HAPPYNESS, ULTIMATE PAINTING, GENDERS
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) The songs of Happyness belie London group's casual approach, an element that the press has been quick to dub "slacker rock" and compare to any number of indie-rock bands from the '90s: Pavement, Dinosaur Jr., Wilco, Sparklehorse, Grandaddy. But Happyness' imprint is distinct and impressive, with a firm basis in musicianship (the band members frequently swap instruments as it suits the song), adroit and self-aware songwriting, and indelible chemistry between the three members. "Pumpkin Noir" is a sleepy-eyed ramble with nihilistic underpinnings, while "Leave the Party" is a potential anthem delivered in an appealingly low-key, late-night manner. And "Great Minds Think Alike, All Brains Taste the Same" is a two-minute pop blast with oohing falsetto harmonies and irresistible accusations like "You're cheesy like you don't know" and "You ate my birthday cake!" NED LANNAMANN Read the full article on Happyness. Also, see Up & Coming for our preview of Ultimate Painting.


TOBIAS JESSO JR., OKAY KAYA
(Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside) For Tobias Jesso Jr., failing couldn't have worked out much better. After moving to Hollywood to pursue songwriting, Jesso's career was going nowhere. He and his girlfriend split. Then, while riding his bike, he got hit by a car. The hood ornament sliced through his hand. The next day he learned his mom had cancer. That was it. He moved back in with his parents in Canada. With newfound perspective, he wrote smooth, soft, classic pop songs with just his voice and piano, and recorded them on warbling tape. These new songs flowered from a place free of fear, from a heart that'd been humbled, but still had hope. Jesso's played only a handful of shows as a frontman and is about to begin touring vigorously. After a debut on The Tonight Show—reportedly his first performance with a band—and a few days of appearances as SXSW, the next chapter ought to be interesting. Failure gave Jesso a voice. What'll he make of success? ANDREW R TONRY Read our full article on Tobias Jesso Jr.


YOUNG THUG, TRAVIS SCOTT, T SPOON
(Roseland, 8 NW 6th) Against minimally surmountable odds, Atlanta emcee Young Thug has become a star. The androgynous 23-year-old is a paragon of strangeness; with his skintight women's wear and punk hedonism, he seems like the wrong horse to bet on. On Thugga's 2013 mixtape, the fantastically wasted 1017 Thug, he followed his muse down a series of bizarre rabbit holes. Off-key was Young Thug's default setting. He neither rapped nor sang, instead yelping about the ameliorating effects of "lean," or Promethazine cough syrup. It was clearly the record he wanted to make. Atlantic Records sanctioned this—projectile word-vomit and all—in the belief that Young Thug, already a teen idol back home, knew what he was doing. Tha Tour: Part 1, last fall's collaboration with Miami rap mogul Brian "Baby" Williams and dope boy heartthrob Rich Homie Quan, represents a vast change of scenery for Thugga. The snug, soothing production is heavy on new-age piano and brings out his tender side, as he harmonizes gently on "Givenchy" and "Tell 'Em." M.T. RICHARDS


THE ANTLERS, SHAPRECE, MUSÉE MÉCANIQUE
(Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside) Brooklyn's the Antlers grace the Crystal tonight in continuing support of last year's Familiars, a dallying collection of orchestrated, echo-laden indie rock lullabies (that's a misnomer—they never exactly rock). Tonight's show also serves as the kickoff for KPSU's 30 Shows in 30 Days event, with proceeds from select shows benefiting the hallowed college station's AMP KPSU pledge. MORGAN TROPER See All-Ages Action!


DE LA SPRING HAPPENING: OHIOAN, MÁSCARAS, DOWN GOWN, SMOKEY KINGDOM, BOZART, CONSUMER, DJ SHOWDEER, DJ DBMONKEY
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) See My, What a Busy Week!


JEREMY ENIGK, JEN WOOD, MARK NICHOLS AND THE EVEREXPANDING EXPERIENCE MACHINE, HIP HATCHET
(Hawthorne Theatre, 1507 SE César E. Chávez) See My, What a Busy Week!


YONATAN GAT, ETERNAL TAPESTRY, HORNET LEG, SELECTOR DUB NARCOTIC
(The Know, 2026 NE Alberta) My first experience with Israeli-born guitarist Yonatan Gat was about a decade ago with his now-defunct maniacal punk band Monotonix. While vocalist Ami Shalev was typically the center of attention—scaling walls, using audience members as tackle dummies—it was hard not to be mesmerized by Gat, who had a Jimmy Page-esque flair about him. He's an incredible guitarist, but even if he only knew three chords, he'd still wield that guitar like a rock 'n' roll weapon. Gat now performs under his own name, recruiting musicians of equal ability and blowing audiences away. If there's a guitar god for the new millennium, it's Yonatan. So help me Gat. MARK LORE