Wild week in store at the Knit
Arena-rock reggae, hardcore pop-punk, spiritual gangsta rap, political Christian folk, “gross pop.”
It’s all happening over the coming week at the Knitting Factory, 919 W. Sprague Ave. Tickets are available through TicketsWest outlets (800-325-SEAT, www.ticketswest.com).
The Expendables (tonight at 7:30)
The Expendables are out to prove it on their highly anticipated forthcoming fifth album.
Set for release May 11, “Prove It,” featuring guest appearances by G. Love and Slightly Stoopid, pushes the Santa Cruz quartet’s rock-reggae sound to arena-rock mass.
The Expendables headline a tour with Santa Cruz glam-rock homies Dirty Penny, L.A.-based reggae-rockers Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds and Vancouver, B.C. quintet Redeye Empire ($14).
A Day To Remember (Monday, 6:30 p.m.)
A Day To Remember weathered turbulence in 2009 and came out on top with its latest album, “Homesick.”
But while major media outlets such as Rolling Stone were offering praise, the band was going through internal challenges, kicking off the summer touring season with the departure of lead guitarist Tom Denney and pulling out of the Reading and Leeds festivals because rhythm guitarist Neil Westfall needed surgery.
A Day to Remember headlines a show with Victory Records labelmate Sinverstein plus August Burns Red, Enter Shikari and Go Radio ($20/advance, $23/day of show).
ABK (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.)
Juggalos will be out in droves for a show starring ABK, aka Anybody Killa, along with Critical Bill.
Native American rapper ABK draws heavily on his heritage, blending gangsta rap aesthetics with dark humor and horrcore imagery for a sound he calls “spiritual rap.”
Rap-rock quintet Critical Bill smashes heavy guitar and bass riffs together with funky beats and wobbly turntablism.
ABK and Critical Bill appear with Tragedy, Knothead, Twisted Insane and more ($10/advance, $15/day of show).
Jennifer Knapp and Derek Webb (Wednesday, 8 p.m.)
Folk-rockers Jennifer Knapp and Derek Webb combine their shared progressive faith for an evening of stripped-down, thoughtful music ($15).
Both have been outspoken about their beliefs on matters of sexuality and politics, especially in context of Christianity.
Webb says last year’s “Stockholme Syndrome,” was self-released as a digital album because it “apparently crossed the line” of what his label was willing to publish.
Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning Knapp’s forthcoming “Letting Go” (May 11) marks her first release of original material in nine years.
The Used (Thursday, 8 p.m.)
The latest album by The Used, “Artwork,” isn’t exactly what fans are used to.
The platinum-selling rock band experienced a series of firsts during of the making of its fourth album: the first with new drummer Dan Whiteside, the first at the band’s newly restructured Reprise Records home, and the first not produced by Goldfinger frontman John Feldman.
But ultimately the band felt like it achieved its intent of creating a record self-described as “gross pop.”
The Used appears with New Medicine and Far ($25).