Livewire: 10 delicious concerts occurring in metro Detroit this week

Thursday, 5/5 Klaus Johann Grobe @ UFO Factory The critically acclaimed garage rock duo are bringing their German-infused music to the UFO. They just came out with their newest album, Spagat der Liebe. Their sound is a big mixture of rock, electronic, funk, and alternative, but it has that garage aesthetic where the sounds are distorted on purpose. There are grooving bass lines and tight percussion. All of the lyrics are in German — that language barrier makes the whole experience a little more thrilling. Doors at 9 p.m.; 2110 Trumbull Ave., Detroit; Tickets $12.

Thursday, 5/5 - B Boys @ Donovan’s Pub - This trio hails from Brooklyn, New York, maybe you’ve heard of that place? Their latest LP came out earlier this year and is heavily influenced by the sounds of New York in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Sometimes their guitars seem out of tune, but that’s what makes them so great. Things turn sour and it’s not a big deal. They will be joined by two of our favorite local bands, Bonny Doon and Deadbeat Beat, so don’t sleep on this one. Doors at 9 p.m.; 3003 Vernor Hwy, Detroit; Tickets $8.

Thursday, 5/5 - Buffy Sainte-Marie @ the Ark - Seventy-five-year-old Native Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie is among the greatest artist-activists of the last century. Last year’s Polaris-winning album Power in the Blood shows she’s not afraid to try new sounds, but mainly it shows she remains as immensely talented and as keenly observant a songwriter as she’s ever been. It’s a shame her activism kept her work off the airwaves in the U.S. for much of her career in the last 50-plus years, but you can’t hold a real artist down, and Sainte-Marie’s bluesy, quavering voice will not be silenced — especially not for this rare solo performance. Doors at 7:30 p.m.; 316 S. Main St., Ann Arbor; theark.org; $50.

Thursday, 5/5 - Jeff the Brotherhood @ Saint Andrews Hall - Jeff the Brotherhood consists of real-life brothers Jeff and Jamin Orrall. The duo hails from Nashville, Tenn., but their sound is anything but country. They are inspired by psychedelic and garage rockers, fitting right into that DIY aesthetic. They are tied into Jack White’s Third Man Records, which released a live album from one of their shows. Their latest album came out to acclaim from fans and critics alike. Opening for them is the band with the best name ever, Diarrhea Planet. Doors at 7 p.m.; 431 E. Congress St., Detroit; Tickets $14.

Friday, 5/6 - Child Bite @ Majestic Cafe - Child Bite, who we profiled here in Metro Times about a month ago, celebrate the release of their new album Negative Noise with a super fun, diverse release party featuring special guests FYPM, Ritual Howls, and the Deadly Vipers. The admission includes a copy of the album, which is one of the Midwest’s finest post-hardcore recordings in years. There’s a reason they were even able to work with Pantera’s Phil Anselmo on recording the album; there is deep heaviosity at play here. Doors at 8 p.m.; 4120 Woodward Ave., Detroit; majesticdetroit.com; admission is $12, includes album.

Friday, 5/6 - Death Valley Girls @ The Painted Lady Lounge - Very likely the most fun show of the week is headlined by Burger recording artists Death Valley Girls with Primitiv Parts and Caveman Woodman and Bam Bam Moss — two awesome local bands that we need to show more love for. Get there on time so you can catch the show openers. In the multicolored garage rock rainbow, you’ve got the stripped-down robot goth art-rock variant with Primitiv Parts; and reverbed-out, more stripped-down anthems delivered very theatrically with Caveman and Bam Bam. The Los Angeles-based headliners, Death Valley Girls, make a high octane, heavily awesome, stadium-ready garage rock that’s for people who love Redd Kross, Runaways, the Sweet, Lime Spiders, and Shannon and the Clams, which, come to think of it, should be everybody. Their music is for everybody, and they might wear tube socks when they perform. Starts at 9 p.m.; 2930 Jacob St., Hamtramck; 313-874-2991; $6.

Friday, 5/6 - Javier Colon @ The Magic Bag - If Javier Colon’s name sounds familiar, it’s probably because you saw him on the first season of NBC’s singing competition The Voice, where he won. He was a struggling musician when he first appeared on the show, and now is touring in support of his latest and best album to date, Gravity. Colon’s sound blends pop and R&B with acoustic guitar to create a sound he likes to call “acoustic soul.” Colon’s shows are intimate and relatable. We’re sure it will be a great evening of music. Doors at 8 p.m.; 22920 Woodward Ave., Ferndale; tickets are $15; 18 and older only.

Saturday, 5/7 Detroit Zombie Armageddon @ Tangent Gallery No, your eyes are not deceiving you. This benefit concert is supporting two great cancer foundations, but the event organizers are putting a fun spin on the whole thing and calling it a zombie armageddon. Nothing better! Five local Detroit bands will provide entertainment for a great cause, plus a host of burlesque artists. The musical acts are Haf Life, Dead in 5, the Amino Acids, Carjack, Panic or Pain, and DJ Greebo. Doors at 7 p.m.; 715 E. Milwaukee St., Detroit; brownpapertickets.com/event/2519204; tickets are $10.

Saturday, 5/7 - Jane Fitz, Patrick Russell @ TV Lounge - A working DJ for more than 20 years, genre-hopping Jane Fitz is known as a resident at the legendary U.K. festival Freerotation, and in London at Night Moves. Equally eclectic Detroit-born Brooklyn, New York, resident DJ Russell has been called “one of the last unsung heroes of a now lost era in the Midwest” by Resident Advisor. He’s been hard at it since the early 1990s, and we certainly hope you won’t take him for granted. Show up close to when doors open to catch his set, as well. Doors at 9 p.m.; 2548 Grand River Ave., Detroit; 313-965-4789; $10.

Wednesday, 5/11 - Enemy Planes @ PJ’s Lager House - If you look at Enemy Planes’ Facebook page, their music is described as “the music that they like listening to.” Which is simply to say that this band likes to sample different genres, and we love that. They have a trippy and hypnotic sound, with dense instrumentation and haunting vocals. There are driving beats mixed with soaring melodies. It’s a real blend that is interesting and pleasing all at the same time. They will be joined by the Detroit-based Two Cheers. Doors at 8 p.m.; 1254 Michigan Ave., Detroit; tickets are $8.