Music notes: Kings plays Durty Nellie's

Kings visit the 'burbs

We the Kings, an up-and-coming punk-pop band from Florida, will headline a show in the suburbs this weekend. The band is touring behind its just-released record, “Sunshine State of Mind.” We the Kings perform along with The Summer Set and The Downtown Fiction during a show that begins at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 5, at Durty Nellie's, 180 N. Smith St., Palatine. $17. Go to durtynellies.com.

Can't get to Lolla?

In case you haven't heard, the huge Lollapalooza music festival begins today in Chicago. If you don't have tickets for any of the festival's three days, all hope is not lost. There are a couple of other ways to get your Lollapalooza fix this weekend.

• First, many of the bands on the bill will be performing at official “aftershows” in clubs throughout the city. Tickets for these are going fast. For a full list of these shows, go to lollapalooza.com.

• Second, a webcast of Lollapalooza performances will be broadcast live via the festival's YouTube channel. Go to youtube.com/lollapalooza for details.

Country powerhouse

In this age of declining album sales, artists who are able to reach a truly mass audience are becoming few and far between. One of them is country-pop superstar Taylor Swift, who has managed to conquer both the CD and digital download charts. Swift makes a stop in the suburbs next week on her tour supporting her latest record, “Speak Now.” 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 10, at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. $25 to $79.50. Go to ticketmaster.com.