Music events: 45 years of The Monkees

Rapid-fire rapper

Twista, the Chicago rapper known for the blistering speed of his raps, will put on a show of beats and rhymes in the suburbs this weekend. Twista is touring behind his latest record, “The Perfect Storm.” Twista will perform Saturday, June 25, at Shark City, 2240 Bloomingdale Road, Glendale Heights. $30. Call (630) 826-9346 or go to sharkcity.biz.

Genre benders

Califone, the hard-to-classify band led by suburban native Tim Rutili (who used to lead the acclaimed alternative band Red Red Meat), combines folk, blues and rock with experimental electronic sounds on its most recent record, the stellar “All My Friends Are Funeral Singers.” The band hits the Chicago stage this weekend. 9:30 p.m. Sunday, June 26, at the Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western, Chicago. $12. Go to emptybottle.com.

Made-for-TV band

Yes, I'm a believer! Forty-five years after becoming a pop sensation, The Monkees are back on tour. (Three out of the four, anyway; Michael Nesmith is not participating.) Though cobbled together to play a rock band on a television show, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork (along with Nesmith) actually became a real band, one that delivered some of the most consistently good pop records of the day. Dolenz, Jones and Tork make a stop in the suburbs this week. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 29, at the Genesee Theatre, 203 N. Genesee St., Waukegan. $65, $103. Go to geneseetheatre.com.