Tonight’s Concert Pick: Austra at First Unitarian Church

At first glance, Katie Stelmanis appears to be the delicate, girl-next-door type. But her music suggests quite the opposite. As the front-woman of Austra, she creates mysterious dance music that would make for a great soundtrack of an experimental film. (No surprise, then, that Austra’s music videos delve into nude dancers, reptilian deformities, and sporadic images of missiles—a bizarre realm of visual representation that only its music could support.) Through obsessive electronic beats and extended vocal lines, the songs simultaneously evoke excitement and instill a sense of reverence. Stemanis’ commanding voice sings gruesome, passionate lyrics about love and anger that transform her from some sweet-natured girl to a woman cloaked in darkness and rhythm. Austra performs with Grimes at 8 p.m. at The First Unitarian Church; tickets to the all-ages show are $10–$12. —Caitlyn Grabenstein