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Music notes: Viper Alley fetes Ides of March

On the March

What better way to spend the Ides of March than seeing the Ides of March? The band, which was born in the suburbs of Chicago, first arrived on the scene with the funky, horns-drenched hit song “Vehicle” from 1970. The group released several albums in the early 1970s before going on an extended hiatus that ended with a reunion show in 1990. Since then, the band has released more albums and become a regular presence on stages in the Chicago area.

9 p.m. Friday, March 15, at Viper Alley, 275 Parkway Drive, Lincolnshire. Tickets start at $25. Go to viper-alley.com.

Jazz guitarist

Larry Carlton, an acclaimed jazz guitarist and multiple Grammy winner who started recording in the 1960s, will make a special stop in the suburbs this weekend. Carlton has split his time between being one of the most in-demand session musicians in the industry and working on his own material. He will play at the intimate Montrose Room.

7 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at the Montrose Room, located inside the InterContinental Chicago O'Hare hotel, 5300 N. River Road, Rosemont. Tickets start at $49. Go to montrose room.com.

Punk o' the Irish

The Tossers, Chicago's very own Celtic-punk band, will celebrate the band's 20th anniversary and the release last week of its new album, “The Emerald City,” with a show at Metro this St. Patrick's Day weekend. The Tossers emerged from the South Side in the early 1990s with a driving sound that paired traditional Irish instrumentation — accordion, violin, mandolin — with the energy and jagged edge of urban punk. The band has become known for its scorching live shows, with St. Patrick's Day performances at the Metro a historical highlight. This is a show that rock fans of all nationalities should put on their calendar.

9 p.m. Saturday, March 16, at Metro, 3730 N. Clark St., Chicago. (Kevin Flynn & the Avondale Ramblers, the Blind Staggers and Continental will also perform.) $20. Go to metrochicago.com.

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