Wednesday, Sept. 24

When she emerged a decade ago, the Washington, D.C., rapper Rico Nasty offered a template for how to be taken seriously as a rap technician while still taking cues from Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, and the other heartthrobs of the mall-punk era in which she grew up. A lot of those bands put records out on Fueled by Ramen, and with her new album, Lethal , Rico joins that label’s vaunted roster. But it’s far from a Hot Topic nostalgia trip—by contrast, it’s one of the most potent expressions yet of her hard-hitting punk-rap sound and uncompromising meanness. Crystal Ballroom, 1332 W Burnside St. 8 pm. $40.50–$51.75. All ages.

Friday, Sept. 26

Sparks is one of those cult acts you either love or feel dumb for not getting, but at least they have rock-’n’-roll thea

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