Weekend Show picks: Concrete Blonde, The Fleshtones, Gold Motel and more

Gold Motel

Friday, June 11

- Gold Motel at Lincoln Hall with Secret Colours and Mini Mansions - Take just one listen to Gold Motel's newly-released debut LP, Summer House, and you'll see how it would be near-impossible for this record release show not to be a guaranteed good time. Driven by the vibrant, honey-sweet vocals of singer-songwriter Greta Morgan (of The Hush Sound), breezy, 60s-esque melodies and a band with tons of energy, Gold Motel offer up plenty for any fan of summery indie pop to geek out about. To learn more, check out our recent interview with Morgan here. Local indie psych-rock act Secret Colours will also celebrate a new record with an opening set. 6 p.m., $10, all ages. Tickets.

- The Psychedelic Furs at Metro with She Wants Revenge - There's a whole lot of new bands around trying to do the whole post-punk/new wave thing, but you can rarely top the originals. Doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., $27.50, 18 and over. Tickets.

-The Dutchess & the Duke at the Empty Bottle with Mazes and Black Nag - The Empty Bottle should be an especially great place to check out the Seattle folk-rock duo. Be sure to arrive early for Chicago's own Black Nag and Mazes, the latter of which are busy with various releases and performances this month, detailed here. 10 p.m., $12, 21 and over. Tickets.

Saturday, June 12

- Concrete Blonde at The Vic with Jim Bianco - Vampires might be all the rage these days, but classic L.A. alternative band Concrete Blonde were writing songs about 'em back in 1990 on their best-known record, Bloodletting. This Chicago stop is part of a brief tour that finds the band reuniting to celebrate the LP's 20th anniversary. With Johnette Napolitano's deeply-impassioned vocals and songwriting and Jim Mankey's howling guitar work by all accounts as powerful as ever, this should be one hell of a show. 7:30 p.m., $28.50, 18 and over. Tickets.

- The Fleshtones at Bottom Lounge with The Goldstars, Teenage Imposters, Tomorrow the Moon and The Earth Program - Speaking of classic bands, New York garage rockers The Fleshtones have been doin' their thing and doin' it well since 1976, and they'll continue to do it at Bottom Lounge Saturday night. Get there early for some cool openers, including Chicago's The Earth Program, a unique ear-catching act who describe themselves as "retro spooky space punk" (free album stream/download here). 7 p.m., $13, 21 and over. Tickets.

- Blah Blah Blah and YAWN at Hideout - You might have read about these two Chicago-based bands right here on Windy City Rock. The former has a wonderful Brit-pop-influenced style (more here), while the latter have a lush sound that's a bit Vampire Weekend-meets-Animal Collective (EP review here). Both would be well worth checking out on their own, so this bill is an opportunity to see two exciting Chicago indie bands at once. 9 p.m., $8, 21 and over. Tickets.

Sunday, June 13

- Look Mexico, A Lull, Victor Fix the Sun and Dick Wolf at Subterranean - Tallahassee-based indie rockers Look Mexico will play Sunday night as part of a national tour in support of their sophomore record, To Bed to Battle. Doors 7:30, show 8 p.m., $8 advance, $10 day of show, 17 and over. Tickets.