Fans of vintage punk are in luck this week as San Antonio plays host to a package tout featuring the Descendants, Circle Jerks and Adolescents, three bands that helped make Southern California an epicenter of '80s punk. Greg Ginn's reconstituted Black Flag, another pivotal band in SoCal hardcore's development, plays three days later.
Although his Echo Bridge show is likely to be much quieter, singer-songwriter Jad Fair is also a punk pioneer in his own right, having released a slew of chaotic lo-fi recordings by his band Half Japanese starting in the mid-1970s.
Wednesday, March 20
Descendents, Circle Jerks, Adolescents
Three of the bands that put Southern California on the map as a birthplace of hardcore punk are touring on the strength of that legacy. The catchy and often cheeky Descendents continue to feature vocalist Milo Aukerman and drummer Bill Stevenson from the band's earliest days. Circle Jerks still feature singer Keith Morris, who left Black Flag in 1979 to form the band, and guitarist Greg Hetson. $39.50-$45, 7 p.m., Vibes Underground, 1223 E. Houston St., (210) 255-3833, facebook.com/vibesunderground. — Danny Cervantes
Saturday, March 23
Black Flag, My War
Black Flag is widely credited as a key originator of both hardcore punk and the post-hardcore evolution. Formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California, by guitarist Greg Ginn, he remains the only constant in a band that's changed lineups with the frequency at which some people change socks. The band's critical apex peaked in the early '80s when Henry Rollins joined as lead singer. $25, 7 p.m., Paper Tiger, 2410 N. St. Mary's St., papertigersatx.com. — DC
Saturday, March 23
Ernie Durawa and Murali Coryell
Here's a free show featuring musical royalty in one of Texas' most revered venues. Drummer Ernie Durawa cut his musical teeth performing in groups embodying San Antonio's West Side Sound before studying jazz drumming with famed instructor Roy Knapp. Durawa later drummed for the Texas Tornadoes and on some of Doug Sahm's iconic singles. Murali Coryell, son of legendary jazz guitarist Larry Coryell, brings his own six-string prowess to bear. Together, the two musicians meld rock and jazz with progressive influences. Free, 1 p.m., Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road, New Braunfels, gruenehall.com. — Bill Baird
Sunday, March 24
Empty Heaven, Heavy Love, Ston the Band
Empty Heaven is the musical project of San Antonio's Anthony Sanders, who successfully updates elements of emo and mid-aughts indie rock for the modern era. Makes sense, given that one of Sanders' other projects, Not a Phase, is a cover band known for specializing in "emo's greatest hits." Filling out the bill are Heavy Love, currently one of SA's best indie-pop-whatever bands, and Ston the Band, which deconstructs country music and Texas mythology by filtering it through a decidedly non-macho — dare we say "emo" — lens. $10, 9 p.m., Lonesome Rose, 2114 N. St. Mary's St., thelonesomerose.com. — BB
Jad Fair
Jad Fair has emerged as one of the great outsider artists of the modern era. His uniquely whimsical songs and delivery, combined with his compelling visual art, make him the complete package. Since starting in the mid-1970s with his lo-fi band Half Japanese — Kurt Cobain was a fan — Fair has collaborated with a veritable Who's Who of modern musicians, including Yo La Tengo. For this show, Fair will play beneath Echo Bridge, SA's most unique music venue, indoors or out. $20, 6 p.m., Echo Bridge, 2617 Texas 536 Spur, instagram.com/echobridgeappreciationsociety. — BB
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