Music: Robert Cray plays the blues at Metropolis
Blues guitar great
If you're not able to see blues guitar master Robert Cray on Friday night at Aurora's Blues on the Fox festival, don't fret. Cray will perform the next day at the intimate Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in Arlington Heights. Cray has been playing with his own band since the 1980s. His big breakthrough came with his album “Strong Persuader,” which was nominated for a Grammy and introduced his soulful brand of blues guitar playing to a wide mainstream audience. He has continued to record and tour ever since, often with friend Eric Clapton, a man who knows a few things about guitar himself. 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. $65 to $75. metropolisarts.com
Lucky on stage
DuPage County rockers Lucky Boys Confusion will perform their brand of punk- and ska-inflected rock at a show in the city this weekend. Lucky Boys Confusion performs with Action Blast, State & Madison and Ivory Theory at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 18, at House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn, Chicago. $20. houseofblues.com
Orchestral maneuvers
One of my most-treasured live-music experiences was seeing Peter Gabriel perform back during his “Sledgehammer” days in the 1980s. The innovative British rocker returns to Chicago this weekend, where he'll give hits like “Sledgehammer” a new spin courtesy of the New Blood Orchestra. (An album featuring Gabriel and the NBO is due later this year.) 8 p.m. Monday, June 20, at the United Center, 1901 W. Madison St., Chicago. $45 to $175. ticketmaster.com