This Weekend’s Concert Picks: tUnE-yArDs, Odd Future, Fleet Foxes, Damon And Naomi, Punk Rock Flea Market

FRIDAY, MAY 20
Merrill Garbus, who performs as tUnE-yArDs, sees things in a million shades of gray. Her lyrics and interviews are filled with more questions than answers. Is she borrowing—or stealing—her beats and yelps from African music? Should she sing about the political views that are inherently a part of her personality, or will she come across as preachy? Should she make her music more confrontational to avoid having it played in Urban Outfitters? And if her music is even more confrontational, will it alienate the listener? That kind of ambivalence could bog a musician down. But Garbus has an ability to ask questions powerfully. Layers of explosive percussion drive the music; her voice ranges unpredictably. The result is music that lies off the beaten path of current indie trends. tUnE-yArDs performs with Buke And Gass at 9 p.m. at Johnny Brenda’s; tickets to the 21+ show are SOLD OUT. —Dave Simpson

Also playing: Odd Future at First Unitarian Church (9 p.m., all ages, SOLD OUT); Weird Al Yankovic at Keswick Theatre (8 p.m., all ages, $29.50-$59.50); Dredg + The Dear Hunter, Balance And Composure, The Trophy Fire at The Trocadero (7 p.m., all ages, $16); Small Houses + Chris Kasper, Tinmouth, Brittany Ann at Danger Danger Gallery (9 p.m., all ages, $5-$10)

SATURDAY, MAY 21
As one of the leaders of the folk-baroque resurgence, Seattle’s Fleet Foxes bring a harmony-laden, rustic approach to pop. The songs sound like hymns to rural Americana—they’re both a tribute and a wishful hope for a return to simpler time. Unfortunately, singer Robin Pecknold’s lyrics sometimes veer off into hokey territory, especially when he rambles at length about the poetry of snowflakes and sun-drenched orchards. But Fleet Foxes are highly listenable: both their first album and their latest, Helplessness Blues (which came out earlier this month), offer a dreamy, inoffensive soundtrack for an afternoon spent picking apples and wearing plaid. Fleet Foxes perform with The Cave Singers at 9 p.m. at The Tower Theatre; tickets to the show are SOLD OUT. —Kiley Bense

Also playing: Converge + Drop Dead, Trap Them, Burning Love, Cop Problem at Broad Street Ministry (7 p.m., all ages, $15); Damon And Naomi + Amor de Dias at First Unitarian Church (7:30 p.m., all ages, $12); Delco Nightingale + Sean Kershaw And The New Jack Ramblers at The Fire (9 p.m., $9)

SUNDAY, MAY 22
The Punk Rock Flea Market (10 a.m.-5 p.m., $3, 461 N. 9th St.); Neon Trees + The Limousines, Eastern Conference Champions at Theatre Of Living Arts (8 p.m., $18); The Cars at Electric Factory (8 p.m., $60.45)