-cover Sunday show at Plush. It starts at 9:30 p.m.
— Kevin W. Smith
The Fox Tucson Theatre continues to bring in some golden oldies. Next up at the historic venue, 17 W. Congress St., is the Dave Mason Band, at 8 o'clock tonight.
Mason has been at it as a solo artist for nearly four decades, but he might best be known for his role in forming the psychedelic rock group Traffic with Steve Winwood, Chris Wood and others in 1967. He also wrote the popular song "Feelin' Alright" for the band.
Mason's talents can be found on albums by Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and The Rolling Stones.
He comes to town with material from his first new solo album in more than 20 years. It's due out in October.
Tickets are $30-$45 through the Fox box office, 547-3040.
— Gerald M. Gay
Some of the best members of VH1's "Best Week Ever" comedy team will take Centennial Hall by storm Oct. 7.
Comedians Greg Fitzsimmons, Melissa Rauch and John Mulaney, regulars on the snarky weekly recap series, will bring the funny in this event, presented by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.
Details are still being ironed out, but tickets should be $12 for UA students and $15 for the rest of us.
— Gerald M. Gay
Quirky folk-pop act Love As Laughter hits Solar Culture on Friday night.
The Brooklyn group, which recently released its album, "Holy," will bring along another New York-area band, Oxford Collapse.
Signed to Sub Pop Records, Oxford Collapse sounds like a cross between The Hold Steady and The Futureheads.
The 9 p.m. show should be pretty solid for $7.
— Kevin W. Smith
