Music notes: Eric Church brings his brand of country to Allstate

Heavier country

After a slow climb up Nashville's musical mountain, country singer Eric Church is now reaping the rewards with a string of single, song and album-of-the-year nominations from the Grammys, the ACM Awards and the CMA Awards. And in 2014, his newest release “The Outsiders” earned Favorite Country Album honors at the American Music Awards. He brings his Southern rock tour to the Allstate Arena this weekend, with guest musicians the Drive-By Truckers. 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, at the Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Tickets start at $20, and they're going fast. Ticketmaster.com.

Catch the Crombies

If you know what 2 Tone is — the genre of UK-born ska/punk mashup rockers — then you should make your way to Lombard's Brauerhouse Friday, where Chicago's very own 2 Tone artists The Crombies will be doing more than jumping, jiving and wailing. Run and Punch, a seven-piece ska/punk band, opens with a set that borrows from jazz, soul, funk and punk. 9 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Brauerhouse, 1000 N. Rohlwing Road, Lombard. Tickets are $6-$8; (630) 495-2141 or brauerhouse.com.

Second chance at SEMPLE

If you missed this band of local alternative rockers in Libertyville last week, the luck of the Irish is with you. They'll be playing the St. Paddy's Hangover Party at Arlington Heights' H.O.M.E. Bar Saturday. Chicago-based Sealed With A Kiss opens with cover favorites from the '80s to today. 9 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at H.O.M.E. Bar, 1227 N. Rand Road, Arlington Heights. Cover is free for the party, $8 for the show; (847) 577-4663 or homebarchicago.com.

CONCERTS

Eric Church: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, Allstate Arena, 6920 N. Mannheim Road, Rosemont. Country. $20-$62.50. Visit ticketmaster.com.

Jeni & Billy: 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, Two Way Street Coffeehouse, 1047 Curtiss St., Downers Grove. Folk. $7. Visit twowaystreet.org.

Piano Man: A Tribute to Elton John & Billy Joel: 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, and 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21, Fox Valley Repertory, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles. Pop, rock. $32. (630) 584-6342 or visit foxvalleyrep.org.

“Long Live & Prosper Night,” in memory of Leonard Nimoy: Featues Five Year Mission, a “Star Trek” tribute Band: 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles. $10. (630) 962-7000 or oshows.com.

American English: 9 p.m. Friday, March 20, FitzGerald's, 6615 W. Roosevelt Road, Berwyn. Pop, rock; Beatles tribute band. $12. (708) 788-2118 or fitzgeraldsnightclub.com.

Dastardly: 9 p.m. Friday, March 20, The Abbey Pub, 3420 W. Grace St., Chicago. Rock. $8-$10. (773) 478-4408 or abbeypub.com.

Ron Sorin and The Blue Coast Band: 9:30 p.m. Friday, March 20, Harlem Avenue Lounge, 3701 S. Harlem, Berwyn, Chicago blues harmonica. $6 cover. (708) 484-3610 or harlemavenuelounge.com.

Women College Women's Chorale: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, Wheaton College's Pierce Memorial Chapel, at corner of Washington and Franklin streets, Wheaton. $5-$10. Tickets available only at the door. For information, call (630) 752-5099 or visit wheaton.edu.

Tinsley Ellis: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 21, Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, Southern blues, rock. $25-$40. 847-931-5900 or hemmens.org.

Turtle Island Quartet with Nellie McKay: 8 p.m. Saturday, March 21, Fermilab's Ramsey Auditorium, at Pine Street and Kirk Road, Batavia. Jazz. $15-$30. (630) 840-2787 or visit fnal.gov/culture.

Lyric Opera presents the new Mariachi opera “El Pasado Nunca Se Termina”: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $10-$25. (800) 982-2787, ticketmaster.com or geneseetheatre.com.

Anne Hills: 2 p.m. Sunday, March 22, Lisle Library District, 777 Front St., Lisle. Folk. Free. Visit lislelibrary.org.

Mount Prospect Community Band: 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 22, St. Paul Lutheran Church, 100 S. School St., Mount Prospect. Classical, miscellaneous. Tickets available at the Rec Plex or at the door; $7 in advance or $9 at door. Visit mppd.org.

Trio Speranza: 4 p.m. Sunday, March 22, Byron Colby Barn, 1561 Jones Point Road, Grayslake. Music from Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque periods. Tickets are $18 adults. Tickets available at the door only via cash or check (no credit cards). Children under age 16 are free. Visit libertyprairie.org.

Trinity International University Concert Choir and Symphonic Band: 4 p.m. Sunday, March 22, St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 10 S. Lake St., Mundelein, Chant, 16th-century polychoral masterpieces, late 20th-century music, spirituals, contemporary gospel and more. Free, (847) 566-8081 or standrewmundelein.com.

Tenor Josh Baum with guitarist Ric Larsen: Noon, Tuesday, March 24, Aurora University's Crimi Auditorium, 407 S. Calumet Ave., Aurora, Music from both the classical and popular music genres, Free. Registration is required. Register online. Call (630) 844-4924 or visit auartsandideas.com.

David Cassidy: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 26, Arcada Theatre, 105 E Main St., St. Charles. Pop, rock. $49-$99. (630) 962-7000 or oshows.com.

Note: Information is provided by entertainment venues. Check with venue before purchasing tickets. For more concert listings, visit dailyherald.com/calendar.